Persevering Through College During the COVID-19 Pandemic by an ITB Graduate
By Adi Permana
Editor Adi Permana
BANDUNG, itb.ac.id — Depi Purnama, one of the graduates from ITB SF (School of Pharmacy) Master of Sports, gave a farewell speech as the representative student of the master’s program during the second graduation ceremony of the 2022/2023 academic year.
“This shall be the day where we celebrate for all our hard work,” Depi congratulated all graduates that attended the graduation ceremony. He expressed his gratitude to the Rector, Dean, staff, lecturers, and supervisors of ITB, who gave the students the support, guidance, and facilities throughout their studies.
“Countless thanks to our family, especially our parents, for always providing endless moral support and prayers," he continued. He believed that this graduation was one of the blessings of all the prayers and support they got. He also appreciated his classmates who had helped him throughout his studies, all while motivating one another when they were faced with tribulations.
Depi shared his story as one of the graduates from the 'Corona batch'; The pandemic had familiarized him with the online world more. "It had reached to a point that I had a group discussion on Zoom from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. Fortunately, the laptop is still in good condition,” he joked. “Thank God PPKM became lax last year. Some courses can be attended via offline or hybrid means.”
Depi admitted that he faced numerous twists during his studies at ITB, and that he experienced burnout a few times due to the workload given and pressure from his obligations as a student. With persistence and hard work, he, along with other graduates, could adapt through these difficult times and can recount their experience with fondness.
"Like a spinning wheel, similar things we have gone through may happen again in the future, and they may be worse than the things we faced before,” he warned. “We may feel anxious, hopeless, and inadequate about our capabilities, yet no matter the challenges life throws at us, we will always rise with the strength God has given us.”
"Our journey in ITB will make us more resilient,adaptable, and bring forth transformation to our surroundings.” he concluded.
The 2023 April graduation was carried out at Sabuga (Sasana Budaya Ganesha) Building. A total of 2,219 students were declared as graduates.
Reporter: Athira Syifa PS (Postharvest Technology, 2019)
Translator: Ruth Nathania (Environmental Engineering, 2019)
