Measuring the Study Patterns at the Nusantara Student Dormitory

In November 2022, President Joko Widodo inaugurated the Nusantara Student Dormitory (AMN) in Surabaya. Its presence was not merely to provide housing for students, but part of an effort to strengthen unity amidst Indonesia’s diversity. The idea was born after an attack on a Papuan student dormitory in Surabaya in 2019, which was accompanied by racist slurs and triggered waves of demonstrations in various regions. The incident served as a reminder that students from other regions need a space that is not only physically safe but can also foster a spirit of nationalism through communal living.

Under Presidential Regulation Number 106 of 2021, the government designated AMN as a platform for nurturing students from various ethnicities, cultures, religions, and regions. Within it, students are expected to live side by side while developing into a generation with character, national insight, and good academic abilities. However, more than three years since it began operating, one question remains largely unanswered: has the AMN environment truly succeeded in shaping good study habits among its residents?

This question prompted a group of Statistics students from Airlangga University to research the study patterns of AMN Surabaya residents. The research was driven by the fact that there was no representative data describing the study habits of students living in the dormitory. Such data is crucial as a basis for evaluating the effectiveness of the coaching programmes being implemented.

AMN Surabaya currently houses 369 students from Airlangga University, Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology, Surabaya State University, and UPN Veteran Jawa Timur. From this population, 72 respondents were selected using a systematic random sampling technique, a method that selects samples systematically with a specific interval so that every member of the population has an equal chance of being represented. This approach allowed researchers to obtain a picture of the population’s condition without having to survey all residents.

Study patterns were measured using nine indicators: discipline in attending lectures, not skipping classes without reason, habit of taking notes, ability to concentrate while studying, having clear study goals, having a study schedule, getting sufficient rest, discipline in completing assignments, and achieving a minimum GPA of 3.00. Students were categorised as having good study patterns if they met at least six of the nine indicators.

The results showed that 52 out of 72 respondents had good study patterns. Based on proportion estimation calculations, this figure represents approximately 72.2 per cent of all AMN Surabaya residents, with a margin of error of 9.54 per cent. This means that the majority of students already have relatively good and structured study habits.

There are two sides to this finding. On one hand, the results indicate that the dormitory environment has the potential to encourage the formation of a healthy study culture. Discussion rooms, a library, internet access, and a supportive academic atmosphere help students build more disciplined study routines. Interaction with peers from various regions also opens up opportunities for mutual motivation and the exchange of learning methods.

On the other hand, about 27.8 per cent of students still have suboptimal study patterns. The success of the coaching programme has apparently not been felt evenly by all residents. Differences in educational background, adaptability, time management, or even involvement in organisations likely influence individual study habits. Physical facilities alone are insufficient without continuous academic mentoring programmes.

For AMN management, this data can serve as a basis for designing more targeted programmes, such as time management training, academic mentoring, peer-to-peer coaching, or regular evaluations of residents’ academic progress. With a data-driven approach, policies can be formulated to genuinely address the needs of the students living there, rather than relying on assumptions.

This research essentially highlights the importance of building an evaluation culture in every public programme. The success of a policy should not be measured solely by the construction of buildings, the completeness of facilities, or the number of participants involved, but by the extent to which the programme can change habits and have a real impact on its beneficiaries.

Ultimately, the Nusantara Student Dormitory is not just a place to live for students from all corners of Indonesia, but a space for social and academic learning that is expected to produce a generation that is high-achieving, possesses strong character, is disciplined, and has a spirit of nationalism. This research was conducted on a limited scale, but it offers a simple lesson: the quality of a programme is easier to improve if it is evaluated with data. Because data not only shows what has been successfully achieved, but also reveals which parts still need to be addressed.