Memoir of an Ordinary Sophomore
My final semester as a sophomore begins this month. I’ll be starting a new section of my penultimate year of college in less than a month. I had no idea how quickly college years pass. However, throughout that period, I pick up some reflection that can be helpful to individuals who are wondering what the takeaway from their regular university activities are. Be aware that some of these materials may be biased toward the social science program I am enrolled in.
Idea is Universal, yet Knowledge is (Sometimes) Personal
I think you may find ideas today from a variety of sources. These days, having access to the internet makes it much easier to locate anything to understand. It is easy to locate in Google be it reading material, a book, or a teaching session. Yet people still complain about the hardship in college, I assume this is because that [sometimes] knowledge needs some kind of personal context. I contend that understanding the personal context is essential to understanding the concept and turning the concept into body of knowledge.
I’ve never been able to understand how chemicals interact, but perhaps that’s because I can’t understand why it matters to me personally. Simply because I enjoy talking to people — and sometimes they discuss politics — I am able to comprehend how politics, policy, and developmental issues are disputed in numerous areas. I have known from the start that when I study policy [and many other thing], at the very least, I can utilize the materials to interact with others. Additionally, as far as I can recall, one of the reasons I enjoy developmental studies is because I think they can help Indonesians grow faster by placing a strong emphasis on fundamental issues.
Finally, I want to underline the importance of using a personal context while discussing information. We frequently believe that studying will constantly result in learning, but I don’t agree with the argument. The Indonesian university system, which evaluates talents, occasionally neglects to consider interest, personal context, and cultural fit. This, in my opinion, explains why so many people chose the incorrect major. They feel like they are studying, yet if people ask them about their major; they can’t answer. I believe that understanding the specific and personal context is essential to understand the idea into shaping a body of knowledge.
In the end, it is about you
When you first enroll as a freshman, perhaps the majority of individuals follow in your steps. Most of my colleagues who are enrolled in the Public Policy program initially want to work for the government or in organizations that are related to it. However, these people’s interests and passions vary with time. Some of these persons moved into various industries, and others changed their career paths. In my situation, not every one of my friends who enrolled in public policy had any interest in studying it. It turns out that some of them simply choose to stay because of the quality of the prestigious university. And it’s okay to do that. whether you are on side A (those who don’t adjust their plans) or side B (those who do), It largely depends on you.
Hard Choices, easy life; Easy choices, hard life
The phrase I use in this sentence is taken from a TED talk that I seem to recalled. I distinctly recalled the speaker saying that if you want an easy life, you must make a difficult decision, but if you make an easy decision, you will end up with a difficult life. Although this idiom is incorrect for the top one percent, most people I encountered struggle with it. The choice between studying for a test and staying up late partying; the choice between going to the gym regularly or maintaining a healthy lifestyle. We are responsible for the choices we have made. Even though the end consequence isn’t always clear, the series of actions leads to behaviour. The behaviour that you form will then turn into a result. See, this advice only prove that your mama advice was right from the beginning.
All you need to do is Sometime Ask
My friend once questioned me on how to compose this type of mid-term essay.
I respond that I contacted a number of researchers and friends to provide critical comments on the essay I had written. Sometimes people are reluctant to ask, especially to strangers. The majority of my friends who I asked claimed they were terrified of rejection that might happen. It seems that there are good people in this planet as well as the one that reject your work. In my situation, even a well-known worldwide program’s director — someone I don’t know personally — replied to what I had said. Likewise, sometimes people are bound by their own ego. They assume that they are experts when they are not. These prejudices could be imperative to a person’s job. We require criticism in order to clarify our worldview. In Indonesian idoms, this is called malu bertanya, sesat dijalan.
