What did they say .

Fitri Anggraini, 18
,  Graduate from SMA Tanjung Batu
,  South Sumatra   |  Sun, 07/19/2009 11:28 AM  |  Discover

Fitri Anggraini chose to continue her studies at the Teacher Institute of the Sriwijaya University in Palembang, South Sumatra. She intends to take economic studies as her major and counseling as an alternative subject.

"I want to be a teacher just like my grandfather. My family wants me to be a teacher and they support me in becoming one," said the second child of the late Muhammad Yusuf and Mista, nicknamed Anggie.

Her grandfather, Harun, is a respected teacher in Tanjung Batu village, where the family lives.

Anggie still worries about whether she passed the recent entrance exam. The result will be announced nationwide on Aug. 1.

"I hope I passed the test. I believe I had the correct answers," she said.

The financial constraints her family had did not discourage her from studying hard. Anggie, who is ranked second in her social studies class, borrowed text books and material for the test from her neighbors.

The school also hired a tutor from the capital city, Palembang, some 65 kilometers from the school in Tanjung Batu, to prepare the students for the test.

"Our seniors who were accepted at the university also helped us prepare for the selection test," she said, adding another 14 students from her class took the entry test for the Teacher Institute.

Her achievement as the fourth best student in her school also gave her the chance to enroll in the State Accounting Institute (STAN). She was still waiting for the result of the test that was held on June 26.

"If I am accepted into both institutes, I prefer to go to STAN because the state provides the students with spending money. I come from a poor family, I don't want to burden them with my studies," she said.

Ikmar Masykur, 17
Graduate from SMAN 2
Tinggimoncong Malino
South Sulawesi

Ikmar traveled all the way from his hometown in Makassar, South Sulawesi, to Malang in East Java to continue studying at the state Brawijaya University.

He was already accepted in the Electrical Engineering department.

He said he picked the major because it had promising job opportunities.

"The truth is I don't know much about what to expect of university. I just know that when I graduate from high school, I have to go to university. I think university is the next step after high school and there will be more homework to do.

"University to me is more a bridge to land a job," he said.

Deden Rudiyanto, 22
Graduate from Nautical Vocational School, Jakarta

Raised in Denpasar, Deden enrolled into the private Malang Muhammadiyah University (UMM) in East Java. He took communication studies as his major.

He said that at first he had no intentions of continuing his studies, but his dream job as a TV cameraperson required him to get a university degree.

"I need to learn more to become a good media worker," he said. "I expect to master my subjects, so when I graduate I can start working straight away."

Khairul Saleh and
Wahyoe Boediwardhana
The Jakarta Post/
Palembang/Malang

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