Menjadi Muslim di Eropa

Saya baru saja kembali ke tanah air setelah satu tahun menempuh magister di UK dan keliling Eropa selama dua minggu. Karena sudah lama nggak telfonan asik dengan keluarga, selama beberapa hari terakhir saya terus bercerita tentang pengalaman hidup di Eropa. Salah satu hal yang menarik untuk diceritakan adalah pengalaman saya sebagai Muslim di Eropa. Saya baru ngeh kalau ada banyak banget yang seru untuk diceritain, dan orang tua saya bilang, yang perlu juga diceritain dalam bentuk tulisan.

Secara umum, alhamdulillah saya nggak pernah ngalamin diskriminasi karena nunjukin identitas agama saya, baik di Inggris maupun di negara lain di Eropa. Ketika tiba di Inggris, saya bahkan bener-bener kaget karena nemuin banyak banget wanita berhijab di jalan - dari yang berturban sampai bercadar. Senengnya lagi, setiap papasan kami pasti bertukar senyum dan salam. 'Assalamu'alaikum' sampai terasa seperti sandi rahasia antar umat muslim. Teman saya sampai pernah bertanya, "Do you know that person?" "No," saya bilang. "But in Islam, we're all sisters. And we have a special way to greet each other". A beautiful way, indeed.

Meskipun selalu mendapatkan perlakuan yang baik selama di Eropa, kadang-kadang saya merasa ada banyak mata yang memperhatikan, terutama di beberapa kota yang jumlah muslimnya nggak banyak (misalnya ketika di Madrid). Tapi saya merasa tatapan itu cuma sekedar bentuk curiosity - and there's nothing wrong about it. Kalau kebetulan berpapasan dengan seseorang yang kelihatan sedang memperhatikan saya, biasanya saya senyumin aja orangnya. Chances are, they will do nothing but to smile back. Namun, karena sering merasa diperhatikan, saya kadang merasa mendapatkan tekanan untuk selalu berperilaku baik karena sedang membawa identitas agama saya. Kalau saya buang sampah sembarangan atau datang terlambat, misalnya, saya merasa bahwa yang dinilai negatif oleh orang lain bukan hanya perilaku saya sebagai seorang individu, tapi juga sebagai seorang muslim.

Selain dengan memberikan perhatian lebih, teman-teman saya biasanya menunjukkan rasa ingin tahunya dengan bertanya langsung. Ketika bulan Ramadhan misalnya, teman saya bertanya, gimana caranya saya survive tanpa makan dan minum selama dua puluh jam. Ada juga yang pertanyaannya lebih serius: kenapa puasa dilakukan di bulan Ramadhan, kenapa ada Muslim yang pakai jilbab dan yang nggak pakai jibab, atau kenapa saya nggak boleh makan babi. 

Karena komunitas Muslim cukup banyak di Eropa (khususnya di Inggris), mendapatkan makanan halal juga bukan hal yang sulit. Toko yang menjual kebab atau ayam goreng halal dengan harga murah pasti ada (setidaknya di setiap kota yang pernah saya datangi). Saya biasanya mengecek makanan halal melalui situs Zabihah, meskipun infonya kadang kurang lengkap. Kalaupun tidak menemukan restoran halal, bosan dengan pilihan makanan yang ada, atau harus pergi ke sebuah restoran karena diundang oleh teman, saya biasanya memilih menu vegetarian atau seafood. Peraturan di Inggris mengharuskan restoran untuk memberikan informasi mengenai bahan makanan dan allergen, sehingga biasanya di menu akan dicantumkan kalau makanannya menggunakan alkohol (atau bahan makanan lain yang tidak halal). Supaya lebih tenang lagi, tinggal tanya ke pelayannya, apakah makanan yang kita pesan mengandung bahan-bahan tersebut.

Mencari tempat ibadah juga bukan perkara sulit. Hampir semua kota besar di Eropa memiliki masjid, meskipun ada masjid yang ternyata hanya dibuka untuk laki-laki pada hari biasa (saya dan teman saya pernah masuk ke masjid khusus laki-laki dan malunya luar biasa). Pastikan lokasi pintu masuk untuk perempuan juga ya, karena ada beberapa masjid yang memisahkan gedung atau ruangan shalat laki-laki dan perempuan (saya juga pernah salah masuk dan malu banget rasanya). Jika tidak ada masjid di pusat kota, saya pernah shalat di kereta atau di restoran (untungnya saya berhijab, jadi nggak usah pakai mukena lagi) - karena saya masih merasa risih untuk shalat di taman atau tempat umum lainnya. Nggak enak aja rasanya kalau dilihat banyak orang, meskipun mereka juga nggak akan banyak berkomentar. But of course, it could also be an option.

Grande Moschea di Roma, salah satu masjid terbesar di luar negara Islam.

Salah satu kenalan saya di Inggris pernah bertanya, bagaimana cara saya beradaptasi dengan budaya di Inggris yang mungkin sangat berbeda dengan di negara Muslim. "It must be hard for you to adjust," katanya. Tidak juga sih, karena selama ini saya tetap berusaha untuk tetap open-minded meskipun tetap berusaha untuk menjaga diri saya. Tercampur tapi tidak terkontaminasi, kalau kata ibu saya.

Saya, misalnya, tetap mau untuk ikut ke pub jika masih siang atau setidaknya masih jam makan malam. Di Inggris, Pub bukan hanya tempat minum, tapi juga tempat makan dan ngobrol (karena kebanyakan cafe sudah tutup jam 8 malam). Saya biasanya memesan fish n' chips atau scampi (sejenis udang goreng tepung) dan minum air putih, sementara teman-teman saya memesan minuman beralkohol. Tapi, jika diajak ke pub setelah makan malam (karena teman-teman saya masih ingin minum-minum), biasanya saya izin untuk pulang duluan, karena hati saya rasanya nggak tenang untuk ikutan pergi meskipun saya juga nggak "ngapa-ngapain". Meskipun kesempatan saya untuk bersosialisasi jadi sedikit berkurang, saya tetap merasa nyaman dengan keputusan saya, karena toh semua teman saya menghargai keputusan saya untuk menghindari beberapa tempat, makanan, dan minuman. Nggak ada yang pernah memaksa saya untuk melakukan sesuatu yang bertentangan dengan nilai dan kepercayaan yang saya anut.

Bersama beberapa teman sekelas

Singkatnya, tidak perlu khawatir untuk pergi atau menetap di negara yang mayoritas penduduknya bukan Muslim. Tentu ada banyak hal yang perlu disesuaikan dan dikompromikan, tapi saya percaya kalau pengalaman hidup sebagai minoritas merupakan pengalaman yang sangat berharga karena setidaknya bisa membuat saya lebih menghargai perbedaan. Saya juga jadi memiliki kesempatan untuk mengubah persepsi orang-orang tentang Islam, seperti kata seorang teman saya yang warga Inggris, "It's not only beneficial for you. It's also great for us - so that we can learn more about other culture and beliefs."

