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s the National Selection Test for State Universities draws closer, some students are still in the dark about their future higher education plans after completing senior high school.

Fahruddin Syarif, 18, for instance, still studies a long list of diverse subjects, ranging from sciences to social studies. He has no particular subject in mind that he really wants to study.

“I have applied to the interior design department and the environmental engineering department of the University of Indonesia [UI] in Depok, West Java, through its special invitation program,” he said.

Not only that, he plans to enter the university’s international relations department through the National Selection Tests for State Universities next month and the mining department of a private university in West Java as a safety cushion.

According to Fahruddin, his vocational high school, SMK Telkom, in West Jakarta rarely distributes information about studying at university.

Therefore, after joining a Nurul Fikri private course in Palmerah, West Jakarta, he feels relieved because its teachers have offered him tips and tricks of how to successfully pass university entrance tests.

“I have chosen to apply to departments with fewer competitors, so that my chance to get accepted by UI is higher,” he said, referring to the tips given to him by his teachers.

In contrast to Fahruddin, Tangen Vika, 18, said she was not really bothered about the university where she would study “as long as it is a state university”.

“I am looking for a department that can help me find a job as soon as I finish studying,” said the student from SMAN 1 in Central Jakarta, adding that she did not really care about the prestige of the universities she applied for.

Tangen said she was determined to study state administration after receiving adequate information from her school about studying at university. Last year, her school invited its alumni to share information about their studies at different universities.

Student of SMA Muhammadiyah 15 senior high school in West Jakarta, Roseanne Mangindaan, has received no information from her school about studying at university. Thus, she actively sought information about university departments by herself through discussions with various parties and chose to apply to UI’s sociology department and to the psychology department at the Indonesian University of Education (UPI).

“Schools should provide more information about higher education. Many of my friends consider the National Selection Tests for State Universities to be just a typical entrance test when, in fact, it is far more difficult than the National Examinations,” she said. (riz)