Most Outstanding Student Selection's Story by Fransiska Sonia - MAWAPRES UNDIP 2018

It was a moment of my university journey, that I was crowned as Mahasiswa Berprestasi 2 (MAWAPRES 2) of Diponegoro University 2018. It was a moment when I felt so unreal and blessed at the same time. Why? Because I never expected before that I would be on this point and achieve this achievement.

For the past few months, I’ve been receiving some questions about my experiences in MAWAPRES selection. The questions are mostly about how I could be success in my college life journey and become one of the most outstanding students in my university.

Through this post I would like to share about my journey and experiences in MAWAPRES selection. MAWAPRES is the abbreviation of "Mahasiswa Berprestasi" or Most Outstanding Student (in English). This is a yearly appreciation from Ministries of Research, Technology, and Higher Education (Kemenristekdikti) of Republic Indonesia for the most outstanding students.

My first question to my beloved readers is : What do you think about MAWAPRES?

Some people would think that Mahasiswa Berprestasi is a group of students who have the highest GPA or maybe perfect GPA (4.00). Or some people would think that Mahasiswa Berprestasi is students who are really nerd? Or students that have a lot of certificates and achievements?

When people say "Mahasiswa Berprestasi", all you will think about a person is the most ambitious & nerd students. But the fact is not like that. Mahasiswa Berprestasi is a student that usually has a perfectly balance life in academics, achievements, and organizations or leadership. And for me personally, Mahasiswa Berprestasi are those inspiring students on their fields that give the other students motivation and inspiration to become a better student. Almost all of my fellows in MAWAPRES are those people who are so inspiring to me.

The journey of getting the title wasn't easy for me. I need to pass several steps and compete in multi-stage levels which are major, faculty, and university. Being a Mahasiswa Berprestasi was actually not my goal from the beginning of my university journey. But just because a lot of people encouraged me to do and I was got challenged by this, so I dare to join the selection. Start from the first year of university I’ve been active in joining some student organizations and competition, that maybe those are the reasons why some people told me that I’m suitable to join MAWAPRES selection.

Level 1 : major-level

I was just becoming the representative of my major (Accounting) because my best friends, my organizations, my friends, my lecturers, and Head of Accounting Department encouraged me to became a representative of Accounting major for Mahasiswa Berprestasi 2018 Selection. If I didn't register, some people including my lectures, department head, organization fellows, and friends would mad at me :( So that's why I join the selection! HAHA

Actually there were 4 candidates from Accounting Major FEB UNDIP, which are Andi Eko Yuliantoro (Accounting 2015), Fransiska Sonia Rickiyanto (Accounting 2015), Lia Pramesti (Accounting 2015), and Sarah Nabila (Accounting 2015). All of them are my class-mate(s) and competition-mate(s) from Accounting UNDIP batch 2015. But unfortunately Andi resigned before the selection because he wasn't feel ready at that time to complete all the documents needed.

For major-level selection, you only need to fulfill the GPA requirement and your achievements list during university.

Level 2 : faculty-level

My very first bottleneck for this selection is the very-limited time to prepare the Scientific Paper (Karya Tulis Ilmiah). I wrote my scientific paper for only 2 days, because the announcement to create this was very late. When the instruction to make a paper came, me and Agung Kunaedi (MAWAPRES 2 FEB UNDIP 2018) were at the bus in Jakarta (because at that time we were joining an international level of capital market competition together for a week). We were shocked, why the deadline was really surprising. Then I started to write my paper for MAWAPRES selection at Jakarta-Semarang train when we were going back to Semarang.

MAWAPRES selection at my faculty level was held on February 28th, 2018. It consists of some steps which are CV Screening, GPA, English Presentation and Reserch Paper, and Attitude Screening.

Few days later, the announcement came :

Rank 1 : Fransiska Sonia Rickiyanto (92.12) – Accounting 2015

Rank 2 : Agung Kunaedi (88.38) – Economics Development 2015

Rank 3 : Abdurrahman Hizbulloh (87.43) – Management 2015

Rank 4 : Lia Pramesti – Accounting 2015

Rank 5 : Winson Gilbert Sinurat – Management 2016

Rank 6 : Siti Marwiyah – Islamic Economics 2015

Rank 7 : Rica Dwi Cahyanti – Islamic Economics 2015

Rank 8 : Sarah Nabila – Accounting 2015

Rank 9 : Rahmat Fitriansyah – Islamic Economics 2015

(Source : BEM FEB UNDIP)

 

I got the highest mark in this selection, so I selected as MAWAPRES 1 of Faculty of Economics and Business Diponegoro University. And I should continue my journey to the university-level.

