wednesday June 5, 2013

| Supplement 9

american education

Onward and upward with American education dreams and beyond

Bruce Emond
The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

special issue

Deisha Tamar, Steffina Yuli and Windy Setiadi are separated by different upbringings and interests. Blessed with a roving eye for pop culture and fashion, Deisha has turned her talents to a career as a print media reporter in newspapers and magazines. Bubbly and outgoing Steffina was raised primarily in Singapore and possesses what some may consider a paradoxical love of both theater and business studies. Windy, meanwhile, is an unpretentious product of big city life whether it is Jakarta or New York City who is driven by an unflinching passion for the arts. But they are united by a couple of important things. For one, they are members of the bold younger generation of urban Indonesians who consider themselves equals with their global peers. They display openness to the world without relinquishing their national identity. And they are also three of a kind in choosing to study in the US, albeit on different sides of the North American continent. Deisha, currently a journalism student at Everett Community College in the state of Washington, was one of the 7,131 Indonesians pursuing college studies in the US last year. The US has always been my dream country to live or study, and now Im here pursuing both dreams, said the recipient of a scholarship from US State Department and AMINEF and a former intern at this publication. She said her course load at the college was actually less demanding than her experience at a private university in Jakarta, because in Indonesia, its all about quantity, how many subjects or credits you take. But here its more about the quality, and how well you

understand the subject. There have been some outstanding experiences over the past 10 months, she said, from traveling to almost 10 different States and also falling in love. Not so pleasant adjustments have involved the weather after Indonesias tropical climes being in the cold and gloomy weather for almost eight months can get really super depressing. Her best piece of advice to Indonesians going to study in the US? Be open minded. Since I am on a scholarship program that includes other countries from around the world, you meet a lot of people from different backgrounds and cultures with their unique way of thinking. Even American people themselves come in different shapes, sizes, colors and backgrounds. So dont be offended if someone has never heard of Indonesia, it means its your opportunity to tell them about our lovely country. Creatively minded Steffina, 20, says her goals in going abroad were to be more independent and get the best education possible in her interests of business, finance, media and theater. The US is definitely a frontrunner when it comes to creative industries like media and business. Its also one of the few places that offer the liberal arts program where I could study a wide array of subjects which cater to a wide array of interests, she said. Ive always believed that to be the best, you have to learn from the best so off to the US I went After recently completing her freshman year at Yale University, Steffina said she has made the most of the opportunities on the Ivy League campus. That includes producing a full-fledged musical, a seminar with Pulitzer Prizewinning historian John Lewis Gaddis and visiting Goldman Sachs headquar-

ters in New York City for a leadership training program. All of these highlights, together with the great times Ive had with friends going for school dances, eating noodles at 2 a.m. the night before a midterm or just hanging out and chatting create a unique experience that I couldnt have had anywhere else. Motivated to succeed Windy Setiadi returned to Jakarta in August 2011 after pursuing music studies in the US, first at Bostons Berklee College of Music and then post-graduate studies in musical technology at New York University. In fact, it was in the US that her eyes and ears were opened to the beauty of Indonesian traditional music when she joined a gamelan group. It was a very useful experience for me, and one that I would recommend, she said. Especially because of the environment of study and the work ethic and professionalism. You only needed to obey the rules and regulations a bit more. US universities take 15 of the top 20 places of the worlds best universities. Windy, who is gaining a name for herself as a music arranger back home, said she was deeply influenced by the esprit de corps of the academic community. I became even more independent, too, because there were more motivating people and competitors, Windy said, adding that her American education experience, and the understanding of what it will bring to the table among potential employers, has made it easier to get jobs and gigs back home. My advice to Indonesians going to study in the US is to do your best and also never forget your own culture. Its the only chance to promote Indonesia, from my experience.

