2016: Learning Through Insecurities

Hi. Another new year is coming! 

Everyone on Instagram is really busy to shows their new year vibes by talking about 2016. Then I will also bring some of my 2016 vibes here, to fill some blank spaces in this blog. Hahaha. 2016 has been amazing, this year already brought me to new places, let me met new friends, and gave me new experiences. I learned lots of things this year. For me, as the third-year undergraduate students, 2016 has been the most productive year I made. I keep learning things I’ve known, while also trying to face new opportunities and challenges.

Then here I would like to wrap-up one or two things I successfully (and some foolishly aborted) experienced so far in 2016. These short stories are my own experience when trying-to-achieve-goals. Mostly in the form of becoming delegation of my universities for competitions and forums. Because the only thing I can share is what I’ve experienced by myself. Hahaha. Anyway, I thought it might me more useful for you who still in the sophomore year because you can try what I've done and nailed it better. Then for the other, just read it through ya! Hahaha.

Accounting Competition

I am an accounting student. I do learn accounting. I joined accounting competition. There, I failed. Hahaha. The type of accounting competition that I (and my teammates) joined is olympiad kind of things, the point is we should answer questions to get scores. The first step of the competition is preliminary, where we should answer questions and submit it online. And we always pass it through the preliminary step, so we could go to the real competition in the universities held. Then, after arrived at the destination, there are some phases like answering questions (always), quiz, answer question in a game, answer questions in a race, and other modified stages. And, we, always pass until the semifinal, that is the maximum. HAHAHA. As I noticed, we’ve been experienced it on 17^th Indonesia Accounting Fair of Universitas Indonesia, National Accounting Olympiad of 2016 Gadjah Mada Accounting Days in Universitas Gadjah Mada, and Diponegoro Accounting Competition 2016 of Universitas Diponegoro. Even we end up never win it, the experience and thrill as a first-timer doing it was super intense. UI was our first destination and our first attempt, and that was irreplaceable. I would like to express my gratitude to Rasyid and Fanny, my super lol teammates. I knew we have never won Depok, Jogja, and Semarang, but at least we’ve ever feel a super happy journey. Thank you, teammates!

Business Case Competition

After I realized my weakness in accounting competitions, then I move on. Business case competition is actually a type of competition for management students, but there is no major limitation on the requirements. So then, I (and my teammates) get to know this business case competition stuffs. And turns out, IT OFFERS MUCH MORE FUN AND COMPACT COMPETITION than the accounting. Am I in a wrong major of study? Lol. But since business case competition is usually a case of business problem like acquisition, expansion, or maximizing profit kind of things, accounting and finance are useful, a lot. We went to nearer cities this time, Semarang and Solo offered us a journey. With much more efforts and prayers this time, we won as the second winner of Diponegoro Business Case Competition 2016 last September. Here, I would like to show my biggest love to Rasyid (again) and Avi for being a super total yet receh team. We won’t win Semarang if we have no great cooperation like what we had before, and also dummy jokes. Thank you, Acid-Avi!

  

ICAEW Regional Business Challenge

This one actually introduces me to business competition. I and my other five friends officially represent Universitas Airlangga and Indonesia to the ICAEW Regional Business Challenge 2016 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. There are only two teams that represent Indonesia, from Universitas Airlangga and Universitas Indonesia. The competition was held in May, the participants were fifty-something teams from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, and other. South-east Asia you can say. It is already such an honor to be one of Indonesia's representative, and it keeps us to show our best efforts. It was a great forum for us who dreamed of being an accounting firm partner, not only do compete in the case, but also a close forum for each of us to talk with Malaysia’s country partner of Deloitte, EY, KPMG, PwC, and also other financial services. On the top of that, I also awarded as Best Speaker in the competition. Even the team can’t win the game, but the experience of getting new friends and connections is a bless. Moreover, I knew I can’t win it without the team and our hard work. So, it is really cool when the hard work paid off. Thank you, teammates, ICAEW Indonesia, and my accounting department!

Young Leaders for Indonesia National Wave 8

Last November, I graduated from this super-insanely-ambitious forum. Young Leaders for Indonesia (YLI) is a program conducted by YLI Foundation with cooperation by McKinsey&Co. to unleash the potential of 60 insecure-overachiever students to be leaders in the future. YLI provides insightful sessions to enlarge thinking tools both theoretical and practical. We got super tight modules, the great leader as speakers like a Minister, intense project (by ourself and assigned in a group), a real work in the Breakthrough Leadership Project, and lots of fun inside of it.  I really blessed to be surrounded by super ambitious achiever of Indonesian students on the undergraduate program from various universities in Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, and Hongkong. The 6-months program gives me so much insight and experience. And the best part is the competitive atmosphere surrounded by circle whose full with inspirations. Thank you, YLI!

