Thousands of UGM undergraduate and diploma first-year-students 2020 will participate in the Successful Training of Learning for Freshmen (PPSMB) next Monday (7/9). During the Covid-19 pandemic, the implementation of PPSMB will be held online through several platforms.
"There will be slight differences in implementation of PPSMB during this pandemic era. However, the spirit remains the same, namely to instill national values, UGM values, and scientific values," said UGM Deputy Chancellor for Education, Teaching and Student Affairs, Prof. Dr. Ir. Djagal Wiseso Marseno, M.Agr, in the UGM Update event broadcasted live through UGM social media channels on Tuesday (1/9).
Djagal explained, PPSMB started a student's journey as a student at UGM. This orientation activity aims to provide new students with provisions to become prosperous learners at UGM until they graduate and obtain bachelor's and applied degrees.
According to him, even though it is online, this will not reduce the main points of PPSMB, which has always emphasized activities that hone intellect rather than hone physically.
There will be several groups which contain participants consisting of students from various study programs and regions. Digital media will be used as a connector to channel Collaboration and solution discussions.
"We train more on the intellectual resilience of students as academic persons instead of physical endurance. The hope is that during the PPSMB, students' soft skills will increase, and they can have tolerance and adaptability in being UGM students," he explained.
He emphasized that PPSMB is never a terrifying hazing activity or emphasizing seniority. He hopes that the UGM freshmen can welcome PPSMB with enthusiasm and joy as somebody who has gone through a long struggle to enroll in UGM and has succeeded in achieving title as UGM students.
"We want to instill the students' mindset that learning activity at UGM is fun, not terrifying, and instill that PPSMB is friendly instead of hostile," said Djagal.
In addition to preparing some alternative platforms that can be used by considering each area's conditions where the students are, UGM has also designed internet quota support for first-year students to participate in PPSMB.
Djagal added, UGM is also planning an academic paper so that the implementation of PPSMB is counted into semester credit units (SKS) so that PPSMB participants will get a score from the PPSMB activity.
Head of Sub-Directorate for Student Character Development, UGM Directorate of Student Affairs, Dr. dr. Rustamadji, M.Kes., added that several PPSMB materials could be accessed on September 2 by new first-year students who have completed the registration process.
After the opening ceremony on September 7, PPSMB participants will receive national and UGM material on September 7-8, soft skills material on September 9-10, and an introduction to the scientific field on September 11-12.
"After that, they still must carry one more activity in their respective homes in connection with the pandemic, how can participants actively contribute to handling the prevention of Covid-19. Then the event also will be closed on October 4," he explained.
Author: Gloria
Translator: Natasa A