Level 3 : University-level

The pressure is on & higher. I need to compete with 11 most outstanding students from other faculties. The selection process is almost the same with the selection process in the faculty-level, which are CV Screening, English Presentation and Research Paper Submission, Attitude Screening, and (plus) Psychological Test.

Finalists of MAWAPRES UNDIP 2018 :

1. Adik Bagus - (FPP 2015)
2. Annisa Amalia Utami - (FT 2015)
3. Aulia Putri Aji - (FPIK 2015)
4. Berta Kristiana - (FH 2015)
5. Fatimatuzzahro - (FKM 2016)
6. Fransiska Sonia Rickiyanto - (FEB 2015)
7. Galih Ricci Muchamad - (FK 2015)
8. Norhendra Ardhanaputra - (FPsi 2015)
9. Nuwarrochman Andre S. - (FSM 2015)
10. Roihanatul Maziyah - (FISIP 2015)
11.Rozan Fahreza - (FIB 2015)

They are the most outstanding studnts of each faultie

   

The highest-pressure moment is when we did the presentation. Conducting a presentation using English for around 20-25 minutes in front of 4 judges & the other most outstanding students was actually gave me a very high pressure.

Actually I never expected before that I would be chosen as the representative of my faculty to compete in the university level. And moreover, to won as the 1st Runner-Up of Most Outstanding Student (Mahasiswa Berprestasi) award in the university-level. My seniors and lecturers said that it's not easy for a candidate from non-science faculty to go into the Top 3 of the university level (the last time my faculty (FEB) came into the Top Three was 8 years ago). Because as we know, that social faculties are lack of research if we compare it with science faculties. When the result came, I just felt like..... it was so unreal for me. I wasn't expect that I would go to the stage to receive the award.

The results came out :
MAWAPRES I UNDIP : Nurwarrohman Andre S. (Chemistry -2015)
MAWAPRES II UNDIP : Fransiska Sonia Rickiyanto (Accounting -2015)
MAWAPRES III UNDIP : Roihanatul Maziyah (International Relations -2015)

 

I wouldn't go this far, without strong motivation. And my main motivation came from my family, friends, organization, lecturers, academic staffs etc. Thanks to my family for always supporting me. Thanks to my best friends in university. Thanks to my favorite organization which is KMA UNDIP (student council of Accounting), especially for the board of directors (Kabinet Abhipraya) for supporting me when I cried in Pelantikan Pejabat Ormawa because I was feel pressured and afraid before I went to MAWAPRES Selection in university-level :’)

Thanks to Kak Priaji Adhikara (MAWAPRES 1 FEB UNDIP 2017) that supported & helped me to prepare this selection through ½ hour of free coaching Line-call. Thanks to Ardi and Myra, for helped me to check my scientific paper abstract grammar. Thanks to Mr. Anis Chariri as Vice Dean of Academics and Student Affairs FEB UNDIP that always supporting me through my university journey. Thanks to Student Affairs staffs of FEB UNDIP that motivated me through this sentences :

"Mbak Sonia semangat ya & harus bangga. Dari ribuan mahasiswa FEB mbak sonia yg terpilih jadi wakilnya"
"Ayo mbak Sonia semangat yaa harus bisa bikin FEB bangga masuk 3 besar"
"Mbak Sonia, sebelum berangkat ke karantina ketemu Pak Anis dulu yaa biar dibimbing dan dikasih arahan"

Those 3 sentences were being my motivation to give all the best for my faculty. And I want to say thank you for everyone that have contribution in my university journey that I can't mention one by one. But I will write it on my thesis dedication page later! Please pray for my thesis yaa :)

Being a MAWAPRES is actually not in my what-to-do-list of my university journey. Because I personally think that the most important thing it's not about getting the title, but it's all about how we are striving to be better, and also inspire others to become better too.

By the way, please wait for my next post! Because I would share some tips of how to be a successful university students! :D