At an age when many are still exploring, Tria Sofie has completed her master’s degree and made history as the youngest graduate of the Faculty of Geography at Universitas Gadjah Mada (Geography UGM). She was conferred her degree during the postgraduate graduation ceremony held on Wednesday (Jan. 21) at Grha Sabha Pramana. The young woman from Blora, Central Java, officially completed her master’s studies at the age of 22 years and 6 months through the fast-track program, significantly younger than the average age of graduates during this period, which stood at 29 years, 6 months, and 15 days.
“From the beginning, I had mapped out my plan to continue directly to a master’s program after completing my bachelor’s degree. I never imagined I would be named the youngest master’s graduate,” Sofie said on Friday (Jan. 23).
Sofie, the youngest of three siblings, was accepted to UGM in 2020. From the start of her undergraduate studies, she had set her sights on pursuing a master’s degree. The opportunity came when the Faculty of Geography introduced the fast-track program during her sixth semester.
“At that time, there was a socialization session about the fast-track program, and I felt this was exactly my goal. So I took advantage of the opportunity,” she recalled.
However, her academic journey was far from easy. The fast-track program at the Faculty of Geography requires a master’s study period of one and a half years, along with the obligation to produce a Scopus-indexed publication.
The greatest challenge she faced was managing her time between writing her undergraduate thesis, attending master’s courses, preparing her master’s thesis, and drafting a scientific publication manuscript, all of which took place almost simultaneously.
“It felt overwhelming. In my eighth undergraduate semester, I had already started my thesis, but I was also entering my first semester of the master’s program, with all its assignments. I really had to be smart about managing my time,” she explained.
Sofie coped with the pressure by completing her targets in stages. She prioritized finishing her undergraduate thesis as a foundation before moving on to the next phase.
“I completed everything step by step. At that time, I focused on finishing my undergraduate thesis first, because it was the initial step before moving on to the next stages,” she said.
Behind her academic achievements, Sofie also acknowledged the personal consequences. Time with friends had to be sacrificed to stay focused on completing her studies.
“There was a period when I didn’t meet my friends at all. I focused on myself and what I was working on. In my view, there are indeed things that have to be sacrificed,” she shared.
Nevertheless, support from her family became her main source of strength. Sofie said her parents were very supportive of her decision to continue directly to a master’s program.
“Thankfully, my family was very supportive. My parents really encouraged me,” she said.
Among approximately 11 fast-track students in her cohort, Sofie was the youngest. Even so, she believes her achievement is not merely a matter of academic intelligence. With a cumulative grade point average of 3.78, Sofie emphasized the importance of responsibility and perseverance.
“I don’t think I’m exceptionally smart. But I am responsible for what I’ve started and persistent in seeing it through,” Sofie said.
To students interested in joining the fast-track program, Sofie advised them to carefully consider their future career goals.
“This fast-track program is research-oriented. So you need to think about where you want your career to go. If your goal is an academic career as a lecturer or educator, this program is quite worthwhile,” she explained.
She concluded with a motivational message for young people not to hesitate in taking steps forward.
“If you want to continue your studies or pursue anything, you don’t have to feel extremely smart. What matters is being responsible and willing to work hard,” the graduate concluded.
Author: Jelita Agustine
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Jasmine Ferdian
Photographs: Tria Sofie