Riana, UGM's young medical student

Riana, UGM's young medical student

Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

Riana Helmi is only 14 years old, with a cute, fresh-faced
appearance.

As a girl in her early teens, she is fond of going out for fun
and often has a childlike reaction to things.

Teenagers of her age are normally in the final grade of
junior high school. Riana, however, was admitted this year to
Gadjah Mada University (UGM), Yogyakarta. She has just entered
the UGM school of medicine, known as the most demanding and
expensive of all state colleges.

Riana Helmi is the youngest of three children of police Adj.
Comr. Helmi and his wife Rofiah, and was born in Nanggroe Aceh
Darussalam on March 22, 1991. But Riana was in Aceh for only two
years before her parents moved to Sukabumi, West Java, where they
have settled.

Raised in a disciplined family, Riana has grown used to
spending time efficiently. At four, she was already a student of
Sriwedari primary school, Sukabumi. Signs of her precociousness
were apparent as she became the youngest first grader, ranked top
in her class.

After finishing six years of primary school, Riana continued
to record a promising performance in junior and senior high
school, each of which took only two years to complete. Riana's
talent entitled her to follow an accelerated exam program, which
she passed, thereby curtailing her schooldays.

She entered UGM via the Scholastic Talent Prospecting Channel.
This is a college entrance mechanism by which candidates are
selected under the supervision of the director general of higher
education.

Again, she did well to qualify as a medical student although
her family had to pay an Rp 80 million contribution.

Riana said she enjoyed becoming a college student at such a
tender age, although she acknowledged some difficulty in the
company of fellow students. She finds it equally awkward to
mingle both with adults and younger people.

"Sometimes I feel I'm still a kid but as a student I'm growing
up, too," she said smilingly during a recent campus orientation
program.

Nonetheless, she claimed she was quite optimistic about her
medical studies ahead at UGM. "It's now important to learn how to
cook, because I'm living in a boarding house," she remarked.

The girl with an IQ of 126 revealed that she had never set
herself a specific amount of time as a daily study target. To
her, what was crucial in studying or reading was how much she
enjoyed it. "Reading for five hours a day is useless if it
becomes burdensome," she said, sweetly.

According to Riana, before studying she tries to arouse her
interest in the relevant subject. When studying history, for
instance, she would recall the stature of heroes such as Bung
Karno, Indonesia's first president, who enjoyed international
fame.

As she grew more interested and enjoyed her studies, the
learning process ran smoothly. "Even now, I still remember the
dates of various events in history," she observed.

Riana, who also likes reading religious novels, only studies
when she is in the mood, refusing to force herself.

Asked about teenagers' lifestyles, notably characterized by
"puppy love", Riana's comment was brief. "I haven't got a
boyfriend and never had a date. I don't want that; I'd rather get
married directly," she said, blushing.