University Is Not Just About Sitting in Class: Dare to Seek Experience!

Many prospective students still view university as a simple routine: attend class, follow lectures, complete assignments, sit exams, and then graduate. This perspective is not entirely wrong, but it is no longer sufficient to answer the challenges of a rapidly changing job market. Today, companies are not only looking for graduates with good academic grades. The industrial world needs individuals who have experience, can communicate, work in teams, think critically, and adapt quickly to change. These competencies are not born solely from the lecture hall, but from diverse learning experiences during higher education. This is what every prospective student must understand from the outset. Higher education institutions today have a greater responsibility than merely transferring knowledge. Campuses must become spaces that connect students with the real world, presenting experiences that enrich insight while shaping a professional character ready to face various challenges. As part of Universitas Nusa Mandiri (UNM), known as the Digital Business Campus, the Faculty of Economics and Business views the learning experience as an investment equally important as academic achievement. Therefore, the learning process does not stop in the classroom. Students are actively encouraged to participate in seminars, workshops, public lectures, competency training, industrial visits, and various discussion forums featuring practitioners, business actors, professionals, and alumni who have worked in various industrial sectors. This kind of interaction opens space for students to understand the dynamics of the working world directly while expanding their professional networks early on. I believe that the experience of meeting and dialoguing with practitioners often provides lessons not found in books. Students can learn about the competencies currently needed by the industry, understand real business challenges, and gain inspiration to build a career or their own business. One programme with a significant impact is the industrial visit. When students see firsthand how a company operates, how a business decision is made, and how a professional work culture is built, they gain a much more complete perspective than simply studying theory in the classroom. In addition, students are equipped with various training relevant to current industry needs, ranging from digital marketing, entrepreneurship, and personal branding to professional communication and career development. These competencies are important provisions so that graduates can compete amidst changes in the business world increasingly influenced by digital technology. This commitment is further strengthened through the Internship Experience Programme (IEP) 3+1, a flagship programme that provides students the opportunity to study for three years on campus and spend one year undergoing professional experience through industrial internships, entrepreneurship projects, research, and other competency development activities. With this experience, students graduate not only with a diploma but also with a portfolio and a real understanding of the working world. In my view, the combination of academic learning, industrial experience, competency development, and professional networking is the factor that distinguishes graduates who are ready to face change from those who rely solely on theory. In the digital economy era, the ability to learn is no longer enough. Students must dare to try, build relationships, hone skills, and continuously expand their experience. The current job market values those who can demonstrate work, experience, and adaptability more than just a string of grades on an academic transcript. Therefore, I always invite students to take advantage of every opportunity provided by the campus. Attend seminars, be active in organisations, build networks, get involved in projects, and never hesitate to learn directly from the industrial world. All of these experiences will become invaluable capital when entering the professional world. Ultimately, university is not just about obtaining a degree. It is a process of shaping character, broadening horizons, building competence, and preparing oneself to be an individual ready to face the future. If you want to succeed after graduation, do not just chase a high GPA. Chase experience, build competence, and seize every opportunity. Because experience is the best investment that will open the door to a career and a brighter future.