Graduation Day

"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."

A quote from Winston Churchill which may describe what just happen to me at this graduation day. Graduated from pharmacy faculty of Universitas Indonesia is the end of the beginning of my life. There are still a lot of complicated and joyful life events waiting for me. I could be graduated can not be separated from God help and people around who supported me.

Firstly, thanks to God who always exist wherever I am and whenever I need help. Undergoing college life in pharmacy faculty for 4 years is not as easy as I thought before. There were some constrains, problems, and other difficulties that I never imagined I could overcome it well. It was because of God help. I wasn't sure I could overcome it by myself. The moment that I will always remember is when I got cumlaude title at the end of my bachelor study. It wasn't because I'm smart, I was just lucky. God granted my wish when I almost gave up.

The only thing that I thought can make my parents happy is by being graduated with cumlaude title. From third semester to sixth semester my GPA (IPK in bahasa) kept decreasing under 3.50 (just for your information, to get cumlaude title, your GPA needs to be higher than 3.50, it means 3.51 at minimal). It was 3.49 in my 3rd semester, followed by 3.48, 3.45, and 3.46 in my 6th semester. If you are a college student, you may understand how difficult it is to increase your GPA from 3.46 to 3.51. It needs really high semester academic score (IP in bahasa) at next semester to make your GPA 3.51 at least. The history of my semester academic score was also just so-so like 3.61 for 2 times (the highest), 3.25, 3.45, 3.36, 3.47, etc. If my 7th semester academic score was just so-so, my GPA wouldn't be higher than 3.50.

I wished to God, "Please, let me get cumlaude title for this bachelor study, I really want to make my parents happy. Even though I'm not really sure I could make it, but I'm sure you always here to help me." It really needed struggle to achieve it, besides academics, I was also active in organization called KSM Eka Prasetya UI and was given responsibility to be the head of research department. For you who was also ever active in organization may understand how difficult to share your focus between your academics and organization which sometimes because of the organizations resist you to get good GPA at your academics. Another problem also happened in my 7th semester that I really really needed to work hard to get high GPA. My experience about this can be read here.

Because of the hard work, I can make it, even I never imagined before. My 7th semester academic score was 3.93 and my last semester was 3.70. It made my final GPA 3.52, I was awarded by cumlaude title. Thanks again to God who helped me and granted my wish.

Secondly, thanks to my parents who always support me even though sometimes I make them disappointed. It's also because of my academics. In the past, I was like a nerd student, never active in organization and just focus on academics. So my parents always happy as I could have good academics score. But, in college life, I found that getting good academics score will not guarantee the student to get good job. Because to get good job is not only requiring knowledge but also soft skill. My college life was my turning point when I break my focus into two, not only academics any more but also organization. If I couldn't get cumlaude title, it would be the first time I disappointed them. One by one, each semester passed, I lost my confidence to make my parents happy. But, as you just have known before, I still could make it. If it's not because of my parents, I wouldn't work too hard to achieve it.

Thirdly, thanks to my best friends (Mia, Silvia, Ghivo, and Edy) who inspired me to get good GPA. They were students from different faculty but we have been best friends since we were active in KSM Eka Prasetya UI. Even though they were active in same organization like me, but they also could get good GPA. "We are best friends, we were united by our similarities. I will be too embarrassed if it's only me between them who can't get good GPA". So, it's also because of them I worked hard to achieve it.

Fourthly, thanks to my best pharmacy friends (Pipit, Azizah, Tasya, and Bernita) who always remind me about academics stuff. Since I joined the organization, sometimes I almost forget about the assignments and the lectures schedule. An unwanted things might happened if I wasn't be reminded I would be punished by the lecturer or miss the class.

Fifthly, thanks to my pharmacy family, especially my seniors (Kak Yuri, Kak Erni, and Kak Liza) who always support me by advice and providing notes that I was able to survive in this pharmacy life. Actually, my big brother also was a student at pharmacy faculty. When his friend met me, she asked me "Why do you enter pharmacy faculty? What did your brother do so you enter this faculty? Did your brother trap you? Don't you know that studying in this faculty is damn difficult?". I just smiled, I didn't know how to answer. To be honest, indirectly, I entered this faculty, because my brother told me to do so. Thanks again to my seniors, once again I'd like to tell, I felt relieved because I could survive.

The last, thanks to another people around me who I can not mention the name one by one. After being graduated at this bachelor program, I'd like to continue my study to the apothecary profession program for one year. Keep support and help me, I will also support and help you too.

Best regards,

Nurul Fajry Maulida, S.Farm