“Initially I applied to several universities and Diponegoro University was one of the universities I chose, but it turned out that choosing Undip was the best decision I made. The first reason is that Undip is one of the highest ranking universities in Indonesia, of course I have to choose the best university. Second, Undip is located in Semarang City, which in my opinion is one of the most beautiful cities in Indonesia. I like the combination of modernity and nature in this city,” said Ramalina Ranaivo Mikea Manitra, an International Undergraduate Program (IUP) student of Faculty of Law Undip from Madagascar.

“Undip has an IUP program and as an international student a study program in English would be the best opportunity I could get. Moreover, because my major, namely law, is very complex and I want to specialize in international law. Knowledge of law delivered in English will be very useful,” he continued.

“The first time in Semarang, my impression was that the weather was hot. I had heard about that from my friends and when I lived here I knew what they meant. The food here is spicy while in my country people do not really like spicy food. I used to live in Solo, but the food there still has a sweet taste. When in Semarang, I once tried to order fried chicken with several choices of chili sauce. I thought sambal (chili sauce) was not too spicy so I chose the green chili sauce. It turned out that when the order arrived, the chicken was covered with green chili sauce. All the chicken meat is full of chili sauce,” said Manitra, reminiscing the early days of living in Semarang.

“I have studied in Semarang for one year, unfortunately due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so lectures are still online. So I haven’t experienced what it is like to wake up in the morning, go to the building of Faculty of Law to attend lectures and meet lecturers and friends in face-to-face classes. I visited the building of Faculty of Law and it turned out to be a very beautiful place. Even though the lectures are held online, it feels like the between lecturers and students have known each other for a long time. It made me realize that communication has no limits, be it through the internet or face-to-face meeting. During this pandemic, besides living as a college student, I spend my spare time reading books, writing poetry or novels and watching movies on Netflix. Sometimes I also exercise or go for a walk since exercise is very important to maintain a healthy body during this pandemic,” he explained.

“For students who want or have taken studies away from their home countries, keep the spirit. It is not easy to live away from family and step out of the comfort zone we used to have. But this is a way of life to get success and gain experience in another place or country. I am sure that all struggles will make us successful in the future. We can be independent, manage study schedules and college assignments, carry out activities with discipline, starting from cleaning our own rooms, cooking and so on. Everything we do, every money we spend, every drop of sweat, one day will surely pay off. So don’t give up, you are not alone, there are still many students like me and others who are struggling to get the best results,” said Manitra. (Linda – Public Relations)

Translated by: Titis (Public Relations)

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