Atma Jaya University of Yogyakarta (UAJY) and My Experience
My lovely campus!! I am proud to study here. UAJY might not be as well-known as few other big universities in Yogyakarta . But I am not here because I didn’t pass the test for any other universities (and I believe nor are others). It’s my choice from the beginning. We do have something else here. Best graduates (not always based on GPA) from UAJY are known for their technology literate, knowledge, competency, ethic, hardworking, adaptation, and soft skills. UAJY students can get many advantages if we want to explore, because we just get the opportunities by what UAJY have provided..
Well, I am from the Faculty of Economy. So I will write more about what I know. Just have a look at the facilities at FE UAJY and UAJY in common :
- LCD and air-conditioned classrooms
- Superior computer cluster, which is really conducive for our learning process
- Experienced and oversea-graduated lecturers
- Access to online journal databases : Ebsco and Proquest
- (Mostly) hi-tech lecturers
- Complete software availability, so that we can really practice what we learn and simulate how they works in real life. Some you can hardly find at other universities in Indonesia.
- Banks network, to make it easier when settling academic fees.
- Computerized system : for class registration, library database, students record, etc.
- All hotspot area, and it’s 24 hours!!!
- Elevators
- A lot of “Student Activity Unit” (”Unit Kegiatan Mahasiswa/UKM” maksudnya…) choices
- Discussing areas/rooms
- English-based textbooks
- ATM machines, photocopy centre, banks, all inside the campus
- Great libraries : complete source of textbooks, journals, papers, cool magazines, newspaper, statistic reports, and so many more..
- Pojok Bursa (duh, lupa inggrisnya apa….)
- Campus Ministry (sering dipelesetin oleh dosen n mahasiswa jadi “Campus Misteri”, hahaha..)
- Language Centre (Pusat Bahasa…)
- Scholarships
- Others…… (Can you tell?)
UAJY give his students big capacity to grow and express. There are also cultural events, bazaars, seminars, gatherings, competitions, trainings, talk shows, etc. Many of those are held by UKMs. We are never lack of events. Just check at the announcement boards!
The surrounding of UAJY also help our learning process. We have big lobbies for discussing, UKMs’ meeting, open stands, etc..; sitting areas in every corner and corridor where we can rest, chat, browse Internet, discuss, wait for lecturer, etc…. up to you…; big auditoriums for any event, cozy classrooms, and widespread information boards.
I’ve ever taken classes with following lecturers :
- Male lecturers : Pak Deddy, Pak Siswanto, Pak Felix, Pak Andreas Sukamto, Pak A.M. Soedjono, Pak Gunadi Brata, Pak Samiaji, Pak Totok, Pak Kunjana, Pak Bambang, Pak Sri Widodo, Pak Didit, Pak Kusumadmo, Pak Fandy Tjiptono, Pak Slamet.
- Female lecturers : Bu Yanti, Bu Diah, Bu Endang, Bu Shellyana, Bu Sukma, Bu Rini, Bu M.D. Susilawati.
Not many… I used to take the same lecturer for several classes, if I found them match with my learning style. Here are my favorites :
1. Pak Sis.
I took his class three times : Operation Research, Business Forecasting, and Quality Management. What I remember about him : very smart, technology literate, opened, a good motivator, have spirit and values, serious but not formal, very cool…, appreciate his students, always praises those who deserve. Love the learning process in his class. He usually gave “big” tasks every week, and we were to learn and explore the learning subject by ourselves. We could use references from any sites, books, or other resources, as long as we were responsible for our statement. He showed us ways to references (information), but never limiting how far we could go. “We are in the world of rapid, abundance, and free information, just make good use of that!” I think he means this almost all the time.
He gave me capacity to know and explore my capabilities. There were open competitions in his class. He would check every group’s work in front of other groups (using LCD), so we always knew which groups were the best and worst. He usually put us in a small group of 2-3, ideal for me! Another special thing about Pak Sis : he always memorized students’ names. He even called our nicknames..!! Ohya, we could wear t-shirts and sandals to his class, or came as late as one hour, he wouldn’t care much. He didn’t even check our names for the absence form. He tried to make us come by our own mind (heart), not by the administration rule of 75 % attendance.
Many said they were afraid to take his classes. And among the few who dared or forced to join, around 30-40 % would give up and step back in first two weeks of the class. His classes were never crowded.. Cool, isn’t him? Pak Sis does things in proper ethic. So do mostly of other lectures, I know. But he is the only one that teaches me about being ethic so deeply. It’s about his way of transferring the feel, spirit, and responsibility. I will always love and respect a teacher like him.
2. Pak Fandy Tjiptono.
I took his class once, that is International Business. My impression : smart, broad knowledge, very good English, good teaching style, funny, always has examples related to the topic, not boring. I like how he explained the materials, very understandable and sometimes with jokes. I also like how he tested his students. He just knew what simple questions to ask, that could represent our understanding about the topic or our “soft” knowledge. He occasionally demands for relevant examples. He made me feel like I want to read the book and understand the whole story.
3. Pak Kusumadmo.
I took his class twice : Organisational Behaviour and Strategic Management. I think he is full of charisma and values, funny, broad knowledge, strategic style of thinking, can tell stories interestingly. He doesn’t like if you make noise during the class, moreover when he is speaking (I ever did this mistake, sorry…..). I have to be frank, sometimes his class was boring. And a few times the air conditioner was too cold that it’s hard to concentrate..! When someone stood up to remote the AC, or when he realized how freezing we were, he would simply say, “oh, so it is too cold for you?”
He often asked basic questions in the class, as Pak Fandy did to check our understanding. I somehow feel like we share / focus on many same objects or kind of people. What he talked about, his answers to questions, his figures of interest, what get his attention, were more or less similar to mine. Most of the time, I was sure that I had the precise answers to his questions. And it was often right, I knew after he spoke it out or somebody else answered. I was never active in the class, you know…
