On behalf of my honor, I am Danang Sigit Widianto, a post graduate student in Mangalore University pursuing Literature subjects in English department, would like to share a bundle of experience during studying in this beloved college from the core of my personal insight. I was honored to be accepted to study in Mangalore University, which is well-known as a premier university in Karnataka under the accreditation NAAC “A” grade. It is a public university located in Mangalore, the city where it is easily to find out any sensational natural tourism destination. Mangalore University imparts higher education in the field of Arts, Commerce, Science, Law, and Management. It has grown impressively since its inception with 190 Affiliated Colleges including two constituent colleges. This becomes one of my credit as a bound of pride to be a student in Mangalore University.
Below are bundles of impressive sharing & experience during studying at Mangalore University.
First of all, I would like to say thousand thanks for entrusting me to be a part of Mangalore University students which gives me priceless opportunity to pursue my degree level. Prominently, learning at Mangalore University becomes my first abroad experience to study and pursue my next level degree for being a master student within the scholarship assistance under ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations). This scholarship is awarded to me to continue my degree in the field of Literature under English Department. I am very honored and proud of being a student of Mangalore University which gives me a chance for taking a role of representative foreign student in English department.
Secondly, all new things briefly boost my fully interest to learn more since India, in global views, is well known as the country where it has so many varieties of language, cultures, family classes, customs, celebration days, and many more. Instead of gaining the academic learning process, the best experience is the way how I am capable of recognizing exchanging cultures, new colleges, and many more in the international scope with other foreign students (both Indian and other countries). Since I started studying at Mangalore University, I have gained a lot of valuable experience related to Indian culture and educational policies. Even though Mangalore is not a big city like New Delhi or Bangalore, the atmosphere of the city already reflects an international atmosphere because so many students from various countries come. What is equally important is the cool climate of Mangalore city and tropical climate, making almost all foreign students adaptable because the weather does not contrast winter with summer.
One semester studying in Mangalore University, I felt unique and full of challenges. India includes a developing country which has been currently experiencing rapid development, especially in the fields of economy and information technology. With a population of five times that of Indonesia or more than 1.2 billion and an area nearly twice that of Indonesia, the Indian government is able to manage its education in such a way that it can be enjoyed by hundreds of millions of its citizens. Even though 1/3 of the population is poor, in India the opportunity to study from Undergraduate, Post Graduate and Doctoral Degree is very easy because the government provides large subsidies for its citizens so that the cost of education is affordable. That’s why it’s not surprising, in India, Post graduate students, especially in engineering and IT, have a great number of thousands graduates each year. Likewise, it is also easy to find people who hold a Doctoral degree.
During studying in Mangalore, instead of obtaining internal academic process between professor and student, I also absorb many kinds of external knowledge and insight from my class mates. They taught me how to recognize the local language, culture, festival days, so o and so forth. I am totally happy to learn something new such variety of local Indian language, such as Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, etc. These things absolutely never bear in my mind previously. Massive thank so much for all my lectures, Prof. Ravishankar Rao, Prof. Parinitha, Prof. Dr. Shashidara, Prof. Dr. Shashidar, Prof. Dr. Khisori Nayak, Maam Shandya Kamala Madam Gopi and all staff of English Department who always keep teaching me new knowledge and motivating to me like the way, you all always do.
Thirdly, it is undeniable that India is popular with the complexity of dish, food, and drink for vegetarians or non-vegetarians. It is the first time for me to know some dishes within Indian tastes which I can guess it seems like having more masala or special cooking spices and flavor. At first, I could not get accustomed to taste any India food because it doesn’t meet the suit for my Indonesian tongue. However, days by days I could make it and try any kind of Indian dishes. This seems something new for me.
Although the campus building is simple and the tuition fee is affordable, uniquely the learning process uses English language as the daily language interaction with an international standard curriculum, especially referring to British educational system. However, sometimes the learning method is very “old school” because learning is not really innovative. A short example, each assignment must be handwritten, so many classes still use chalk and the use of media is still rare even though the equipment is available. I also found the uniqueness in the exam. In India, we have to get used to answering exams at length depending on how much weight each question scores. My experience is in the last semester exam, each student is given one exam paper that contains 5 questions. Each question, in fact, has different points which is related to basic understanding or concept, others are about the analysis of the poem, novel or the critical point of view of each topic that must be completed in 3 hours. This is totally challenging for me to get used such this new exam experience.
Above all, to conclude, this is totally unpredictable in my life which becomes my personal international experience. Thanks to Mangalore University for juxtaposing me into this priceless opportunities. I would like to say massive thanks for bringing me into a new family, new friends, new relation and everything in the bound of everlasting friendship put on unforgettable memory. At last, I will never be regretful to be a student of Mangalore University and I hope this will be my next step to reach my future endeavors and lofty goals. I am taking this glittering opportunity to thank you from the core of our heart. It’s just the beginning of the infinite journey to discover the limitless potentials of the humankind and to make the world better with bringing the holistic wellbeing.
Best regards @danang_dann
