The Secret of UGM's Fastest Graduate Maureen Arsa: Discipline and an Academic Road Map

Maureen Arsa Sanda Cantika has achieved a proud milestone. The graduate of the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) study programme at UGM’s Vocational School was named the fastest graduate for the Applied Bachelor’s Programme during the May 2026 graduation period. Maureen completed her studies in just 3 years and 5 months. This achievement is significantly faster than the average study period for Applied Bachelor’s graduates in the same period, which reached 4 years and 4 months. Despite this, Maureen admitted she never made the title of fastest graduate her main target during her studies. “I feel very happy, grateful, and also surprised to be named the fastest graduate in this period,” said Maureen. According to her, from the start of her studies she did have a desire to finish faster. However, her main focus was to undergo every lecture process earnestly and complete every responsibility on time. She accustomed herself to managing time with discipline, from completing assignments, practicum reports, and academic projects to various activities outside of lectures. “I believe that consistency and good performance in completing small things will form habits that influence greater achievements,” she said. Not only excelling academically, Maureen was also active in student organisations and national competitions. In her first year, she actively participated in university committees. In her second year, she began participating in various academic competitions and became a finalist in a national-level GIS competition. Her achievements continued when she joined the Student Creativity Programme (PKM). Together with a cross-faculty team, Maureen won a bronze medal in the PKM-Entrepreneurship category at the 37th National Student Scientific Week (Pimnas). At the 38th Pimnas, she again recorded achievements. Her team was the only UGM representative to qualify in the entrepreneurship category and successfully brought home gold and bronze medals. “That experience became a source of pride because I was given the opportunity to represent the university at a national event,” she said. Her interest in the field of Geographic Information Systems was also realised through her final project research on a Google Earth Engine-based spatial-temporal monitoring system to analyse forest fire severity and post-fire vegetation recovery in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. For Maureen, the key to success during her studies is having a clear direction from the start. She advises students to create a road map for each semester, both for academic targets and personal development. In addition, she considers building relationships and collaborating with students from different disciplines to be an important factor in self-development during university. “Every small step in any moment can always change your life in a big way,” she said.