Nabiila Nur Shadi, also known as Shadi, is a Chemistry undergraduate student at Universitas Airlangga who has become an awardee of one of the independent campus programmes, the Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards (IISMA). The programme, which was recently released by the Ministry of Education and Culture, is similar to a student exchange programme. IISMA provides opportunities for students in Indonesia to attend lectures at universities outside Indonesia for approximately one semester on a fully funded basis.

 

She first learned about the IISMA programme from one of Kampus Merdeka’s social media channels. Because she saw a great opportunity, Shadi decided to try to register for the programme. After going through the selection stage, Shadi was accepted as one of the awardees.

 

Shadi’s destination university in the IISMA programme is the University of Twente, Netherlands. Meanwhile, the courses taken include Business Information Technology, Smart Ways to Make Smart Cities Smarter, and Smart Cities-Multifunctional Flood Defences.

 

Shadi is interested in learning about and contributing to solving existing and frequent natural disasters in Indonesia, such as floods. She also wants to participate in building infrastructure in Indonesia. Moreover, Indonesia is currently working on projects for development in 2045. In addition, Shadi also wants to explore his interest in business.

 

‘I thought, what are the things that are currently needed by Indonesia, so that later I can contribute to Indonesia from the knowledge that has been obtained,’ said Shadi, giving the reason for choosing a course that is different from his current major. More than that, Shadi also wants to expand his knowledge, insights, and views so that one day he will have thoughts that are not only limited to the fields that are in accordance with his major. Getting out of his comfort zone by challenging himself to learn new things is also another reason why this student from Jakarta chose the course.

 

In an interview with Shadi, the Department of Chemistry web team also managed to summarise tips and tricks as well as a message from Shadi for friends who are interested in joining the IISMA programme or the like. Let’s take a look together:

 

Tips n Tricks

The most important preparation before applying is English (TOEFL). Many platforms can be used to improve English skills, such as Youtube. In addition, there are also many TOEFL Preparation e-books that can be used to learn and do practice questions related to TOEFL. Furthermore, multiply useful non-academic activities, but this must also be balanced with academic activities. Hopefully, our Curriculum Vitae will be filled with good academic grades and good non-academic activities as well.

 

When applying, we must pay close attention to the essay we write. We have to do some research on the programme, host university, and courses that we will be participating in. After that, we try to relate these aspects to our interests and views.

 

When it comes to interviews, one thing that you definitely need to do is practice. This is so that we can speak and answer questions during the interview smoothly. Technically, you can make notes on the key points that you think will be asked and re-read the essay you have written. Usually, the questions during the interview are not far from the essay we wrote,

 

My message to my friends is don’t be afraid to try because it never hurts to try. So, be brave first. Change your mindset to a growth mindset, that everyone has the same opportunities and chances. Many opportunities exist, but if we don’t pursue them, we will never get the chance. Strengthen your intention and don’t forget to multiply efforts and prayers so that it can be achieved.

 

Author: Mikhail Naufal

Editor: Fatiha Khairunnisa