Students find university guidance books helpful
Students find university guidance books helpful
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
With final exams on May 30, the big question of "What's next?" is
on the minds of many Jakarta high school students who don't have
a clue where to get an affordable, but credible, higher
education.
A university guidance book launched on Thursday was deemed
helpful by Nugi, 16, a student of SMU Notre Dame high school in
Kedoya, West Jakarta, who wanted to know what alternatives he had
besides his first choice, the University of Indonesia.
"I'm pleased that I can read profiles of favorite universities
before picking one of them. I think the book can be very useful,"
he told The Jakarta Post after the book's launch at the office of
the city's Middle and High Education Agency.
Student Abdul Wahab from SMK 43 vocational high school said
that he wanted to work before continuing his studies.
The book, he said, would help him choose a college after two
years of working.
"I can't rely on my parents to pay for the university, so I
might get a job first and save some money. The book will help me
choose the most affordable one," he said.
The 300-page book, said to be the first of its kind, contains
profiles of over 2,000 universities and academies across the
country.
It also has many articles, including on how to pass final
exams and on college life.
The first 50,000 copies will be distributed free to 1,000 high
schools in Greater Jakarta.
Budi Kurniawati Nauli, chairwoman of the Dwi Asih Sejahtera
Foundation, which produces and distributes the book, said the
book would be distributed only in Greater Jakarta to begin with
but would later be available in other provinces.
"It is common for students to become confused at having to
make a decision about what school to attend after graduating from
high school. We hope the book will be a useful reference for
students," she said on the sidelines of the book launch.
Bambang Wijatmiko, project officer of the book program, said
the foundation used its own money to print and distribute the
50,000 books, but hoped many advertisements would fill some pages
of the next edition so that they could cover costs.
"As we haven't charge students or the universities included in
the book, we'll rely on advertisements to cover our costs. There
are several advertisements in this edition, but it is a far cry
from covering our total expenses," he said, refusing to mention
the cost of publishing the book.
He expressed hope that the central government would help as
the Jakarta administration did not give any financial assistance
for the first edition.
Jakarta Middle and High Education Agency head Margani M.
Mustar said the Jakarta administration would support the next
edition of the book as the project was in line with his office's
program to give students free information.