Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Nadiem Anwar Makarim encouraged college students to not withdraw from participating in the Freedom in Learning, Freedom in Campus (MBKM) Program merely on grounds of the encountered obstacles.

"Whatever the challenges, do not let the once-in-a-lifetime experience in the MBKM program be a waste,” Makarim stated here on Saturday.

The minister explained that the MBKM program provides myriad opportunities for students to seek experience in the real world. Students can learn to be more confident, get out of their comfort zone, and hone their collaboration skills.

One of the MBKM program testimonies came from Christy Rombon, a student of the Manado State University majoring in psychology.

Rombon participated in the Teaching Campus program batch 4, where she got an opportunity to teach at the Catholic elementary school SD Katolik 1 Taratara, Tomohon City, North Sulawesi, for five months.

During her time there, Rombon worked along with other college students from different majors.

"The biggest lesson is it was only that time I was able to meet new people and adapt. Even within that one group, we were different from each other. If there were different thoughts, we tried to unite them,” she stated.

Rombon's motivation to join the Teaching Campus Program was she keenness to learn and gain experience from teaching children, as her major did not necessarily focus on that aspect.

“I want to try to get out of my comfort zone like meeting children. I actually want to learn parenting because it is related to my study program, psychology. At the Teaching Campus Program, we definitely meet the children. Thank God, I can learn from them," she affirmed.

At the school, Rombon and her team taught materials on technology adaptation, administrative assistance, and most importantly, teaching elementary school students, with focus on literacy and numeracy.

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Translator: Indriani, Kenzu
Editor: Sri Haryati
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