“Sometimes we feel unwell and that is okay because everyone must have experienced stress.” This statement was delivered by the Deputy Minister of Health (Wamenkes) of the Republic of Indonesia, Prof. dr. Dante Saksono Harbuwono, Sp.PD-KEMD., Ph.D., to thousands of new students of Universitas Indonesia (UI) participating in the Introduction to Campus Life for New Students (PKKMB) event at Balairung UI on Tuesday, August 6.
According to Prof. Dante, stress is very likely to be experienced by new students as they are in an adaptation phase. Students will experience the W curve, which is a pattern of stages that students go through when adapting to a new campus. These stages include the honeymoon stage (just starting), culture shock (many assignments, homesickness), initial adjustment (being able to manage time and having friends), mental isolation (coming home and feeling that a lot of things have changed), and acceptance and integration (feeling of finding a new home).
Stress emerging in an adaptation process must be managed by students. Prof. Dante explained that when dealing with stress, the body will give a response. The pituitary gland in the brain releases cortisol substances and adrenaline which triggers someone’s fight or flight and makes them feel various sensations in the body, including faster heartbeats, anxiousness, trembling, and nervousness. If the fight or flight activation is excessive, someone can experience sleep disorders, stomach pain, hypertension, and even mental disorders such as anxiety and depression.
For that purpose, he emphasized the importance of the students’ skills in managing skills. When someone experiences stress, the thing to do is to identify the cause of stress, and pay attention to what thoughts emerge, and what response appears in the body. Do relaxation with internal breathing, and progressive muscle relaxation, and apply the 5-4-3-2-1 (5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste) method. In addition, increase physical activity, such as walking, running, gymnastics, or yoga; and tell friends, family, or professionals.
“You don’t have to walk this journey alone. If it feels more difficult to manage stress and it has hindered daily activities, It is a good idea to consult with an academic advisor and a mental health professional. UI has built a system for stress management in several health service facilities, such as the Makara Satellite Clinic, the UI Faculty of Psychology Integrated Clinic, and RSUI. Because of that, when you need help, do not hesitate to visit, and do not be embarrassed to receive professional insight,” said Prof. Dante.
A strong mentality must be built by students because they will face increasing challenges. The Directorate General of Higher Education, Research, and Technology (Dirjen Diktiristek), Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek), Prof. Dr. rer.nat. Abdul Haris, M.Sc., stated that the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER), the chance of high school graduates being able to go through higher education in Indonesia, is only 31%. Moreover, based on the data from the Central Bureau of Statistics 2023, 11.8% of the total graduates are educated and unemployed.
Because of that, according to Prof. Haris, students not only have to master their field, but also have to have problem-solving, social, process, and system skills. “These are core skills most sought after in the job-seeking world in the future. For that, the government created the Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (Independent Learning Independent Campus) policy as a means of improving student competence,” said Prof. Haris.
Until the year 2023, Kemendikbudristek ran six MBKM Flagship programs, namely the Magang dan Studi Independen Bersertifikat (MSIB) (Certified Internship and Independent Study), Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards (IISMA), Kampus Mengajar, Pertukaran Mahasiswa Merdeka (Student Exchange), Wirausaha Merdeka (Entrepreneurship), and Praktisi Mengajar (Practitioner teaching). These programs are hoped to be able to produce a superior generation that contributes to national progress.
Rector of UI, Prof. Ari Kuncoro, S.E., M.A., Ph.D, in his speech, stated that UI has always been the university with the largest number of participants for the IISMA program every year. According to him, there are many ways for students to develop themselves in UI. Other than academic activities in classrooms, students also have many opportunities to participate outside the classroom through developing academic, sports, artistic, and community service achievements.
“There is always a way for those who think freely and fight as optimally as possible. Make good use of your time as a member of the best campus in Indonesia, based on assessments from global ranking institutions Times Higher Education, QS World University Ranking, Webometric, and several other institutions. Congratulations on participating in the series of PKKMB UI 2024 activities. Hopefully, all activities will run smoothly and we will all benefit from it, especially UI students of the 2024 batch,” said Prof. Ari.
PKKMB UI 2024 was attended by 10,361 students from the S1 and Vocational programs. This activity aims to provide orientation to new students so that they get to know the campus, academic regulations, and student activities at UI. With the theme “UI Students are Strong, Healthy, and Scholarly in the Global Era,” the PKKMB activity was also filled by UI alumni who are the Rector of Jenderal Achmad Yani University, Prof. Hikmahanto Juwana, S.H., LL.M., Ph.D. He discussed the strategic role of students in facing the global political situation. The opening ceremony of PKKMB was also attended by Acting Vice Rector for Education and Student Affairs, Prof. Dr. Ir. Dedi Priadi, DEA; Vice Rector for Finance and Logistics, Vita Silvira, S.E., MBA; Vice Rector for Research and Innovation, drg. Nurtami, Ph.D., Sp,OF(K); deans/vice deans, directors, and unit heads and staff.
