TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Internet Lounge helps Gunadarma students
Norman quickly left a building on the Kelapa Dua campus of Gunadarma University in Depok, West Java, and rushed off to meet his friends
Change Size
Norman quickly left a building on the Kelapa Dua campus of Gunadarma University in Depok, West Java, and rushed off to meet his friends.
The 23 year-old Informatics student at Gunadarma was busy working on his final thesis, for which he relied heavily on the Internet for his research.
“I browse the Internet to get the data and information I need. For that purpose, I usually go to the Internet Lounge,” he said, referring to an on-campus facility for students.
The Internet Lounge is housed in its own building and is operated by the university’s maintenance and management division, while its daily operation is under student management. The Internet Lounge is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.
Opened in August 2007, the facility is visited by nearly 3,000 students each month. Students need only to show their university ID cards and they are allotted 20 minutes of free Internet use – which means they must be highly organized; there’s no time for live chats or online gaming.
“I think this facility is very helpful. I hope the university can extend the time,” Norman added.
Before the Internet Lounge opened, students only had access through on-campus hotspots – or off-campus Internet cafes.
“We realized that hotspots only benefitted those who bring their laptops. What about the students who have no laptops of their own?” said Alvin Pratama, Gunadarma’s research and development coordinator. “After several discussions and preparations, we provided them with the Internet Lounge.”
Students take advantage of the free online service at Gunadarma University's Internet Lounge. (JP/Kurniawan Hari)
A glance at the Internet Lounge, with its modern and practical design, shows the effort made in providing the facility.
Alvin said the lounge’s design was based on Singapore’s Changi International Airport, where travelers could browse the Internet quickly at computers set up on a bar-like structure.
The computer bar has no chairs, so the design promotes active, efficient usage.
“We designed the Internet Lounge the same way. Students browse the Internet while standing,” said Alvin.
The lounge currently has only 20 PCs. With the heavy volume of users – a daily average of 125 students – it’s no wonder users have a time limit.
Gunadarma’s Kelapa Dua campus is not the only one with the facility. Its campus on Jl. Margonda in Depok and another on Jl. Kalimalang in East Jakarta have an Internet Lounge, too.
“The students feel the benefit of this facility. They can check their exam results or conduct their research at the Internet Lounge,” said Alvin.
With a minimal number of PCs, however, the university faces strong demand from students to install more computers – a demand it plans to meet.
“The Internet is an essential need today,” Alvin said.
In the meantime, Gunadarma students must continue to be efficient and organized in their Internet use and browsing habits – an essential skill in this digital era.