A Glimpse of Europe

It has been an indelible 2 weeks. With one my closest friends in the UK, I went to see some parts of Europe which 20-year-old Ayas wouldn't even have dreamt of seeing. For 15 days, I was surrounded by people who talk in different languages.

For me, the vacation starts when I make the itinerary - when I plan what to do, where to go, where to stay, et cetera. We planned and booked everything ourselves: the hotel or Airbnb; the plane, bus, or train tickets to go from one city or country to another; the bus from the airport; and the attractions to visit. Planning a budget vacation was not easy, yet I love all the challenge and the satisfaction of knowing that we could do so much within our budget. I prefer planning my own vacation than joining a tour, because the "exploring" part is one of the most exciting one.

I knew from beginning that I'm not the kind of person who would enjoy travelling for 2 weeks straight, but we did it anyway because we have no time (nor money) to visit only one or two countries for a week a couple of times. We knew from the beginning that it would be exhaustive, yet we still managed to relish it until the end.

Colloseo, Roma

Duomo di Firenze

Europe was awesome. Brussel's grand place was incredibly pretty with all the golden details. Brugge's markt was filled with unique buildings that look like Lego houses. Madrid was interesting because I saw a lot of people reading on the metro (even more than in UK), yet found only a few people who can speak English. Toledo was extremely hot and tiring to explore on foot, yet also charming with all the medieval architecture. Barcelona was astonishing with all the Gaudi's masterpieces. Rome was surprisingly a little messy but beautifully embellished with all the roman ruins. Florence has a Duomo which looks like something you see on movies. Milan was nice for a little break and a little shopping. Paris looks a bit like London in some way, but has a special charm and ambience which I enjoy very much. Budapest was amazingly stunning at night, and even better (for me) at day. Lastly, Prague was charming and serene. There are still a lot of places to visit, obviously, but for now, this is more than enough. Enough to end my Journey in Europe before going back to Indonesia for good.

Gorgeous Budapest

The gigantic Eiffel Tower in Paris

The whole traveling experience was exhilarating, although wearing. It makes me want to explore other places around the world, broaden my perspective, and makes me discover a lot of novel things about myself. A year ago, I would not mention traveling as something that I love doing, but now I think of it as a necessity - something that I must do once in a while to keep myself sane and content.

Until next trip!

The Stages of Studying Abroad

Almost a year ago, a lecturer of mine sat down with international MSc students in the psychology department. She was also an international student once, so the purpose of the get-together is to prepare the international freshers to study in the UK, as we needed to adjust in order to thrive - or at least, survive.

I still remember that my lecturer showed us a graph explaining the stages of studying abroad. The adjustment, the excitement, the struggle, the astonishment, the loneliness, the acceptance, and finally, the re-adjustment when returning home.

Another graph which pretty much explains the same thing (Source)

I also remember her saying, "There were times when I cried alone at night, wondering why I did this in the first place. That might happen to you, as well." And it did, a few times. When I felt so frustrated about my assignment, when I felt immensely stupid for not being able to write an excellent paper, when I realised that my English is far from good, when I saw my family went on a vacation together, when I miss my close friends, and when I just felt like crying with no particular reason. It's been a roller-coaster ride, indeed. A hell of a ride.

Nevertheless, now I'm feeling a little emotional to go back home. I'm finally in a state of acceptance. I actually enjoy having a space from everyone (yet still be in touch with them) and being more independent, and I'm a bit nervous to know that I need to readjust my position once more. When you're away from people you love, it's more likely that you forget all the bad memories about them and start missing all the good ones instead - and somehow I find it good for the relationship. In some cases, distance does make the heart grow fonder.

But there's always an end to something, even the good ones. I'm leaving for good in just a few days to re-face the reality (as this whole year still feels surreal to me), and I don't know if I'm ready.

Well then, thank you for the indelible experience, York. You will sure be tremendously missed.

"It is so hard to leave—until you leave. And then it is the easiest goddamned thing in the world." 

- John Green, Paper Town

In The End

It has been quite a bumpy year, filled with self-doubts, insecurities, and countless firsts. And yet I've made it. It's all done, and although I know I could do way better, I have to say I'm proud of myself for being able to tick one big box on my checklist.

And in the end, after being too hard on myself for conducting a crappy research that I couldn't fell in love with (although I did enjoy doing it tremendously), there's nothing more rewarding than having our supervisor told us, "Great job! A lot of judges (lecturer and professor) were really impressed with what you have done. Such an ambitious work for an MSc project!". Ah, and the unexpected poster-winning also felt pretty amazing. It's not the reward or the fact that I made the best poster among all students in my department (including those who did research with EEG or anything else; whose poster look both complicated and sophisticated) - it's the fact that, at last, I have done something right and was appreciated for doing so.

With the poster which I don't really like at first as it has too many words that I just couldn't cut down.

Regardless of all the challenges, this year probably is the best year my life. I did a lot of traveling, met a lot of inspiring people (not to mention new close friends), and learned more about myself.

A snippet of my year. What's not to be grateful for?

I'm still figuring out what to do next. I feel lost and find myself bewildered about which path do I need to choose; what kind of person do I need to be - but aren't we all twenty-somethings are?

I'm all waiting for the doors to be opened. And in the meantime, I'll travel some more, giving myself a reward as deserved. In the meantime, I'll keep whispering to myself, "You're still twenty one. Stop being so apprehensive about life and just try to enjoy it while you can."

Disertasi untuk M.Sc

Di lima hari menjelang deadline untuk pengumpulan draft disertasi (di Inggris istilahnya disertasi meskipun untuk program magister), salah satu adik kelas saya dulu menghubungi saya untuk bertanya-tanya soal proses pembuatan disertasi di sini, berhubung waktu kuliah yang diberikan hanya 1 tahun. Saya jadi sadar deh, saya belum pernah bener-bener cerita tentang pembuatan disertasi ini secara detil ke siapa-siapa. Nggak penting-penting banget sih, but it's kind of a necessity to keep myself sane. Saya cuma bisa diskusi sama teman saya di London (yang sama-sama anak psikologi dan punya concern di riset) - yang hanya saya temui dua kali sejak saya mulai menulis disertasi. Talking to her is always helpful, but it's not like having a friend who can listen to everything that has happened to you over lunch, every day.

