Jakarta International College

Articles

Dear JIC Family,

We are excited to inform you about the sports activities facilitated for students at JIC. Our aim is to continuously nurture their potential and help them achieve remarkable feats in the field of sports. This is made possible through the JIC Sports Committee, a platform that brings together students who share a passion for sports. The JIC Sports Committee encompasses various sports branches, many of which participated in the JIC Cup Eternals 2023 held earlier in August. The sports featured in the event included basketball, football, badminton, and table tennis.

Within each of these sports, a dedicated leader takes charge, assisting JIC in organizing weekly training sessions and coordinating matches with other schools. Without further ado, let us introduce you to the heads of the JIC Sports Committee:

Cyril Benedict Lie: Leader of the JIC Sports Committee
Nathaniel Iskandar: Leader of JIC Basketball
Welsens Christiano Handoko: Leader of JIC Soccer
Hagen Yovando: Leader of JIC Table Tennis
Muhammad Naufal Ikhsan: Leader of JIC Badminton

We are alo thrilled to share a recent exciting achievement – Welsens Handoko successfully led his team to victory in the JIC Cup against Bunda Mulia School on August 11, 2023.

With this accomplishment in mind, we want to extend an invitation: are any of you interested in taking up the role of chairman for these sports branches in the upcoming term?

Best regards,

JIC TEAM

Details: JIC; Articles; 28 August 2023

Today's Meet the Alumni has Yosua Tji, JIC alumni, a Marketer, and an Entrepreneur.

Yosua took JIC's Australian Degree Program, in the Diploma of Business (Part 1 & 2), before transferring to Monash University Australia, majoring in Banking and Finance, minoring in Management.

Why choose Banking and Finance?

In JIC, most of Yosua's friends aim to take Banking and Finance as a major; hence he decided to take the same major. However, after transferring to Monash University Australia, he discovered that taking Management as a minor was an option.

He then explained that generally, in the Banking and Finance major, he learned how banks operate, money movement, etc. In addition, influenced by his family business background in property, he also learned the banking system in delivering loans, mortgages, etc. Yosua also mentioned that an essential part of running a business is knowing how to manage it, hence his decision to take Management as a minor.

What is the difference between work and college?

According to Yosua, the college focuses more on learning the basics and different theories. On the other hand, work is more practical, but 'learning' doesn't stop in college, as some aspects of running a business are not available in textbooks. "My father used to say that 'Work' is great. Because it's like 'Studying,' but you get paid," he said.

What valuable lessons did you obtain from studying abroad? And what activities do you recommend for future students?

Yosua also shared that studying abroad offers excellent valuable learning experiences on being independent. Here are some of them:

Living as a student in Australia, there is no housekeeper to help with chores. So he starts to manage all independently.
Managing your spending, as studying abroad pushes you to be more responsible for using your own money.
Observing and understanding different cultures and ways of living. Understanding trends and analyzing the possibility of bringing them back to Indonesia.

Yosua recommended joining communities such as churches, especially for future study-abroad students. Joining such communities allows you to create new relations and friendships that will make you feel more comfortable living in a foreign country. This is because not all of your friends will live near your place, which may trigger feelings of loneliness. Yosua also mentioned that joining organizations such as PPIA (Persatuan Pelajar Indonesia Australia) will help you build your network while increasing your experience in managing and being a part of an organization.

Furthermore, working part-time in a fast-food chain is also an excellent option for Indonesian students studying in Australia. As the student visa allows working part-time, it is a perfect opportunity to gain experience and have additional pocket money/income. From his experience part-timing in McDonald's Australia, he learned how having a good standard is excellent for any business. For instance, he was taught how to maintain the quality and time of production of foods ordered in his case. He added that even the training was dumb-proof and easily understandable for anyone within 30-60 minutes as it has clear standards.

What he did after graduating from college.

