Students should choose universities wisely

Students should choose universities wisely

By K. Basrie

JAKARTA (JP): Picking a university may be one of the most
difficult and divisive tasks for high school graduates and their
parents.

In Indonesia, most students are financially dependent on their
parents, but it is not only the cost of tuition they worry about.

Many students are torn between their own selection and the
choice of their parents, often forsaking their preference under
heavy parental pressure.

Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro agreed
that choosing a school is one of the main problems facing
Indonesian students. He said 40 percent of high school graduates
in Indonesia opt for a school based on their parents'
recommendation.

The minister discussed the issue of making the right choice of
a university with The Jakarta Post at his office on Jl. Jend.
Sudirman in South Jakarta on Thursday.

Question:How do you see our newly graduated senior high school
students making their choice of university?

Answer: According to data collected from an informal study,
about 40 percent of them go to the university selected by their
parents. Another 40 percent choose the school because they are
interested in the subjects; the remaining 20 percent just follow
their friends.

But this was not an in-depth study. As far as I know, there is
no comprehensive study on the issue. We learned that some high
school graduates do not care about which school they go to just
so long as they are registered as university students.

What are your recommendations to fresh graduates in choosing
the right school?

It's a difficult problem. When you're young, you always change
your mind, don't you? Sometimes, one wants to be an astronaut and
plans to go to a mechanical engineering school. But suddenly
there is a change of mind, and thoughts turn to being an
architect.

But you may later find out that the talent is not there.
That's why it is so important for senior high school teachers to
give the compulsory psychology test to their students.

But fresh graduates would like to hear your suggestions so
they can avoid making mistakes.

Well, they should gather as much information, such as catalogs
and brochures, as they can. They can obtain them by writing
letters to universities or visiting exhibitions. Teachers could
help these efforts so that the students are well-informed about
the available facilities at many universities before the date of
enrollment comes around.

At the (university) expos, students can view a wide range of
universities with a variety of facilities. There are a lot of
alternatives there. That's why we always promote exhibitions. On
the other hand, universities should be more aggressive in
promoting what they offer to senior high school students.
Unfortunately, this part is still weak.

Some say the number of graduates is much bigger than the
places available at the local universities here. In short, there
is a imbalance. How do you explain this?

That is a wrong conclusion and not relevant. Not all of the
students could and should go to university. Some of them go to
work or take courses. Being able to continue studying at
the university level depends on various conditions. One of them
is the economic issue.

So, it's not a must. There are numerous opportunities out
there for talented people. Our latest data shows that 510,000
students, or about 40 percent of the annual total of 1.3 million
senior high school graduates, continued on to universities. The
remaining number go to work or take short courses.

Which is better for the graduates - continuing studies or
going directly into the job market?

It depends on their parents and the students themselves. From
another point of view, our country needs more and more university
and non-degree program graduates in the workforce. The higher the
number, the higher the quality of our workforce will be.

Of our 86 million workforce, just four percent are university
and non-degree program graduates. With the current figure of
240,000 non-degree program and university graduates per year, it
means that Indonesia needs 20 more years just to reach 10
percent. Imagine how many years it will take if we want to
overtake Japan (21 percent) or South Korea (40 percent).

What is your opinion on the increasing cost of tuition at most
universities in the country?

Expense is relative, depending on the facilities offered by
the universities. Many universities also provide scholarships.
For state universities, the government subsidizes Rp 7 million
(approximately US$2,990) per student per year. The rate reflects
the minimum standard quality of universities in this country.
Based on the figure, one could note the standard quality of
privately owned universities if they could not reach the standard
rate.

What are your feelings on the growing trend to study abroad?

It's no big problem. When our students cannot find appropriate
universities for their interest, such as science and technology,
why don't they go abroad and find something better there. But
please don't forget to come back and apply the scientific
knowledge for the sake of our country.

But I have a strong message for both students and parents.
Before choosing the schools, please ..., once again, please look
closely and carefully at the catalogs. Don't be easily enticed by
the attractive advertisements of the universities.

What did you do when your children wanted to go to
university?

I was a typical persuasive parent. I just prodded them. When
they were wavering, I came by and gave them ideas and suggestions
on which university they should attend.