Ibnu had no intention of becoming a valedictorian at first. After graduating high school in South Sumatra, being accepted to ITB is enough for him. However, studying at ITB made him realize that the scholarship he received from the government reminded him of the responsibility to do well on campus. Ibnu then registered himself to be part of the 2022 Outstanding Students of ITB, representing SAPPD, and eventually emerged as the third winner.

Academic Life as an Outstanding Student in ITB

Ibnu views his academic life as the same as other students in general; filled with many ups and downs. "Like many students, I faced many challenges academically and wanted to give up. Many exceptional students had it easy with their academic and non-academic experiences, yet in reality, our journey is not always smooth sailing.”

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In responding to failure, Ibnu always tries to have a positive mindset. Failure is unavoidable, so he must face the music and look for a solution. "Even if you do not succeed, that failure should not be the very reason to be stuck in life. We can try to see the silver lining from it to regain our determination to try once more.”

Fueled by his conviction, Ibnu seeks many competitions and opportunities since his first year studying in ITB, ranging from debates to student exchanges. As a result, he won several competitions such as winning first place in the EFL Category at the World's Doxbridge Debating Championship, a bronze medal at Indonesia Inventors Day in Bali, and a bronze medal at Thailand Inventors Day in early 2023.

Ibnu has also been quite active in community service since high school. He recalled joining some of the programs in grade 11 and volunteered for the Asrama Mengajar program at ITB Sangkuriang Dormitory during his first year. In addition, he participated in the community empowerment program Empower Indonesia in Lombok. Currently, he is active in the Berbagi Nasi program held at Lubuklinggau, South Sumatra. "I helped in collecting donations, encouraged children from villages to explore Lubuklinggau, and study together during the holidays,” he said.

Advice in Becoming an ITB Outstanding Student

Ibnu advised that the first step on the path to becoming a valedictorian is to know the reason for becoming one. With a firm reason and solid qualifications, students can register immediately.
Secondly, each faculty will have different criteria on the grading and it may differ each year. Thus, it is important to research beforehand.

The next step is to simply enjoy the process; Ibnu believed that the most important aspect is not the outcome, but the process that strives us to enjoy learning.

Moreover, Ibnu advised younger students who want to enroll in ITB to know their life goals first, and whether entering ITB can help them realize their dreams. After that, they can ask for the blessing of both parents and teachers to see their own potential. Finally, Ibnu advised us to let the process flow on its own. In case they did end up in ITB, other universities depend on them as individuals with their own potential.

Reporter: Angra Eni Saepa (Urban and Regional Planning, 2021)
Translator: Ruth Nathania (Environmental Engineering, 2019)