This first Studium Generale lecture presented Prasanti Widyasih Sarli, S.T., M.T., Ph.D., as speaker. She is a lecturer of the Structural Engineering Research Group, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering (FCEE), ITB. Familiarly called Bu Asih, she discussed a topic themed "The Art of Failure: How to Fall, Rise, and Surpass Expectations."

Bu Asih emphasized that failure is the foundation of success rather than the end of everything. "Successful people are not those who never fail but those who embrace discomfort and persevere," she revealed.
She shared three key strategies to overcoming failure: accepting feedback objectively, bouncing back with small but consistent steps, and pushing beyond expectations.

Bu Asih also talked about growth mindset, explaining how small, consistent habits are far more powerful than one big, instant change.

"Every small step brings us closer to the new identity that we want to create," she said. To build a habit, she recommended the habit stacking method—adding a new habit on top of an existing one.

Moreover, she described three types of people in life: givers, who give more than they take; matchers, who give equally to what they take; and takers, who give less than they take.

Out of these three types, givers are the most successful, even though they may fall behind if they use the wrong strategy. To become a strategic—and thus successful—giver, one has to avoid burnout, build connections, and adopt a wise mindset of giving.

By applying the right mindset, good habits, and balanced approach to giving, students are expected to be able to grow into more resilient individuals in facing future challenges.

Reporter: Rayhan Adri Fulvian (Geophysical Engineering '21)
Translator: Ariq Ramadhan Teruna (Chemical Engineering '21)