The final project or thesis defense is a memorable moment for many students. Including me. Especially when it’s done online for the first time.
Offline and the Jinx #
It all started from a joke among us (me and my boarding house friends) right when exam week was about to end. “Hey, after midterms there are still five days left, you guys aren’t going home to your hometown first, are you?” said my friend from Jakarta.
Me and my three other friends seemed to be of the same mind. Because according to us, it would be a pity to spend the money if we went home then and then went home again after the final exams. So without any signal, we agreed that it’s better to just go home during semester break.
However, Allah had other plans. On the night after the last exam, very foreign news arrived in all our ears. Yes, news of a disease epidemic.
The world seemed to become like what happened in an apocalypse movie. From information about the very rapid spread of the disease, to magical items that suddenly became rare and expensive.
the magical item during the pandemic
Not only was it rare, but once found, it was immediately hit with a price of Rp 65,000. Wow.
In the middle of conditions that felt increasingly bad, a college kid’s joke was thrown out. “Oh nice, we can have a long holiday then” haha.
The wish was granted. The campus released an announcement that lecture activities were suspended until further notice and all students who could return to their hometowns were advised to return to their respective homes. That’s roughly what the announcement said, if I remember correctly.
We were half happy and half worried. Because, if conditions outside were indeed as reported, it wasn’t impossible that we wouldn’t be able to return home if we forced ourselves to stay in Bandung.
temperature checked by station platform staff
Carrying just enough luggage in a suitcase from the boarding house, we immediately headed to Kiaracondong station which turned out to be already full with masked prospective passengers.
Upon arriving home, my parents asked me to immediately take a rapid test at the community health center. Of course for the comfort of people at home and neighbors.
Online and Stiff #
At that time, the campus had already released an announcement that lectures would continue online. Both through Google Meet and Zoom.
I attended lectures, worked on assignments, and even worked on my thesis from home. Because internet needs suddenly spiked, my mi-fi modem gave up.
Fortunately, my campus which still had a relationship with Telkom provided subsidies for students using Telkomsel cards. That subsidy was the Corporate Society internet package. That’s what I remember it was called.
That internet package was very helpful for me because it had a lot of quota at a decent price, for Telkomsel’s class of course. With 50 GB of quota that could be redeemed for Rp 100,000 for one month of use. Thank you Telkomsel and Telkom University hehe.
However, the house condition which according to my friends was like a bunker, made the Telkomsel cellular signal seem half-dead. My phone even had to be placed in the room ventilation so the signal would be more optimal. This condition lasted until H-7 of my final defense.
Reflecting on the last supervision session that made me suddenly disappear from online supervision via Zoom. Bu Ratna suggested that if possible, during the final defense, I could use more stable wifi.
So, for the sake of smoothing the final defense later, I went around looking for agents selling wifi service providers. “For days, braving the pandemic viruses flying in the air. Endangering myself by meeting and asking about wifi packages to those agents. Oh, how heavy and unfortunate my life was then~~”
After my body felt dry from having to find a selling agent that offered the cheapest price, the choice fell to a neighbor. Yes, I decided to camp out at their house for approximately two hours to carry out the online final defense haha. (Thank you Bu Lubis!)
Alhamdulillah my final defense could be carried out well on July 2, 2020. It even felt facilitated by Allah SWT. Especially Pak Doan as the examiner who suddenly ended the defense because he had to prepare to become an imam at the mosque haha. (Thank you, sir!)
second final project defense
Lessons to Be Learned #
Everything that happens in this world, for me especially and without intending to offend any party, is the will of Allah SWT. None of His creatures can know even one second into the future. For example, the disease epidemic that was happening at that time.
Then, the expression that “speech is prayer” cannot be taken lightly. Even from light jokes. That is supported by already quite a few examples that happen in the real world.
Thank you to those who have stumbled here and read this heart’s outpouring hehe. May you be given health and blessed sustenance! Aamiin.
That’s all. Cheers.