Satu hal yang saya sadari ketika hidup di luar negeri adalah, saya jadi milih masalah apa yang mau dicertain ke sahabat-sahabat dan keluarga saya di Indonesia. No one wants to hear me blabbing about which statistical method that I need to use, seriously, so I stopped sharing unless I was asked. Dan teman-teman di UK? I have a few Indonesian friends, but none of them study psychology, so telling them about my research in detail would only bore them, I suppose. Well, di York cuma ada satu teman sejurusan saya yang dekat dengan saya. Kebanyakan teman kelas saya orang Eropa, jadi gaya pertemanannya agak berbeda dan saya susah klopnya. The truth is, selama di sini saya nggak pernah ngerasa jadi diri sendiri kalau lagi sama teman-teman di kelas (kecuali sama si satu teman itu). That's the thing about being a minority kali, ya. Somehow you will feel like you don't fit in, meskipun semua orang baik banget sama saya.

So I'm going to write about my dissertation here. It won't be an interesting read, unless you are into that. Dan karena ini posting curhatan, maaf yah kalau bahasanya akan campur aduk. Ah, another thing about studying abroad - saya ngerasa bahasa Inggris saya gini-gini aja (ada improvement tapi tingkat signifikansinya masih di atas .05 - if you know what I'm saying *wink*), tapi kemampuan menulis dalam Bahasa Indonesia saya menurun drastis.

Karena waktu efektif untuk membuat disertasi hanya sekitar 4 bulan dan data  yang digunakan dalam penelitian psikologi kebanyakan berupa data primer, ada sekitar 10 topik yang harus dipilih oleh mahasiswa di program saya. Satu orang harus memilih tiga topik, lalu kepala program akan memutuskan topik akhir penelitian kami. Saya memilih dua topik tentang adaptasi alat ukur ke Bahasa Indonesia, dan terakhir, satu penelitian intervensi. Alasannya sederhana, saya nggak mau penelitian saya cuma berakhir jadi tugas. I want to at least do something, meskipun cuma bikin alat ukur buat anak-anak (yang nantinya bisa dipake lagi untuk penelitian di Indonesia) atau bantu ngasih intervensi ke anak-anak (yang hasil penelitiannya pun akan lebih nyata dan bisa diaplikasiin).

Saya dapat topik nomor tiga - waktu itu judulnya "piloting a novel maths intervention using Lego". Supervisor saya namanya Sophie, psikolog pendidikan sekaligus peneliti tentang down syndrome dan perkembangan matematika. Saya nggak sendiri, ada 3 orang lain di kelompok saya. Ada satu orang India yang dari TK sudah berbahasa Inggris dan S-1 di York (dan lulus first-class honours - which means she's both smart and hard-working), satu orang Inggris yang paling aktif di kelas (which means she's smart and confident); dan satu orang Inggris lain yang sudah 20 tahun menjadi guru (which mean she's street-smart). Kami berempat harus ngerancang dan ngelakuin penelitian ini bareng-bareng, meskipun analisis data dan penulisan disertasi dilakukan sendiri-sendiri. Saya panik bukan main di meeting pertama saya - minder luar biasa. To keep up with their conversation is challenging, given that English is their first language - apalagi buat aktif berpendapat. Saya jadi kembali jadi Ayas versi beberapa tahun lalu - diam, nggak ngomong kalo nggak ditanya, dan ngangguk-ngangguk doang meskipun ga sependapat, karena takut salah. I was not the best version of myself. I was not even me.

Kami pun berhasil merancang 25 sesi intervensi untuk anak-anak kelas 1 SD dan TK di dua sekolah di York. Ada 3 kelompok partisipan: satu kelompok akan diajarkan melalui Lego, satu kelompok lain diajarkan melalui metode konvensional (verbal maths, lewat soal-soal), dan sisanya jadi kelompok kontrol. Setiap sesi berlangsung selama dua puluh menit. Sebelum dan sesudah intervensi, semua partisipan akan diberikan rangkaian pre-test dan post-test. Proses intervensi dan pengambilan data harus dilakukan setiap hari selama sebelas minggu, meskipun teman-teman saya di kelompok lain ada yang hanya mengambil data lewat kuesioner online.

The tools

I like doing the intervention as it gave me a chance to teach (and play with) cute students who all speak in british accent (sehingga aksen saya juga jadi berubah kalo lagi deket-deket mereka), and I can see the progress throughout the whole session. Like, whatever happen to my dissertation, at least I helped those 6 children. But when it comes to writing.... I feel really unmotivated. Saya nggak ngerasain passion yang dulu saya rasain ketika menulis skripsi - mungkin karena waktu itu saya benar-benar memutuskan topiknya sendiri. Dan karena banyak otak yang ngerancang penelitian ini, susah untuk menjustifikasi hal-hal yang sebenernya kurang saya sepakatin sejak awal. Proses belajarnya jadi agak aneh.

Satu lagi yang saya rasain bedanya: Di sini, bab methods dan result justru yang paling diperhatiin sama supervisor saya. Ketika skripsi dulu, bagian ini justru yang paling cepet saya kerjain karena analisis yang dipake sangat, amat sederhana (ga bener sih tapi ya, saya bahkan nggak uji normalitas dan lain-lain) - mungkin karena ekspektasinya beda, tapi menurut saya juga karena dosen pembimbing saya ketika S1 dulu juga nggak punya perhatian besar dengan statistik (meskipun landasan teori dan analisis di diskusinya jadi kuat).

Ah iya, satu lagi bedanya. Saat S1 dulu, saya berkali-kali mengirimkan draft tulisan ke supervisor untuk di-feedback sampai sesuai dengan apa yang mereka mau. Di sini, saya cuma punya satu kesempatan untuk memperlihatkan disertasi saya dan untuk melakukan revisi sebelum dikumpulkan. Yang jelas saya jadi panik dan ketar-ketir karena nggak ada yang membimbing secara langsung. Nggak ada dosen statistik yang bisa saya cegat di kanlam juga buat nanya-nanya. What if everything I've done is completely wrong?

Dan yang jelas, saya jadi yakin banget kalo saya belum siap buat PhD (meskipun masih pengen, someday). Ilmunya belum siap, mentalnya apa lagi. Nggak kebayang sih ngelakuin satu riset sampai tiga tahun, cuma disupervisi secara umum, dan harus bikin deadline sendiri. Nggak kebayang juga harus hidup sendiri dan jauh dari keluarga sampai bertahun-tahun. I won't survive that, not now. 

Well, meskipun penuh liku dan drama, perjuangan bikin tesis ini akan selalu jadi pengalaman berharga buat saya. Capeknya, paniknya, pusingnya, marahnya. Semales apapun saya buat mulai menulis hari ini (sehingga saya malah nulis blog), saya akan kangen masa-masa bikin tesis - masa-masa dimana kognisi saya selalu diuji. 

Saat skripsi dulu, dari awal saya menargetkan diri saya untuk dapat nilai A. Sekarang, boro-boro, yang penting lulus dan nggak malu-maluin banget. Yang penting saya banyak belajar dan ilmu saya bisa berkembang (dan nantinya bisa bermanfaat). Jadi, doain supaya lancar dan nggak malu-maluin yah.

