Tulus Imaro explained the importance of extracurricular activities during the time he has studied in ITB. For this 2007 Oil Engineering major, joining extracurricular activities is his way of going out of his comfort zone. "When we leave our comfort zone, there are no close relations to ask help from, so we really have to be able to survive with our environment," he explained. "It accustoms us to quickly adapt with new surroundings."

Tulus, as he is widely known, talked about his experience participating in extracurricular activities. "Not all of them went well, many activities clashed with my classes and academic schedule," he said. "But all of them gave me enormous benefits." Tulus, whose birthday falls on January 18, 1989, was a Vacation Trainee at Schlumberger, and joined Summercamp AIESEC Ukraine and Indonesia Model United Nations (IMUN).

From his various activities, Tulus was highly affected by his decreased spare time and was more motivated to always fill his extra time. "I got over the sleep deprivation by drinking vitamin C every day, so my body always stayed fit," he explained. "My ability to multitask developed more and more, since I always wanted to be doing something in my spare time." Other positive effects he felt were his increased creativity, a wider social environment, a wider perspective on differences, and higher independence.

Classes Still Come First

Many students tend to commit too much to extracurricular activities to the extent that they forget their academic responsibility to gain knowledge on campus. "When I was participating in IndonesiaMUN, I had to go back to campus on the fourth day because of a surprise test," the Taruna Nusantara magelang high School alumnus reminisced. "It was supposed to be a take home test, but it turned out the question sheet hadn't been given to the administrative staff, and the lecturer turned into a mid-term test." As a student, we must be able to balance our academic and extracurricular life and manage them so that they can both be undergone harmoniously. However, if they inevitably clash, academic classes may not be sacrificed.

Tulus advised ITB students to use their time wisely, because time past is time lost. "One of my mottos is to use time to pray, because it is a source of calmness, use time to study because it is a source of wisdom, and use time to work because it is a source of success, use time to make friends because it is a way to happiness," he concluded.