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span class="inline inline-left">Mall rats: A group of university students are spotted shopping for clothes in Mal Taman Anggrek in Grogol, West Jakarta on Thursday. The close proximity between college campuses and shopping malls in the city has made it easy for students to spend more time at malls than studying or socializing on campus. JP/P.J. Leo It used to be that in between classes college students were busy engaged in debates and other types of politically-oriented activities. For less politically active students, leisure time was spent mountaineering and playing sports.

But times have changed. College students in Jakarta relish the time they spend at shopping malls. And there has never been a better time to be a student in Jakarta than today, with malls situated very close to campuses.

Some of these students may have extracurricular activities offered by their campuses, but the temptation to visit the mall is just too hard to handle.

Indra Wardhana, a student at the University of Prof. Dr. Moestopo (Beragama), said that mall haunting has become his favorite pastime, simply because of the proximity of his campus to the mall.

The University of Moestopo campus is within walking distance from Senayan City and Plaza Senayan, two of the most famous malls in Jakarta.

Indra said he frequented the mall three times a week to eat or hang out with friends.

“The food offered by the campus cafeteria is not that good, so eating out in the mall is my only choice,”
he said.

Indra, who is now in his fourth semester studying communications, said he had no problem spending more for eating at the mall, simply because it has become a part of
his life.

“My friends and I sometimes work on our papers inside the mall because it’s cozy, with air conditioning and music,” he said, while adding that being a mall rat was no excuse for skipping classes.

A fellow student from Tarumanagara University, named Anggi, disagreed.

The communications student admitted that it is difficult to resist the temptation of going shopping and she had skipped classes when she deemed it necessary.

“Well, yes we skip classes just to hang out in malls. We went down there to play karaoke or just hang out,” she said. Anggi said that she spent an average of at least Rp 100,000 during each visit to a mall.

Tarumanagara University is located in Grogol, West Jakarta, at a very close proximity to Mal Taman Anggrek, Citraland and Central Park.

For Anggi, going to the mall was a form of therapy for dealing with the stress accumulated from her classes.

Herlina Kristanti of Atma Jaya University shared the same habit as Anggi.

She loved going to malls to browse books and magazines to release tension.

“But I don’t go shopping for clothes or shoes there — not fit for my pocketbook,” she said.

Other college students argue that despite the congestion that shopping malls have created, they are grateful for the fact that shopping malls will always be there for them.

“They usually have bookstores, so I can easily find not only books, but also stationery,” said Billy Hernando Lukman of Atma Jaya University. Atma Jaya is next door to one of the city’s largest malls, Plaza Semanggi.

With more than 130 malls, Jakarta is known as the city with the world’s second highest concentration of shopping centers. New Delhi in India reportedly has 300 shopping centers.