After graduating from Monash University, Yosua started working in his family's business, primarily in marketing and event. Such as in some malls his family owned (BTC Fashion Mall, Jatinangor Town Square, and Solo Paragon Mall). After a while, simultaneously, Yosua manages several of his own business. Here are a few:

Youre.at: are apartment units rented for AirBnB that Yosua managed. These are original units from his family-owned Hotel & Apartment business. The covid-19 pandemic hits the hotel industry quite hard, resulting in hotel units being turned back into apartment units. Despite the pandemic situation, the company is doing well. Yosua and his wife decided to redecorate several apartment units into the Youre.at concept to adjust to the rising AirBnB trend.
Black bird: Like Youre.at, apartment units are up for rent through Airbnb with a slightly different concept. It focuses on long-term rentals (monthly and yearly).
Bakjer Arena: A sports complex located in Bandung. Initially, it was a tennis field and an empty land bought by his parents to build a new house. However, the plan was cancelled, and the Tennis field business wasn't as effective. Since then, Bakjer Arena has generated more than five times more income than the tennis field. Yosua took the opportunity to develop his family's land into a Futsal and basketball field that he manages by himself, as he sees its potential near a university student area. Taking his part-time experience in McDonald's Australia into account, he is currently adjusting the SOP (standard operating procedure) to be as simple as possible to allow standardized business operations.
Naura Family Spa: A Day spa located in BTC Mall Bandung. His parents initially founded the business to boost traffic in one of their family-owned malls. However, at that time, Management wasn't practical. Hence, Yosua took over and managed it by himself by incorporating digital media into the marketing operations, and it has been doing better.

Continuing the Family Business

He told us that he started working in his family business to learn. Working at his family's company provides its challenges and learning experience for Yosua. Mainly at the start, he joins meetings and listens. Then he started filling the position of head of marketing that was coincidentally vacant.

"My parents always say that if I have ideas, do them. However, you still need approval from all the directors," he added. That, in itself, is the challenge. Trying to convince all of the directors is not easy to have a unanimous vote. Each director may have different views, and age group difference also contributes to the challenge. Yosua believes that we need to adapt, be agile and flexible, and make quick decisions in this era.

Furthermore, especially in this covid-19 pandemic, there is a lot more pressure as income is affected. However, Yosua believes this, too, shall pass, and we should take it to step by step. He shared that he has felt sad facing a 'low point', but then he picked himself up again the next day. Yosua mentioned that people at the 'low point' tend to beat themselves down. He suggested that we should embrace it and get over it.

Opportunities and Challenges in being an entrepreneur.

Yosua shared that his previous experiences allow him to see opportunities through observations. In building and managing his businesses, traveling and observing interactions will enable him to understand how a company could prosper and how it grows. In addition, his experience working in malls is a privilege as malls are the center for fashion and other businesses, allowing him to see where the trend is currently heading.

For Yosua, one of the biggest challenges in developing a business is the start. Overthinking, planning, and looking for many suggestions could hinder us from starting. He said it is better to take the first step and observe what works and what's not. If you see a good result, you can proceed to step 2. In Yosua's case, one of his other challenges is managing his family business while simultaneously starting his own business. "The start is always the most hectic. We should determine the SOP and then train our staff. When it has run smoothly, we need to check and review it. Standard is important," he said.

Leading a business during the pandemic

The ongoing pandemic has brought new challenges for businesses worldwide, and Yosua's no exception. Here are a few tips that he shared:

You have to have an entrepreneurial mentality.
Start with what you have or what your family has. Don't overthink.

Advice for students or future graduates

Yosua has some advice for students and future graduates: who are facing a 'low point':

A wasted opportunity is an opportunity you never take.
You'll regret something you never make/take.
Just do it. Take the first step.

Especially in running a business, there is a lot to take care of. According to Yosua, it is better to work first to gain experience and practice before starting your own business. For instance, work in a fashion-related company if you want to open a fashion business. