Regan Afrian Nathan is a student of the Faculty of Administrative Sciences, Universitas Brawijaya. This semester, Regan had the opportunity to enjoy lectures at Lambung Mangkurat University, located in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan. Until December 2022, Regan was registered as a participant in the Independent Student Exchange for the Oubond group.
The selection of Unlam as the destination campus has gone through various considerations. “First, I look at the universities and courses offered, because they must be in accordance with the results of the original study program. While at ULM there is no FIA and Education Administration study programs (except for S2), there is only FKIP with PGSD, PAUD, educational technology, and other education study programs, but the courses offered are aligned and in accordance with the CPL of the original study program so as to manage the conversion, it will be easier later.” he said
Regan didn’t feel much difference while studying in Banjarmasin. In Unlam, according to Regan, there is also a system called SIMARI as an academic data integration center which function is the same as SIAM in UB. The adaptation process was quite short.
“In the early weeks it was quite felt because it was seen from various aspects. From technology, it’s the same as in UB, using this application is quite time consuming because it uses a website, the buildings here are made like classrooms with different buildings, different from FIA which has one building, but has many rooms”, he explained.
The way of learning, added this Educational Administration student, is similar his original faculty. “We also discuss, present and write papers, uniquely, the question and answer system is made varied and applies various methods such as snowball crowding, random sampling, and is required to actively provide additional answers,” he explained. What makes the difference is the way you dress. At FIA, Regan used to wear free-collar shirts. “Meanwhile, here I am uniformed with black and white formal clothes and study program alma mater as my daily college clothes, so I wear black and white clothes and UB alma mater every lecture, because the output of PGSD study program will be a teacher, so I must set a good example”, Regan added.
The PMM program provides an opportunity for participants to explore culture, language, culiner, local community life, and other things through the Nusantara Module, a non-academic material that is integrated with each student’s credit course, including Regan. “For one month, thanks to this Nusantara module, I have visited and toured the Martapura River and learned about the life of the people who live in the river, tasted various culinary delights, learned Japin Banjar dance, visited Lambung Mangkurat Museum, Lok Baintan floating market, learned to make Sasirangan cloth, learning the art of Madihin music, visiting the Grand Forest Park in Banjarbaru, and going to a diamond pan. Very happy and certainly can refresh the brain at the weekend, “he said via short message.
This experience, Regan added, is very helpful in giving students the opportunity not only to be good, but to see and try life on other campuses. “The most memorable thing was when we were gladly accepted, got a supervising lecturer who was very nurturing, friends who were also very welcome and had the opportunity to study together with friends from various cultural backgrounds that enriched views, knowledge, relationships, and life experiences that cannot be forgotten. The Nusantara module is a material that is highly anticipated because it is given access to learn and process together with the exploration of all things at ULM,” he said.
“Hopefully after this PMM, I will appreciate more about differences, be more tolerant and respect any culture that is different from life in the origin, views and thoughts will be broad, grateful for the life given, more adaptive and more social and togetherness spirit grows, The relationship is getting stronger and more durable, and hopefully the court can be fully converted,” he said at the end of the conversation. (Nice/VQ/ Humas UB/ Trans. Iir)
