Contributor: Erickson Samson | Editor: Supriyono
Ƶ, DEPOK - On January 22, 2024, we took the opportunity to pay a second visit to our esteemed academic adviser, Dr. Bambang Sumintono. I went with Khizer Hayat, Nana Suliyana and Nasrullah. One of the best things that I learned as a student is lifelong learning and the quality of being teachable. As we pursue graduate studies in Education at Ƶ, I told myself that I would never miss the chance and opportunity to become teachable as I considered myself insatiable in learning and open to ideas and discussions with whom I met every day.
Being teachable means believing we are open to every constructive idea and lesson, not only from our classmates and friends but also from our academic advisors and mentors who are there to guide us in our academic journey. We acknowledge that academia is an environment or community where there is the pursuit of knowledge, education, and research. Hence, we expect that this community consists of thinkers who are experts in their fields, and our role as students or researchers is to learn from the people around us as it is part of scaffolding learning that stresses our ability to learn through the guidance of those people.
“Meeting an academic adviser is important for personalized guidance, concentration selection, and career planning, ensuring students stay on track to meet their academic and professional goals,” Khizer Hayat, an MA in Education student, said, emphasizing the need for advice that every student should maximize.
Dr. Bambang Sumintono then emphasized the importance of meeting our academic advisers. When we met him, he stressed the importance of choosing the right concentrations with which our hearts say. “Some students sometimes need guidance for academic matters.” The guidance is needed to navigate the students’ academic journey.
Students have both acknowledged the importance of seeking guidance as part of the learning process. Dr. Sumintono has encouraged the students to visit their academic advisers as frequently as possible and guide the students on their academic journey to know if they are choosing a good concentration according to what their hearts call. Also, let them know at the very beginning the importance of choosing a concentration that might be of interest to them so they can easily explore more about the subjects they choose.