Doain juga supaya self-efficacy saya bisa kembali naik, ya.

19 Hours of Devotion

"So you're going to fast all day? It's crazy! It's summer now so the day is very long! And you're not even allowed to drink, are you?" Said a friend of mine a few days ago.

To be frank, those questions creeped me out a little, made me feel even more anxious to enter this holy month that I had always felt excited about to welcome.

Yes, it's finally Ramadhan again. A special month for us Muslims. A month where we have to fast all day and perform more prayers. A month of forgiveness and second chances. A month full of promises.

The problem is, it will be different this time. I have never spent a whole Ramadhan far away from home. And it's 19 hours. 19. Freaking. Hours. How could I possibly get through that? It does not make sense, right? 

So why, why would we want to fast all day for 30 consecutive days? Why would we want to starve ourselves and resist all the worldly temptations? Why would we want to wake up so early to eat suhoor, while wrapping ourselves in a duvet feel so utterly comfortable? 

Because it's more than just hunger and thirst. It's about devotion. It's about proving that we're willing to prioritize Him over ourselves. It's about cleansing our soul, and starting over, starting anew.

And after experiencing my first day of Ramadhan in the UK, I can tell that Allah will grant us extra strength to do good deeds if we're willing to. I never knew I could fast for more than 19 hours. But I did! And I'm fine! I didn't even feel hungry until about 16 hours of fasting - and that had never happened before.

"So when you're about to fast this time, remember the various bounties that Allah has bestowed you with.  Remember the variety of food you have and the availability of cold water.  Remember the roof over your head and the decent job you've got.  Remember all the special bounties that are unique to your and your surroundings.  Then say, I'm fasting out of gratitude to this Lord who has given me all this.  Every time you feel the pain of fasting, remind yourself that you're doing it out of love for the Creator, who is the reason for everything you enjoy in this life." - Anas Hlayhel

So, yes, every time I feel thirsty or my stomach starts rumbling, I will just remember that I'm doing this for the Most Amazing, Gracious, Merciful God that always blesses no matter what. I will remember that sacrificing only 30 days a year is not even enough to pay all the blessings I have showered with.

I will also remember delightedly that during Suhoor and Iftar, all prayers that I ask will be granted. It's true, as what He has promised us, everything that I had asked for during Ramadhan has always been answered.

And when I remember all of that, I believe I will get extra power to get through the day. And I do not need to worry, as He has promised not to let me be tempted beyond what I can bear.

Ramadhan Kareem!

To Take A Walk

I never knew that walking could be enjoyable. I often heard a fictional character say, "let's take a walk," but I had never been able to relate to that, not before I came to England.

York, it turns out, is one of the best places to walk. Everything looks so pretty, the pavements are wide enough, and you can choose to either walk by a river, a big road, or a city centre. You can also walk in the garden or even around the university. And, pedestrians have priority over cars in the UK, which means that the driver will always stop when you seem like you want to cross the street. It's soothing and convenient.

York city centre

Walking by the city wall

The pavement

And now that it's spring, it's even better. It's usually around 12-17 degrees, hence warm enough not to wear any coat, but cold enough to feel the wind breeze. During the season, you can also smell the scent of wet grass and flowers. Ah, even I never noticed how beautiful flowers can be. It's definitely one of the things I took for granted back home. But after you've been through winter, you'll be so excited to see the flowers bloom again. I don't mind winter, but who could resist the allure of spring?

Daisies, daisies everywhere

"We live in a fast-paced society. Walking slow us down." - Robert Sweetgall

I like to walk alone when I feel like I need some me-time. When I had a rough week and need some time-off. I usually walk around the city centre, enter a few shops I like (as I also prefer to shop alone), and sometimes just wander around farther, just because I want to. I do walk slow, because walking is all about enjoying the journey. I like to hear the sound of people chatting or the bird chirping, but sometimes, I also prefer to put on my earphone to be completely away. Sometimes it's more relaxing that way. 

If I long for a deep conversation, walking is also the best way to do it. I like to take a long walk around the city with a friend while talking about life. Just two hours or three could recharge my energy for the following week. Unlike talking over coffee (although it's also something that I found enjoyable), having a conversation during a walk is more casual. It can be as light or deep as you want it to be, and it will save you from the necessity to always make an eye contact to your acquaintance. Knowing that I can do two things I like at once (walking and having a conversation) at once, I always get excited whenever my friends told me that they are going to come over to York and ask me to show them around.

I realized that time flies faster than I expected, and before long, I'll be back in my metropolitan, polluted city when walking means feeling unsafe that the cars or motorcycles might somehow run you over. It's definitely one of the things that I'm going to miss about living in the UK.

Come take a walk with me.

Sekolah Dasar di Inggris

Sejak dua bulan yang lalu, setiap hari Selasa saya jadi volunteer di salah satu sekolah dasar di York untuk ngajar matematika di kelas dua (usianya setara dengan kelas satu di Indonesia). Meskipun hanya seminggu sekali, saya seneng banget karena bisa dapet kesempatan untuk mengobservasi langsung sistem pendidikan dasar di UK.

Secara garis besar, sekolah tersebut mirip dengan dua sekolah nasional plus di Jakarta yang dulu pernah jadi tempat saya magang dan mengajar. Tata ruangannya mirip (ada karpet besar di depan papan tulis untuk kegiatan mengajar, dan ada kursi dan meja dalam bentuk berkelompok untuk tempat mengerjakan tugas), daftar pelajarannya serupa, cara belajarnya pun banyak samanya (sama-sama memaksimalkan penggunakan alat peraga visual, khususnya untuk pelajaran matematika).

Year 2 di Lord Deramore's Primary School

Ketika pertama kali masuk ke kelas Year 2, saya kaget karena anak-anaknya manis banget. Mereka juga sangat tertib; mereka bahkan baris sebelum masuk kelas setelah istirahat di lapangan sehingga nggak ada yang bertubrukan di koridor. Sebelumnya, saya sudah beberapa kali masuk ke kelas 1-2 di Indonesia, dan kesan yang saya tangkap beda banget. Menurut saya, wajar kalau ada beberapa anak yang sibuk sendiri atau malah asik main di kelas, apalagi kalau kelasnya cukup besar. Tapi di sekolah tempat saya magang ini, ke-28 anak yang ada di kelas anteng banget dengerin gurunya yang lagi ngajar. Gurunya pun santai, nggak perlu teriak, nggak pake marah-marah.

