Her fondness for natural sciences during high school and hands-on laboratory learning led Khaira Zata Dini to enroll in the Veterinary Technology Applied Program at the Vocational College of Universitas Gadjah Mada (SV UGM). This decision was also supported by her family background in biology and veterinary medicine.
A thorough understanding of the courses she would study and their alignment with her interests enabled her to truly enjoy her academic journey. It is no surprise that the woman affectionately known as Aira completed her applied bachelor’s degree in 3 years, 11 months, and 2 days. Meanwhile, the average study period for the 152 applied bachelor graduates in this graduation period was 4 years and 6 months. With this achievement, she earned the distinction of the shortest study period among applied bachelor graduates.
Aira explained that her accelerated completion was influenced by the structured credit system determined by the study program and the learning methods encouraged by her lecturers. Joining one of her lecturer’s research teams, where she was trained from the beginning to make weekly progress, also contributed significantly to the completion of her final project.
“Our lecturers instilled in us the importance of continuous progress. Whether in learning, research, or working on our final project, there had to be progress every week, no matter how small,” she said on Tuesday (Mar. 3).
As the second of four siblings, Aira shares a common motivation with her brothers and sisters: to make their parents proud. The desire to honor her parents by completing her studies promptly and starting her professional career has long driven her. She described her parents as highly supportive, consistently providing moral and spiritual encouragement to their children.
“My siblings and I share the same goal: to make our parents proud by graduating quickly and starting our careers as soon as possible,” she said.
This motivation also led her to secure employment before graduation. Three months after her yudisium (academic completion), she obtained a position at a veterinary hospital in Jakarta. The experience she gained from her first job inspired her to pursue further education. Her curiosity about the development of supporting technologies in the field encouraged her to plan for a master’s degree in Biotechnology at UGM, which aligns with the topic of her final project.
“I plan to return to Yogyakarta, look for a job here, and continue my master’s studies at UGM,” she said.
She further emphasized that learning can take place anywhere, both in the classroom and in the workplace. She holds firmly to a principle that has guided her throughout her journey: always remembering her initial motivation and goals. This serves as a reminder during moments of fatigue or when obstacles arise.
“When we have a strong motivation to achieve, it becomes our anchor and keeps us from giving up easily,” she added.
Author: Jesi
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Photo: Courtesy of Aira