Success Recipe: M. Arif Raihannur's Journey from ITB Alumnus to Pursuing Master's at University of Auckland, New Zealand
By M. Naufal Hafizh
Editor M. Naufal Hafizh
BANDUNG, itb.ac.id - Muhammad Arif Raihannur, who is often called Raihan, is an alumnus of Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Faculty of Mining and Petroleum Engineering (FMPE) Undergraduate Program in Geophysical Engineering class of 2018. Currently, he is continuing his Master’s in Energy studies at The University of Auckland, New Zealand. Raihan shares strategies for how to succeed at college and get a scholarship to continue studying abroad.
When studying at ITB, Raihan was interested in studying new renewable energy (NRE), one of which was geothermal. After learning about this, he learned that Indonesia's geothermal reserves are the largest in the world but their utilization is not optimal. This prompted him to take the topic of his final assignment on the Magnetotelluric (MT) method which is the most common method for geothermal exploration.
Raihan received three Letter of Acceptance (LoA) for the LPDP scholarship in 2022, from the University of Manchester, the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, and The University of Auckland. He decided to choose The University of Auckland because New Zealand supports the primary research exploration of geothermal in Indonesia at Kamojang.
Raihan stated that there are several differences in university life between New Zealand and Indonesia. "Universities here provide many conveniences. There is no attendance requirement, all lectures are recorded, assignments can be extended if the reason is clear, and many classes do not have exams so the grades are only based on assignments. However, they also demand high standards. All assignments and exams require more thinking than what is taught in class," he said on Wednesday (28/2/2024).
During his time at ITB, Raihan was actively involved in the Geophysical Engineering Student Association "TERRA" ITB, serving as a member of the orientation team and as the head of the Batch Representative Body (BPA). He shares his successful study methods, which include planning his lectures well, expanding his connections, being active in student organizations, and honing his English language skills.
In addition, Raihan shared tips and tricks for students to successfully pass the LPDP scholarship selection process, which are:
1. Understand essays and interviews in depth;
2. Be confident and not afraid to admit past failures;
3. Know the latest problems in Indonesia; and
4. Finalize your goals before registering because LPDP is not looking for smart people, but is instead looking for people who can be useful for Indonesia.
Reporter: Difo Faizi Pratama (Geophysical Engineering, 2020)
Translator: Hanna Daniela Ayu (Aerospace Engineering, 2021)
Editor: Ayesha Lativa Mafaza (Postharvest Technology, 2021)
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