Di kelas, anak-anak ini cukup aktif dan kritis. Jika ada pertanyaan untuk kelas, guru kelas akan meminta anak-anak untuk mengangkat tangan jika mereka tahu jawabannya. Anak yang langsung menjawab sebelum ditunjuk akan diberikan teguran. Setelah satu anak menjawab, guru kelas biasanya bertanya lagi ke satu murid yang lain, "do you think that's correct?" Menurut saya, ini akan melatih anak untuk berani mengeluarkan opini dan menerima kritik, bukan jadi orang yang ikut-ikutan dan asal setuju dengan jawaban orang lain.

Di awal kelas, jika di hari sebelumnya ada tugas yang harus diselesaikan, guru akan memanggil nama beberapa anak dan meminta mereka untuk berdiri. "You all did very well, but I'm really impressed with these students, because they all showed great improvement on their writing." Yang dipuji bukan hanya kemampuannya, tapi usaha dan perkembangannya. Memuji di depan kelas juga menurut saya akan berdampak positif untuk self-esteem anak-anak tersebut, selain sebagai reinforcement agar mereka terus meningkatkan kualitas dari tugas-tugas yang dikerjakan. 

Waktu itu, saya pernah papasan dengan kepala sekolah yang sedang menenangkan murid kelas 6 yang lagi panik sebelum try-out SATs. Dengan bijaknya, kepala sekolah tersebut bilang, "You don't have to worry about it. The test is important, but it won't be the end of the world. You have an amazing brain and you've worked really hard. Your parents are going to be proud of you no matter what. You'll be fine!" Saya langsung berkaca-kaca dengernya. She sounded genuine and kind, and I wish I had more teachers like that. Di sini, nilai bukanlah segala-galanya. Setiap anak punya kelebihan masing-masing yang terkadang nggak bisa tergambar oleh sederet angka.

Ada satu hal lagi yang bikin saya kagum: kepedulian sekolah dan orang tua terhadap asupan gizi para siswa. Di sini, setiap waktu istirahat, kebanyakan anak membawa buah atau sayur dari rumah. Sekolah juga menyediakan pisang, jeruk, tomat, apel, dan/atau wortel untuk para murid untuk istirahat siang, serta susu untuk istirahat pagi. Murid-murid dilarang membawa minuman manis dari rumah (termasuk jus kotak). Saya kagum banget karena anak-anak ini jadi terbiasa untuk mengonsumsi makanan sehat sejak dini. 

Saya tahu kalau saya nggak bisa menggeneralisasi hasil observasi saya di satu sekolah dan menarik kesimpulan kalau pendidikan di Inggris jauh lebih baik daripada di Indonesia. Namun, saya benar-benar kagum dengan sistem pendidikan di sini serta cara guru-guru mendidik murid-muridnya. Saya jadi paham kenapa teman-teman saya di kelas yang lahir dan besar di UK secara umum lebih kritis dan berani berpendapat daripada mahasiswa-mahasiswa asia (termasuk saya). Pendidikan dini, menurut saya, memang sekrusial itu untuk membentuk pola pikir dan cara kerja kita.

Oh, and have I mentioned that the students don't need to pay anything to get a top-notch education? That's actually the best part! Because a high-quality education should be a right for every child, not a privilege. 

Chin Up!

I have finally received the feedback for every essay that I have written in the first term and for a presentation that I did last week. Unlike in Indonesia, feedbacks for essay and presentation are given in detail, not just by a number that God knows where from. My lecturers actually read every single word in my paper and gave me a constructive feedback for several sentences that I wrote (like "this should be supported by more evidence" or "great idea!"). For the presentation feedback, my course coordinator created a table consists of marking criteria and gave it to the whole class, so that we would get feedback from each of our classmates.

I said "I'm the stupidest one here" a lot. I said "I'm nothing compared to everyone here" abundantly, as well. I'm constantly being too hard on myself, and I know it. So it feels relieving to receive such constructive feedbacks to keep my self-efficacy from plummeting. Now I realized that while academic world is clearly not for me and I'm not going to get a PhD anytime soon, I'm not all that bad. I am actually really proud of my presentation and my essay. There are some flaws, obviously, but I'm still learning, and making some mistakes is not a bad thing as long as I can make some progress. I thought I would never critically analyse a paper as well as what my lecturer expected me to do, but hey, I read my undergraduate thesis (the one that I am very proud of), and already found a new flaws in just a few minutes - which is a sign that my knowledge is evolving. And yes, being an international student who has never used English in academic setting before, of course needing more time and effort in order to thrive is normal.

The scores that I got for the first term was not impressive. But it wasn't bad, and I have to admit that I really get what I deserve. I obviously underestimated my own ability. I still have what it takes to be what I aspire to be - I just need to be reminded of that fact all the time, instead of ruminating perpetually.

So chin up, chin up. Keep this in mind: everything is going to be okay.

Another December

As usual, this time of the year is the time for me to contemplate things that have happened in the last 12 months. Due to my awful memory, I usually started the annual routine by reading some blog posts that I have written - because that's what they are for - including what I wrote last December.

Last Year, I was even too scared to put "study abroad" as my resolution because it seemed impossible. Yet here I am, in the midst of freezing winter and breezy wind. Here I am, 9,157 miles away from home, getting a fresh start with everything, learning how to make it on my own. 

Do I miss home? Terribly. Do I struggle every day just to write a good enough 2000-word-essay? Undoubtedly. Do I find my self-efficacy deteriorates from time to time? Frequently. Do I regret coming here? Not in the slightest!

This year will  always be the one of the most significant years of my life. This year marks the first time for me to be thousands of miles away from my family. The first time for me to live as a minority. The first time for me to use English in academic setting, and surrounded by dozens of native speakers. The first time for me to be the only person that doesn't drink alcohol during dinner. The first time for me to enter a pub, because apparently it's the coziest place to sit and talk in the UK (most of the coffee shops are too small and closed early). The first time for me to travel into so many new places without my family. The first time for me to understand what it means to be free and responsible.

And this year, I learned that if I'm willing to step away from my comfort zone and try new things (even though I thought it's out of my league), something great will come. 

Next year will not be easier for me as I will do my final project. I'm worried and excited as usual, and I hope it will turn out fine. I'm not going to make resolutions since none of my last year's have achieved anyway (apart from pursuing another degree). All I want for next year is new experiences, and a strength for me to overcome any obstacles that I might face. I want to enjoy my days and ruminate less, I want to be happy, even happier than I currently am.

Thank you for this amazing year, dear Allah. You know I won't make it without Your tremendous amount of blessings. May I always be reminded to be grateful under any circumstances. I can't wait for more surprises from You, especially regarding the one baffling question that I have always wondered about, that irritates me a lot.

Thank you for making the impossible possible.

A Speck of Dust

It's weird to have statistics as a subject that I look forward to every week, as the subject that I suck at the least, and as a reason to procrastinate my essay and critical analysis. It's even weirder to suddenly have the urge to clean up my room, and even rearrange the furnitures, just to do anything but doing the critical analysis. I mean, it's Ayas that I'm talking about, a girl (young woman? sounds strange) who fights a lot with her mom over her immensely messy room and uses The Big Five model as an argument to justify laziness.