Djarum Beasiswa Plus Batch 31

I am an awardee of this scholarship from Djarum Foundation since September 2015 with the term of a year. In 2016, the program is getting more adventurous. Started with Character Building in Cikole Lembang where I can directly feel the impact from all outdoor (and semi-military) activities. Then Leadership Development in Jakarta which pushed us to show our best abilities in public speaking and leadership skills, also not forget to mention if the materials delivered by fabulous speakers. And the last was Writing Competition. Djarum divided the regions into four which is Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang, and Surabaya, there will be competition between Beswan Djarum 31 in the region and the best four of it will go to National Writing Competition. I won the regional Writing Competition in the region of Surabaya (it covers East Java and all east Indonesia). Which actually I submit my paper at the latest date, and even the idea already in my mind someday before, I just start to write like three days before the deadline. Then I went to the National Final WC in Bali with other fifteen brightest awardees of Beswan Djarum. But sadly, it wasn’t my turn. I already gave my best effort, ya for sure, but maybe others gave higher effort and preparation. Failure is also a way to learn something, right? I really thanked Djarum Foundation for this amazing journey!

CRISU CUPT International Conference

This journey, even really sudden, but it closes 2016 beautifully. Actually, this one isn’t really well-planned. It took me as a surprise when I drove then there is a call from International Office and Partnership Universitas Airlangga. IOP is a body of my universities who manage all the internationalizing thingy. They offered me a chance to represent campus to the 11^th CRISU CUPT International Conference in Thailand, which the agenda is like a week ahead. If you asked me why they invite me to do that, I don’t know why either, maybe because I frequently bother them then they remembered my name. Wk. Ya then, I flew to Chiang Mai, Thailand, in the middle of mid-term exam hahaha. There, I met students, lecturers, also deans and rectors from various universities in Indonesia and Thailand. This conference is annually held to conduct relation between Indonesia and Thailand universities. There are lecture sessions, discussion forums, and also entertainment like city sightseeing. In my forum for college students, there are students from Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, China, and the Philippines. After discussion of the topics, I selected to be the representation of student’s forum to the final session. Then I gave my speech of our discussion results in front of participants and committees, included rectors and deans from notable universities in Indonesia. I always like the thrill to speak in front, OF COURSE, the tense and nervous if really high, but I'm happy at the end. Hahahaha. Also, lucky me after I get down from that podium, then some rectors and deans noticed me. Some of them gave me gifts (Idk why lol), ask for selfies (it really weird tho), and then contact me later through email talked about something. I believe that if you do nice things, it will be back to you. Include if you do good things and being nice to people, maybe years later you guys need each other, right? Once more, thank you IOP Unair for the opportunity!

Ah ya, once more. It is not a competition or delegation thingy anyway, but suddenly I got FEB Unair award, claimed as the appreciation of my achievements, in the 55^th Anniversary of Economics and Business Faculty Universitas Airlangga last August. Thank you, FEB UNAIR!

Phew, Yap! That’s all. Once or twice got the chances to flew to new places, get new friends, have new experiences, and those was totally supported by the responsible body (refer to universities or organization held the program) was really nice, right? Hahaha. Once more, thank you to everyone who takes part to helps me through all of this ya! 

I hope what I wrote can help or at least motivate you guys. Sorry if it is not exhaustive enough. There are one or two other things I nailed this year but not included in, such as internships, organization stuff, and social activities. I think this already enough ya hahaha, will write the rest next time. But yep, things above already express my feelings toward insecurities which made me stronger and happier.  I put efforts, courage, and sacrifices to conduct all of the things above. It clearly shows if hard work paid off. After some ups and downs in this year, I realized that all of achievements-thingy means nothing if I just still being the same. If I still have no direct impact to others, to society, or at least my to a smaller circle. I'm still nothing. So, let's work harder and do bigger next then. 

All right. Last but not least, here I would like to stress on a point to you that: You should believe if you can always get the target you planned, it just how big your efforts and prays towards it matters. Like what I always quoted that there is only one thing that makes dreams impossible: your fear of failure. I know that sometimes things get worse before they get better. Just keep it going, keep trying. Even if it failed after you try, believe that failures increase the probability of success. After that, keep fighting for it. All right? For whoever you are out there, good luck for your future endeavors!  Happy New Year 2017!

Still on her way to write 2017’s plans,

Adelia Budiarto.