Sharing the Journey of Life: A Studium Generale
Preface
This is an analysis on one of the many freshmen level lectures on the importance of becoming an excellent workforce that I wrote back then in my early undergraduate years. What they wished for us was to not only in align with the values of the institution, but also to make this a form of expression of our gratitude towards God for granting us the opportunity to study at some 'prestigious' school, in hopes of molding ourselves into better persons, which in a way I still agree.
If I may be honest, this was an absolutely cheesy lecture indoctrinating us to be wagecucks working for corpo's while being complacent with minimal pay, as much as I understand that work is hard to come by and that something is better than none. I still think that we can be prime quality workers not only to others but also to ourselves, and not only in our professional lives, but also personal. Or maybe we can just place this mindset for entrepreneurial work.
I'm not sure, regardless here I write my revised essay.
Intellectualism and Sympathy
Entering a new digital era, a student has to remember to strive towards becoming an excellent servant - or knight, in the terms of Airlangga. This is in hopes that one can always give their best towards whoever needs it, and in the process become a reliable and fine quality resource. To achieve this excellence, one has to master their field of knowledge, with determination and earnestness.
The mastery of this intellectualism is a need, but this has to be accompanied by an anchoring sympathy towards others, in hopes that we do not forget ourselves and others, and in order to uphold a sense of inclusivity and siblingship towards everyone around us, considering our national motto 'Bhinneka Tunggal Ika'.
This siblingship and inclusivity with others comes in many forms, be it through proper cooperation with other peers, good client worker relationship, pleasant feedback with the higherups, and so on. Skills and competence will get one a long way, but sympathy, and affability will get them further up.
With God in Mind
Self-development requires a reflective attitude towards every accumulated experience, and the understanding that life takes the form of a journey and not a destination. We should also remember that in that tedious journey, uncertainty is certain. There is no better way to cope with this anxiety than to have everything surrendered to the Upper Hand (if you are a believer). In this surrender, one should remember that God will always be with them and that God will always provide, because He knows what is best for us.
Matthew 6:31-32 "31 Therefore take no thought, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘Wherewith shall we be clothed?’ 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek.) For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things."
Psalms 32:8 "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest"
With this in mind, one should understand that while anxiety is a human emotion, one should not dwell in it or have any fear in what they do as God will guide them towards what is right, and best. That is as long as one is willing to try.
Generosity in Professionality
To say that servitude in professionality should always be based on sincerity and not on the hopes of compensation, may be somewhat misleading as professional work, unless voluntary, would always require payment. How it should probably be interpreted is that, while it is sensible to expect payment, one should serve with sincerity, or at least honesty.
2 Corinthians 9:7 " Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver."
The verse itself is in the context of giving an offering, but service can be assumed as another form of offering in daily life, can it not? Blessing does not come from giving in itself, or any act of goodness (in Christianity, at least), but this generous attitude in giving or serving, counterintuitively, helps one focus on the joys of others more than their pay - in a sense helping oneself achieve a similar feeling of joy.
Optimism Towards Creativity
Professionality requires obedience towards a set of rules and protocols, but there are times where creativity is required to solve certain problems. Not all good ideas come in a whim, and that is normal, and understandable. It is after all an amalgamation of thoughts that require a strong consciousness and enough time to come into fruition.
While this consciousness may or may not require a strong will, hard thinking, and various inputs to bear shape or form, one should also hold a sense of optimism in what they do. No greater creativity comes from anything but the joy of life. One should however keep in mind to stay grounded by reality, that is our surroundings, including that which consists of our peers and friends whom we can seek through various ways.
Closing Words
The forging of a student into a strong-willed and high-quality character is should not be done only through academic or non-academic training in college, but also the student's own will to improve.
Amabile, T. and Kramer, S. (2011). The progress principle : using small wins to ignite joy, engagement, and creativity at work. Boston, Mass: Harvard Business Press.
Fairchild, M. (2021). Verse of the Day: God Loves a Cheerful Giver - 2 Corinthians 9:7. [online] Learn Religions. Available at: https://www.learnreligions.com/a-cheeful-giver-verse-day-156-701663.
Suryawati, N. (2013). Nilai-Nilai Luhur Pancasila Dalam Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia. Prosiding Lokakarya Empat Pilar Kehidupan Berbangsa & Bernegara: Kajian Sistem Ketatanegaraan Indonesia, [online] pp.200–205. Available at: http://repositori.ukdc.ac.id/193/1/Nilai-nilai%20Luhur%20Pancasila.pdf.
The Bible: King James Version. (2025). Available at: https://www.biblegateway.com.