I might always have been a procrastinator during my undergrad, but I always knew what to write. I procrastinated because I know that I can do it in just an hour or two. That I can still do it with haste. 

Whereas now I completely have no idea what to write, even though it's only 5 days before the deadline. And even if I know what to write, I don't know how to write it to make my critics and ideas sound brilliant. Because no matter what I write or think, most of my classmates will do better than me.

Maybe this is what I get for being too condescending in the past: A realization that I am actually just a  speck of dust in the universe. A guppy fish in a pond full of koi.

And then again, I write this just to procrastinate.

Wish me luck?

Regardless

It has been six weeks, and I love it here. Even though I barely understand the lectures. Even though sometimes people talk too fast during the lecture and I get lost. Even though I feel stupid most of the times. Even though everyone seems so smart and critical. I love it here regardless, because I know I'm learning a lot, even from my classmates. I love it here because all of my lectures seem so dedicated and passionate about what they do. And all of my lecturers are also researchers, with a specialty on at least a field, which makes them all critical, resourceful, and of course, amazing. And the gap between lecturer and student here is somewhat narrow, as we can call them by their first name and they would be very pleased to hear our critics and ideas. I also love it here because the department uses more scientific (neuropsychology) approach, with all the brain-imaging research and such. It's no longer "social science". It is, science; life science. 

I love it here, despite of the fact that I have to put extra effort to pray and eat halal food. There is no mosque on the city center, and no halal restaurant that offer any food that is not pizza, Indian cuisine, or mediterranean one. Despite of the fact that I miss having dinner-conversations with my family. Despite of the fact that I miss doing all the religious routines with them. I miss doing congregation prayers with my brother, or doing suhoor and breaking fast together (now they just feel like a regular meal). I love it here regardless, because everyone is so nice and friendly. Because I have a few close friends whom I can be myself around. Because I have more chance to enlarge my circle and step out of my comfort zone.

I love it here, although I have to walk more than 18,000 steps a day sometimes. Although it's cold most of the times. Although I have to walk faster than I used to be, because that's just how people walk here. Although everything is so expensive here, and I have to balance my urge to shop and travel and my intention to save up. I love it here regardless, because of the clean, fresh air and the tranquility of this beautiful city that I currently live in. Because I have more chance to see other parts of the world and its locals. Because I have more chance to enjoy my present days, even though I still constantly worry about my future (because that's just who I am).

To live and study here is not easy. It will probably get easier, but it will never be easy. Because that's just how life works. But I love it here anyway.

To Subdue, To Bear, To Overcome

I have to complete a pretest before my statistics class even started. The test consists of 50 statistical questions, including some which I haven't learned at my previous university. It's hard. So hard that I have to skim through 4 books that I used during my undergraduate degree. So hard that I have to spend more than 8 hours studying, trying to refresh my memory that apparently remembers nothing about statistics. So hard that I'm starting to question my capability to pursue another degree. So hard that I almost cry, because I realize that this is only the beginning.

That it will be this arduous, or even worse, for the next one year. That it is not supposed to be easy. That I'm not getting scholarship fund every month to stay at home and do whatever it is that I want to do. No. LPDP paid more than 40 thousand pounds for me to work my ass off, to subdue whatever it is that challenges me, to finish this course, and to finally do something for children in my country.

Ready or not, this is a challenge that I know I will face before I even decided to do this. The fact that most of my classmates will be from UK and EU makes it harder, but it's not a reason for me to keep complaining.

My life here will be tough, obviously, but Allah will not burden me with something beyond my capacity. My life wasn't always easy either, but I made it. I have made it this far. And so I can make it, and I will make it.

(taken from tumblr)

Nevertheless, it's exciting to be here and I really, really, really love the City, the university, and the study environment. I'm delighted about the courses as well. I am utterly grateful, and therefore I know that I have to exert myself to be more determined and to be able to keep up with my classes.

Because it will be worth it in the end.

A Week After

It's been a week since my arrival in York. Not exactly a week, but I'm afraid I won't have time to write anymore. My new room is still a mess, with my clothes and luggage lying on the floor. Packing and unpacking are not my favorite thing, I guess.

My body's adapting really well, surprisingly. I don't experience jet lag at all, and it's starting to get used to the cold weather.

York is an old, mesmerizing city. It's quiet and it feels like home. It's serene and soothing. There's no traffic jam, no people walking fast to catch the train and bus, and no sound of horns. Most of the shops are even closed at 5! For a person who is tired of living in a populous, polluted city like Jakarta, falling in love with York is easy.

The City Center

The York Minster

The Clifford's Tower

Through connection from my friend and landlord (and fate, too, I guess), I met two nice Indonesian friends who got along really well with me. We go together practically everyday. These two people make York feels homier, and they help me not to (literally) get lost. 

With those who made it easier, Elsye and Fikri

Indonesian UoY Freshers 2014

My courses haven't started yet, so I go to city almost everyday to shop and to explore the city. As It's getting very cold here, I decided to buy some warming-equipment before it's too late. A proper knitwear, boots, duvet, and gloves. I haven't bought any coat for winter, but I guess I can do it later after I receive my monthly allowance.

Shopping Day

So far, the adjusting period is not as hard as I think. I know I need to be more independent, though. I tried to go home by myself from the city center once. But then I met a nice, young couple from Malaysia who lives just a couple of house away from mine, so it doesn't really count. But soon enough, I'll get used it, I promise.

I hope I'll be as happy for the rest of the year, regardless of the challenges that I might face (and subdue, hopefully). And I hope I will meet a lot of new friends from all over the world and have a close relationship with them as well. I'm immensely excited.

 Cheers!

A Week Before

I'll be leaving in less than a week. My room is a complete mess now, with my clothes and luggage lying on the floor. My visa, passport, and other documents are ready. It's getting real. 

I wish I could pretend that it's not a big deal, but it is. I enjoy being in solitude, but I have never been away from home and taken care of everything by myself. It's terrifying, yet exciting because I always wonder If I'm going to make it, living by myself. I'm even worrying about the long flight that I'm going to take in solitude. I don't know if I could spend more than 20 hours alone. 

Most of my scholarship-friends are already abroad. Some even has started their courses. And a lot of them complained about their current situation: Missing home, sleepless nights due to some tasks, and lousy food. Nevertheless, most of them also showed their happiness to finally do things that they have been dreaming of for years: visiting world-class museums and football stadiums, getting freedom that they won't get in their home country, and learning things at the best universities. 

Soon enough, those are going to be my day too. Both the good and the bad. I'm sure I'm going to feel the same excitement, as well as apprehension and sadness. I'm going to live in a city where no one knows me. I'm getting a fresh start, even tough it also means that I will have to work hard to start over. 

