Are You a Student? Here are Some Surefire Tips for Graduating on Time.

IPB University counseling lecturer Dr Ranti Wiliasih shared effective strategies for students to complete their studies on time. In a written interview in Bogor (8/15), she encouraged students to use the framework of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, a program that has been taught to new IPB students since 2019.

“If fellow students want to graduate on time, make graduation the primary goal of your academic activities,” emphasized Dr Ranti. She advised students to write down this goal. 

Furthermore, she added, “If necessary, students can even cosplay, taking photos wearing a graduation gown with the caption ‘This is me four years from now.’ Put the photo in your room, on your study desk. That way, we will always remember to graduate on time and then arrange our steps and strategies according to that goal.”

This goal can also be shared with those closest to you. “When we forget or neglect our goals, there will be people who remind us of the goals that have been set,” she said.

Three Strategies for Graduating on Time
Dr Ranti explained three practical strategies that students can implement.

First, calculate the academic workload mathematically. Students must know the total number of semester credit units (SKS) required to graduate and divide them according to the target graduation time. For example, if the graduation requirement is 150 SKS for 8 semesters, then each semester must take 21–24 SKS.

“This determination also means that there is a target grade that must be exceeded in order to achieve 24 SKS per semester. So we know the minimum grade per course in order to achieve our target GPA,” she advised.

Second, set grade targets and understand the assessment components. “To achieve good grades, students must not neglect assessment components such as exams, assignments, practical work, and participation,” she explained. “Do not underestimate the weight of small assessments, as they can determine graduation.”

Third, create a weekly schedule. Dr Ranti emphasized the importance of scheduling important activities before the week begins, including worship, lectures, assignments, organizations, family, and personal time.

“We save the schedule we have created on our cell phones or notebooks. So, if there are other activities that are not important, they can be done outside of the scheduled hours. This planning is very important because if we fail to plan, we are planning to fail,” she said.

Final Project: The Final Boss
According to Dr Ranti, the final project phase is like the “final boss or last king,” the most difficult period because it depends on individual discipline. However, she said, “The most important thing is to remain united with the guidance team so that we can encourage each other and not fall behind in graduating on time.”

She warned of the danger of losing camaraderie with fellow students, which can lead to reluctance to go to campus due to embarrassment and fear of meeting supervisors. This condition can even lead to stress and the decision not to complete college.

Organizations: Supportive or Hindering?
Responding to students’ concerns about organizational activities, Dr Ranti emphasized that organizations are actually important for training soft skills such as teamwork and problem solving.

“Many students find jobs faster because they have good soft skills through organizational experience,” she said. However, she reminded students not to overdo it to the point of neglecting their main task, which is to complete their studies. 

“Adjust it to your time, interests, and abilities. Be smart in choosing an organization that can meet your needs in accordance with the goals you want to achieve,” she added.

The Dangers of Being a “Butterfly”
Dr Ranti also warned of the dangers of being a “butterfly” type of student (going to class and then going home). “Most students just sleep when they get home or to their boarding houses, whereas on campus, we can do more things related to college assignments or hobbies,” she said.

According to her, there are four disadvantages of being a “butterfly” student: not having a network of friends, losing the added value of being a student, missing important information such as internships, and becoming unproductive.

“Remember the saying, ‘1.000 friends are still not enough.’ Information about internships and other opportunities can only be obtained when we have many friends and are active on campus,” he advised.

The Dangers of Online Gambling and Online Loans
He also reminded students to avoid online gambling and online loans. This is because these two things can become major problems that disrupt students’ studies and lives. 

“Many start by casually trying online gambling, win at first, then become addicted, and eventually lose. After losing, they get curious and start borrowing money from various sources, including online loans. Ultimately, this becomes a problem that drains mental and physical energy to resolve and can severely hinder timely graduation.” (dh) (IAAS/ST)