At just 25 years old, Rizal Galih Pradana is among 25 master’s graduates from Universitas Gadjah Mada who achieved a perfect GPA of 4.00. A graduate of the Master’s Program in Psychology, Pradana completed his studies in only 1 year, 10 months, and 17 days, graduating on Wednesday (Oct. 22) at the Grha Sabha Pramana.
Pradana shared that he pursued his master’s degree through a scholarship from the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP) under the Professional Psychology program. However, a sudden change in curriculum policy led to the closure of the Professional Psychology track just as he was about to register at UGM.
This forced Pradana to make a difficult decision: either switch to the Master’s Program in Psychological Science or withdraw from LPDP and wait for clarity on the professional program.
“I’m grateful that I decided to continue by transferring to the Master’s Program in Psychological Science,” he said on Wednesday (Nov. 5).
The challenges did not end there. Pradana had to adapt to a new academic track, particularly in terms of thesis research and study focus.
Since he needed to change his research topic, he met Dr. Rahmat Hidayat, Dean of the UGM Faculty of Psychology and his academic supervisor, who, at the time, was initiating an umbrella research project on food choice and invited students to join.
Enrolling in the Psychological Science program also required Pradana to master a new analytical method (Structural Equation Modeling), which was a completely new experience for him.
Pradana described his perfect GPA as a combination of fate and luck. He admitted that his midterm exam results were not his best, but his final exam scores (which carried greater weight) helped raise his overall performance.
Despite the challenges, Pradana said he always felt responsible for making the most of his LPDP scholarship. He dedicated himself to every assignment and exam.
“I just gave my best effort and told myself there’s nothing to lose,” he shared.
Pradana also offered his own study tips. First, pay close attention to the grading system and assessment criteria. Second, learn about the lecturers’ characteristics, which can be done by asking senior students about each lecturer’s typical exam or evaluation style.
In the end, Pradana emphasized that anyone given the opportunity to pursue higher education should make the most of it. University, he said, is the only place where students can learn, make mistakes, and receive guidance from lecturers who genuinely want to help them understand new concepts.
“Once you enter the professional or industrial world, learning usually becomes learning by doing. So make the best use of the chance to study at a university while you can,” he concluded.
Author: Alena Damaris
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Photographs: Rizal Galih Pradana