Whatever that is, I'm sure that there is no problem that He's going to give me that I can't overcome. And no matter how bad my worst experience is there, it's going to be something that matters a lot in my life, perhaps something that's going to change my life or worldview. 

I've been waiting for this for a year now, and now it's time to leave. I know it's not going to be easy, but everything that I have fought in the past was also not - yet I did it anyway. I'm just hoping that I won't be the stupidest in my class, given that I come from a country that doesn't have a great reputation for its education system and quality. 

To new start, new journey, new lessons, new friends. To new experiences and new challenges. Wish me luck? 

Melanjutkan Studi di Luar Negeri

Karena beberapa teman saya banyak bertanya tentang cara mendapatkan beasiswa untuk kuliah di luar negeri (khususnya di Inggris), saya akan mencoba menuliskannya dengan detil. Hence, it's going to be a long post. Selamat membaca dan semoga membantu!


Berikut ini adalah hal-hal yang saya lakukan dalam satu tahun terakhir: 

Memilih Program Studi

Sebelum memutuskan untuk melanjutkan studi di program magister, langkah pertama yang wajib dilakukan adalah mengetahui bidang apa yang akan dipelajari. Sesuaikan dengan minat dan passion, pengalaman belajar saat S1, dan pengalaman kerja. Pikirkan dengan matang, apakah jurusan tersebut dapat menunjang cita-cita kita. Selain untuk memantapkan hati, perencanaan studi ini juga akan sangat membantu untuk mendaftarkan diri ke universitas tujuan dan program beasiswa yang diincar. Jurusan yang dipilih tidak usah terlalu spesifik dulu, agar ada beberapa alternatif universitas yang bisa dipilih.

Oh iya, di beberapa negara, program magister terbagi dalam dua program: taught / lecture dan research. Sejak awal saya memilih taught programme karena lebih sesuai dengan tujuan belajar saya.

Memilih Universitas dan Negara Tujuan

Untuk mempersempit lingkup, setelah memutuskan bidang yang dipilih (waktu itu saya memilih psikopatologi anak), saya memutuskan untuk memilih Inggris sebagai tempat melanjutkan studi karena program magister di Inggris kebanyakan hanya satu tahun. Inggris juga merupakan salah satu tujuan studi terbesar, sehingga banyak alternatif universitas yang bisa dipilih dan akan ada banyak mahasiswa internasional di sana. Selain itu, saya memilih Inggris karena tidak mau repot-repot belajar bahasa lain. Sebagai alternatif, beberapa negara yang banyak dipilih oleh mahasiswa Indonesia di antaranya: Amerika, Australia, dan Belanda. 

Setelah menentukan negara, saya lalu membuka tiga situs ranking universitas, yaitu Times Higher Education, QS World University Ranking, dan The Complete University Guide. Untuk mempermudah pencarian, saya memfokuskan diri pada peringkat universitas berdasarkan peringkat program psikologi di Inggris. Saya kemudian membuka website universitas-universitas tersebut (dari peringkat pertama sampai berikutnya), dan mencari tahu program studi yang ditawarkan, dan mempelajari modulnya untuk mengetahui relevansi dari program tersebut dengan minat saya. Akhirnya, saya menemukan program studi yang paling sesuai di University of York.

Meskipun namanya jarang sekali terdengar di Indonesia, saya memutukan untuk memilih University of York karena pernah menjadi universitas terbaik di Inggris yang berusia di bawah 50 tahun (Top 100 Under 50), masih berada di peringkat 100 besar dunia, dan karena kota York sepertinya cukup cantik dan nyaman untuk menjadi tempat tinggal dan belajar.

Setelah tertarik dengan modul yang ditawarkan, langkah berikutnya adalah melihat cara pendaftaran dan requirements-nya. Berikut di bawah ini adalah dokumen yang diperlukan untuk mendaftar di University Of York:

• Bukti skor IELTS (nilai IELTS minimal 7, dengan nilai setiap subtes minimal 6.5)
• Transkrip dan ijazah berbahasa Inggris (dengan minimum degree 2:1, atau jika dikonversi, IPK minimal 3.33)
• Personal motivation letter (esay berisi alasan memilih program tersebut dan rencana karir ke depan. Show how passionate and dedicated you are!)
• Dua surat rekomendasi (biasanya minimal satu surat harus dari akademisi, satunya lagi bisa dari atasan di tempat kerja atau juga dari akademisi)
• Contoh tulisan ilmiah berbahasa Inggris (persyaratan ini hanya saya temui di University of York)

Setelah mengetahui persyaratan yang dibutuhkan, langkah berikutnya adalah mempersiapkan diri untuk memenuhi requirements di atas.

Oh iya, perhatikan juga deadline pengajuan aplikasinya. Kebanyakan universitas di Inggris hanya membuka kelas pada bulan September, sehingga kita bisa mendaftar dari bulan Oktober hingga Juli (semakin cepat semakin baik).

Jika program atau universitas yang dituju terlihat kompetitif (bahkan biasanya tercantum di website-nya), it would be best to have a back-up plan. Daftar saja ke satu atau dua universitas lain. Toh tidak dipungut biaya. 

Mempersiapkan diri untuk tes IELTS

Saya sempat galau untuk ikut kelas persiapan IELTS atau tidak, karena sejujurnya saya nggak bisa mengukur kemampuan academic english saya. It's true that I have been writing and speaking in English on a daily basis, but the IELTS test is definitely more than that. Untuk cari aman, akhirnya saya mendaftarkan diri untuk ikut kelas di IALF Kuningan (yang katanya tempat terbaik untuk kelas IELTS prep) setiap hari selama 5 minggu.

Is it helpful? Sure is, apalagi karena saya belajar langaung dari native speaker. But to be frank, it was not that helpful karena peserta kelasnya cukup beragam sehingga materi yang diberikan jadi kurang mendalam. But regardless, menurut saya mengambil kelas IELTS prep tetap recommended untuk setidaknya memberikan social support, yaitu teman-teman yang juga akan kuliah di luar negeri. Selain itu, biaya les dan tes yang cukup besar menurut saya adalah investasi di awal yang membuat saya semangat untuk berburu universitas dan beasiswa, karena saya nggak mau jutaan uang yang sudah saya keluarkan jadi terbuang sia-sia. Moreover, if you have free time, IALF juga menyediakan perpustakaan dengan fasilitas yang sangat menunjang untuk belajar secara mandiri, yang bisa diakses setiap hari. 