Courtesy Steffina Yuli

Jumping at the opportunity: Steffina Yuli (third from right) joins fellow Southeast Asian students in celebrating freshman orientation at Yale University in the United States. She was one of the more than 7,000 Indonesians studying in the US in 2012, an increase from 2011 but still below China, India, Vietnam, Thailand and other Asian nations. Smoother sailing Indonesia ranked 18th for the number of foreign students in the US in 2012. It was an almost 1 percent increase from 2011s figure, but the nation still ranks behind several of its neighbors in the region, including Vietnam (at 8th, with more than 15,500 students) and Thailand (17th, with 7,626 students). The potential for Indonesia, with its massive population of 260 million and a growing middle class, is enormous. The US government is also smoothening the process for Indonesians to pursue their education dreams. US Ambassador to Indonesia Scot Marciel has stated that, promoting education is the number one priority for the U.S. Embassy Jakarta. Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy Kristen F. Bauer told the recent American Education Expert Seminar, hosted by INTI College Indonesia, that a F1 category student visa for Indonesian students should now take only three working days to process. INTI College Indonesia has also launched its American Center for Education (ACE). Its American University Program (AUP) allows students to pursue their first two years of tertiary education in Indonesia before completing their studies for a degree in the United States. This gives students considerable savings on the cost of a four-year American degree Deisha is about to leave the US to take up an editorial position in Bali. But the US has left a lasting impression. In the future, I still hope to move to the US and build my life here for good, who knows maybe I will have my own family here someday. Dont get me wrong I love Indonesia and I can see how colorful my country is in terms of the people and culture, she said. But I think Im pretty enchanted by how organized things here are and that everything has its own rule or system.
Number of foreign students in US universities

Source: INTI College Indonesia

Courtesy Steffina Yuli

Share and share alike: The US is known as a huge melting pot of people from around the world, and its campuses reflect that diversity in drawing international students who must learn to interact and communicate with their peers.

Making your US foreign college experience work

There are many important lifestyle routines that Indonesians students studying abroad can make a habit to improve their college experience, apart from obvious ones like avoiding procrastination on assignments and regularly studying for exams. The following is a list of 10 tips for those of you who plan on getting an American education. While this is focused on the US, students heading to other nations can also take what they need from my recommendations. They might seem trivial at first glance. But when applied together and consistently, they could save you a lot of long-term problems and money. Max out that (student ID) card! Being a student in America means that you have the opportunity of gaining access to a wide range of services and privileges, most of which require that you only show your student ID card. These include free bus and museum passes, and book and movie-ticket discounts. Clip a few coupons, save hundreds of dollars Junk mail gets a bad rap. We often forget, though, that these piles of garbage often contain nuggets of gold in the form of coupons (especially true for Indonesians who have not grown up with the coupon system). These can help you save a lot of money in the long run, through free products, shopping rebates, big discounts and other services. Avoid college dorms and roommates like the plague College dorms, aside from being expensive, are often very noisy. Try to find a room off campus with older, non-college-student neighbors. It could mean the difference between several years of peace and shut-eye, or one of constant night-time interruptions from next-door videogame parties or loud couples making youknow-what noises. Keep up with the times Have a physical copy of public transportation maps and timetables with you at all times. You do not want to make the mistake of wasting an extra hour waiting for a bus or train that you missed by two or three minutes. You also do not want to get lost or make a wrong, premature or late stop. Craig Newmark is your best friend You wont believe how helpful Craigslist, Americas top classified ads website, can be. It offers just about anything you want or need. Personally speaking, I found and buy a used car there in excellent shape for US$3,000, whereas it could have cost me $12,000 at an official used-car dealer. Crisis lockers If your room and board is far away from campus, you will need to rent a college locker for storing umbrellas, spare clothes or other emergency necessities. Also, you wont have to lug a heavy textbook (or many of them) around all day. Scan dailies to plan Pay attention to local daily newspapers for advertisements to free or cheap local cultural events, like concerts, plays and festivals. They can also be useful if you need something to do on weekends or other free days. Build up an international network Studying in America means that you get the chance to meet people from all around the globe. The country is, after all, the worlds cultural salad bowl. The more diverse your friends are, the more opportunities you may get for the future. Know thy interlibrary loan system Textbooks can be incredibly expensive. Thankfully, college libraries usually have copies of older editions of the books you need. If need be, you can use your universitys interlibrary loan system to get one mailed to you free of charge. Writing centers are grade boosters Most universities offer free writing center services for help in writing college papers. Visit them often! Aside from grammar assistance for non-native speakers, theyre also useful for those of you who have a hard time remembering style guidelines of formats like APA, MLA or CSE. Getting these minute points right can mean a letter grade. + Prasiddha Gustanto