Last year in 2015 we had 4 Master Degree graduates! They are all back in Indonesia now using their degrees in awesome ways. Yet we asked them some questions about their experience, and their responses are recorded below.  

Questions:

• What’s your name and background (where are you from, age, school history, etc.)?
• How did you find out about USINTEC/OSU?
• What major/degree did you get at OSU?
• How was your time in the States? What were some of the hardest culture shocks? What were some the best memories?
• Is there any advice you would give to current or future students?

Responses:

I am Arsianti Dewi Kilas Sinar Nurani. I am from Boyolali, Central Java. I am 25 years old. I attended my elementary, junior and high school in Boyolali. I got my bachelor degree at Semarang State University. Then, I joined the dual master’s degree program (1 year in Indonesia and 1 year in the United States). I received funding from Directorate General of Higher Education (DIKTI).

I found out about USINTEC and OSU from one of my friends that suggested me to apply for the dual master’s degree program.

I got my Master of Arts degree at OSU. My major is RLEMC (Reading in Early and Middle Childhood).

I had a great time in the United States. The hardest culture shock was the weather. I come from a tropical country which has only two seasons, rainy and dry seasons. During my time in the United States, I had to deal with the extreme temperature especially during the winter. This was the hardest part about living in the United States. Another culture shock I experienced was about giving tips. I needed some time to get used with this culture. I often calculated my bills several times before deciding how much I should give for tips.

I have many great memories during my study in the United States. I met very nice people. I met people from around the world. I learned something new from them. Moreover, I met many Indonesian people who are very helpful in the United States. They are like my family who are willing to open their hands whenever I need help. Also, I did traveling to some places with my friends in the United States. Moreover, I joined the lottery trip offered by the Office of International Affairs. In this trip, I visited some historical places during civil rights movement. It enhanced my knowledge about what was going on in the United States during civil right movement. By traveling, I could see the United States not only from the glamorous side, but also from the historical side.

For current students, I would suggest to them to join the lottery trips being offered by the Office of International Affairs. It will enhance their knowledge about the United States. Also, it gives them opportunity to make friends with both International students and American students at the same time.

Regards,

Arsianti

I am Kiki Denhas. I am originally from Rembang, Central Java, Indonesia. I was born in Rembang, November 28, 1989 and spent my childhood in Rembang. Moreover, I went to elementary, junior, and high school level in Rembang. Then I moved to Semarang to pursue my undergraduate program in 2008. I finished my undergraduate program majoring in English Education in April 2012. Right after that, I had an opportunity to work as a teacher in an international school in Rembang for one year (2012-2013).

In September 2013, I decided to work in the graduate program by registering myself in English Language Education in Semarang State University. At the same time, I got a chance to work at one of state universities in Semarang, namely Semarang State Polytechnic.

As time went by, one of my best friends was accepted in OSU in Dual Masters’ Degree Program. She then told me to try to apply for the same program at OSU through USINTEC. As she shared her experiences studying at OSU, I was so excited to give it a try.

My hard work paid off when I finally heard the news from one of USINTEC staffs that I was accepted. I was enrolled in College of Education: Teaching and Learning, majoring Reading and Literacy in Early and Middle Childhood. I started my program in January 12, 2016 and finished in December, 2016. I joined the Autumn Semester Commencement which is one of the best things I have ever had in my life.

Being in the States for about 12 months has been full of precious moments for me. I did not dare to dream about the States or even visit it until I finally stepped my feet on the main land. I learned a lot from many people I met throughout my “journey”. In terms of education, I learned the way my advisor, professors, and campus staffs to help cope with the students. They are very professional and helpful. They do really understand that I was an international student who had some challenges especially in communicating by using English and cross-cultural understanding. Therefore, they seem to be so very helpful and friendly. My classmates were very helpful too. I never felt discriminated against during the learning process. I even still keep in touch with some of them. The only thing I struggled with was the “reading culture”. That was the biggest challenge for me. I was not accustomed to read loads of articles in Indonesia. However, the learning process in OSU made me read at least three articles for each course. I remember one night I cried for not being able to cope with some articles.

Dealing with my “hardest culture shock”, I would say that for those who want to continue their education at USA especially in OSU, brave yourself! They should be prepared for being able to deal with many articles during the learning process. It might take tears and blood, but believe me, it is worth doing in the end. I feel so blessed that I am now accustomed to read.

Kiki

My name is Dwi Amalia Putri. But, people call me Lia. I am from Tegal, a small city in Central Java. In 2007, I did my undergraduate at Semarang State University (UNNES). I took English Education as my major. Still at the same university and the same major, I continued my study to pursue a master’s degree in 2012.

Before I knew about USINTEC/OSU, I heard some of my friends got the scholarship to USA because they joined Dual Master Degree Program. They told me about the program and suggested me to open the USINTEC website.

I studied in Reading and Literacy in Early and Middle Childhood.

The first time I came to the USA was in January 2015 and it was winter. I had no idea what winter looked like, so it was surprising for me to feel the cold. From someone who comes from tropical country where it always feels like summer all the year, I had to make myself sure to keep warm every time I wanted to go outside.

My best memory is when I graduated from OSU. I feel like it’s true that hard work pays off. Studying at OSU was really challenging because I had to deal with some papers, readings and many assignments. But, with the great facilities that OSU has like the libraries and the access to many journals, I was able to finish all of the assignments. So, thanks OSU for all the great experiences that I have.

My name is Windhariyati Dyah Kusumawanti, everyone calls me Winda. I am 25 years old. I come from Banyumas, Central Java. I finished my bachelor degree in educational field. It is a Bachelor of Education at Semarang State University. Education is my passion; in this case, I do love teaching. For me, teaching is so priceless. It is not only about transferring knowledge but also constructing students’ behaviors and characteristics.

My passion of educational field brought me on my way to The Ohio State University. The very first time I knew USINTEC was when a friend of mine told me about Dual Masters’ Degree students of Semarang State University and The Ohio State University through USINTEC. Then I searched for more information about it via www.usintec.org. After getting more information about USINTEC, it triggered my passion since it closely related to the educational field. Therefore, I had consultations with some lecturers in Semarang State University who were also involved in that program. After some consultations, I learnt a lot about the procedure of application process in order to achieve the precious opportunity to study at The Ohio State University and through USINTEC.

Under the remarkable advisor Dr. Christine Warner, I got a Master of Arts (MA) in 2015, in Reading and Literacy in Early and Middle Childhood (RLEMC), Department of Teaching and Learning, College of Education and Human Ecology at The Ohio State University.

When I arrived at the United States for the first time, it was in winter. Since I came from the tropical and sunny place of Indonesia, I got bad experiences due to the first experience of the cold in winter. The cold irritated my skin because I also have sensitive skin. Then, after I made more protection for my skin, the skin problem got better. Truthfully however, the snow in winter was extremely beautiful except for the cold.

The best memories that I got were wonderful experiences and meeting extraordinary people there. Lots of wonderful experiences and people deeply contributed both academic and personal matters of my life. I learnt a huge number of valuable knowledge for my career and future life.

Overall, having precious experiences at The Ohio State University teaches me to live the dreams and passion with real action. No matter the obstacle, the matter is how to deal with it. It reminds me of the experiences during the selection process to get the funding. Although it was a very long process, it is very important to dream high and keep climbing to reach the dreams. Do the best and God will do the rest.