Oh iya, skor IELTS yang dibutuhkan tergantung negara dan universitas tujuan. Untuk jurusan-jurusan sosial di Inggris, biasanya requirement-nya cenderung lebih tinggi, yaitu berkisar antara 6,5 atau 7 (dari skor maksimal 9). Jika dirasa terlalu sulit, silahkan memilih negara atau universitas lain sebagai alternatif. Jika tidak ingin les, persiapan IELTS bisa dilakukan lewat buku dan internet (misalnya dari situs IELTS-Simon atau IELTS Buddy). Saya sih tetap menyarankan ada guru atau tutor yang bisa dipercaya untuk teman latihan speaking dan writing, apalagi merasa belum pede untuk berbicara dan menulis di dalam konteks akademis dengan Bahasa Inggris. 

Jika sudah siap, tes IELTS bisa dilakukan di IALF, IDP, atau British Council. Tes tersebut dilakukan seharian dengan biaya USD 195. Hasil tes dapat diambil setelah 13 hari kerja. Untuk mempercepat proses pendaftaran universitas, sebaiknya tes IELTS sudah diikuti paling lama bulan Oktober (satu tahun sebelum rencana keberangkatan). 

Mendaftar ke Universitas

Sejauh yang saya ketahui, University of York tidak memiliki agen di Indonesia, sehingga proses pendaftaran saya lakukan sendiri. Untungnya, mendaftar universitas tidak terlalu sulit karena semuanya dilakukan secara online. Saya juga tidak mengeluarkan uang sepeser pun. Jika ada pertanyaan mengenai program studi atau proses admission, saya langsung mengajukannya melalui e-mail ke pihak fakultas dan universitas, dan biasanya mendapatkan balasan dalam waktu 1-10 hari. Namun, jika universitas yang kamu tuju memiliki agen di Indonesia (IDP, IBEC, Sun Education, dan lainnya), mendaftarkan lewat agen bisa dijadikan alternatif. Biayanya tidak besar (atau bahkan gratis), dan proses pendaftaran jadi lebih praktis. 

Setelah mengunggah dokumen yang disyaratan, biasanya pengumuman akan diterima dalam waktu 1-4 minggu. Jika diterima, kita akan mendapatkan Letter of Acceptance, baik yang conditional (berarti masih ada syarat yang harus dipenuhi) atau unconditional. Untuk mempercepat proses berikutnya, sebaiknya seluruh dokumen sudah diunggah paling lambat bulan Januari (di tahun yang sama dengan rencana keberangkatan). 

Mendaftar Beasiswa

Ini adalah tahapan yang paling krusial buat saya, karena saya nggak akan kuliah di luar negeri tanpa sponsor (karena terlalu mahal dan "nggak balik modal"). Setelah browsing dan tanya sana-sini, saya mendapatkan informasi tentang LPDP, yaitu lembaga pengelola dana pendidikan dari pemerintah yang mengeluarkan beasiswa dari hasil investasi dana abadi.

Seperti yang terdapat di situs situs LPDP, beasiswa ini mencakup semua biaya yang dikeluarkan saat studi berlangsung. Persyaratan yang dibutuhkan pun tidak sulit: IPK minimal 3, IELTS minimal 6.5, akan melanjutkan studi ke 200 universitas terbaik di dunia, serta bersedia untuk berkontribusi bagi Indonesia (meskipun tidak ada kontrak kerja). Hebatnya lagi, tidak ada kuota penerima beasiswa, jadi kita akan diterima jika memang memenuhi krieria minimum yang ditetapkan oleh LPDP.

Intinya, LPDP adalah lembaga beasiswa impian: Beasiswa dan uang saku yang diberikan cukup besar, dikelola oleh pemerintah RI dengan tujuan mulia, membuka peluang bagi banyak orang, tidak ada batasan jurusan, menyediakan jaringan awardee/alumni berisi ratusan (akan segera menjadi ribuan) pemuda Indonesia yang punya mimpi besar untuk negaranya, dan proses seleksinya pun tidak rumit. LPDP menurut saya adalah a breakthrough: solusi cerdas untuk pelan-pelan memajukan Indonesia (as education is always the best investment, right?)

Berikut adalah dokumen yang harus diunggah untuk tahap administrasi:

• Ijazah dan transkrip
• Hasil tes IELTS
• Letter of Acceptance (Tidak wajib, namun sebaiknya sudah ada, untuk mempermudah saat menulis esay dan saat wawancara)
• Satu surat rekomendasi dari dosen / atasan kerja
• Rencana studi (modul kuliah dan relevansinya dengan rencana karir)
• Esay mengenai pencapaian terbesar dalam hidup
• Esay mengenai kontribusi bagi Indonesia

Dokumen tersebut dapat diunggah sepanjang tahun melalui situs online LPDP, meskipun seleksi hanya akan dilakukan tiga bulan sekali: Di bulan Maret, Juli, September, dan Desember. Supaya persiapan tidak terburu-buru, sebaiknya dokumen untuk tahap administrasi sudah diunggah paling lambat di pertengahan bulan Februari (di tahun yang sama dengan rencana keberangkatan).

Jika lolos seleksi administrasi, tahap pendaftaran yang harus dilalui selanjutnya adalah tahap wawancara dan diskusi serta program kepemimpinan. Silahkan klik tautannya untuk mengetahui tahapan-tahapan tersebut secara detil ya.

Informasi terkait beasiswa studi di UK yang tersedia bagi pelajar Indonesia bisa dilihat di sini.

Mempersiapkan Keberangkatan

Jika sudah mendapatkan sponsor dan mendapatkan CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) dari kampus, maka langkah terakhir yang harus dilakukan adalah mengurus VISA dan mempersiapkan diri untuk keberangkatan. Sebagai syarat student VISA ke UK, kita harus melampirkan bukti yang menunjukkan bahwa kita bebas TBC. Tes TBC (lewat chest x-ray) harus dilakukan di RS Premier dengan biaya Rp 585.000. Hasil tes bisa diambil dalam waktu tiga hari kerja.

Perjuangan terakhir adalah membuat VISA. Setelah mendaftarkan diri dan mengisi formulir di website, kita harus memilih jadwal untuk wawancara. Karena yang mendaftar VISA UK cukup banyak dan waktu wawancara terbatas, usahakan membuat VISA paling lambat bulan Juli. Wawancara dan pengumpulan berkas dilakukan di kantor VFS Global di Kuningan City. Jika tidak bermasalah, VISA akan diberikan setelah 3 minggu. Untuk proses ini sampai sekarang masih saya lalui karena VISA saya juga belum keluar. I'm keeping my finger crossed. 



Semoga informasi yang saya bagi cukup membantu ya. Ayo kuliah di luar negeri supaya bisa belajar dari sistem yang sudah baik dan mengaplikasikannya untuk memperbaiki sistem di Indonesia. Prosesnya memang nggak instan dan mungkin akan sulit bagi sebagian orang, but just keep in mind that it will be worth it in the end. Selamat berjuang, ya. Feel free to leave me some questions. Good luck!