UNS — Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta started its Campus Life Introduction for New Students (PKKMB) program on Friday (13/8/2021). Quoted from the Guidelines of PKKMB 2021 Directorate General of Higher Education (Dikti) Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek), PKKMB is a means for university executive boards to introduce and prepare new students in the transition into mature and independent university students, and to accelerate the adaptation process in the new environment and equip them with needed materials for their success in higher education study.
An adaptation is vital for university new students due to the different education and teaching system between high school and university, besides the environment, facilities, academic system, and regulations. A psychologist from the Faculty of Medical Science (FK) UNS, Fadjri Kirana Anggarani, S.Psi., M.A., also emphasized the importance of PKKMB program. “PKKMB is needed so that students are not surprised when entering a new environment. Its main objective is to help the student adapt to their new environment,” Fadjri Kirana Anggarani, S.Psi., M.A., explained on Thursday (12/8/2021).
To uns.ac.id, Fadjri Kirana Anggarani, S.Psi., M.A., stated that good adaptation is inseparable from psychological factors such as resilience and perseverance and external factors such as the quality of PKKMB. Therefore, the university executive board and the committee should collaborate and support the good adaptation in new students. Successful PKKMB will positively affect new students and other stakeholders, and online PKKMB is an innovation taken to ensure that students learn new knowledge and information in their new university.
Psychological Impact of Online PKKMB
Fadjri Kirana Anggarani, S.Psi., M.A., explained that online PKKMB could bring diverse impacts, including fatigue for participants and committee due to long eye contact with electronic devices. Seeing one’s reflection in the camera also leads to anxiety because people might be too focused on how they look on the screen. “This is (eye contact with one’s reflection) creates specific fatigue because (the person) keeps thinking about it. It causes a dramatic effect,” she stated.
New Students Engagement in PKKMB
Fadjri Kirana Anggarani, S.Psi., M.A., explained the negative impact of fatigue that might affect student’s engagement during PKKMB, which related to three things: enthusiasm, perseverance, and reconciliation. Enthusiasm is the student’s interest to participate in involved in the event. Thus, fatigue needs to be minimized to ensure participant’s enthusiasm. Perseverance is related to the willingness to do their best. Reconciliation is a cognitive process that might occur in new students when they realize the difference in online PKKMB. Leave their home comfort for PKKMB is an example of reconciliation. These factors have a long term effect on student’s sense of belonging.
“The long-term effect if (they are) not enthusiastic, not perseverant, not serious in completing their assignments, and no reconciliation is the absence of the sense that they belong in that group. That’s the long-term effect, sense of belonging,” Fadjri Kirana Anggarani, S.Psi., M.A., explained.
Preventing Negative Effect of Fatigue
Fadjri Kirana Anggarani, S.Psi., M.A., explained that the key to preventing fatigue lies in the committee’s hands, who have complete control over the events. Reducing screen time, diversifying events, and time management are the factors that need to be considered. Engagement could be built through small team activities, assigning seniors to assist new students who could help new students adapt to the new setting.
“We cannot build new relations with high engagement in a large group. It won’t be easy. It is easier if they are in a small group. It will be easier to build engagement,” Fadjri Kirana Anggarani, S.Psi., M.A., concluded. Humas UNS
Reporter: Rangga Pangestu Adji
Editor: Dwi Hastuti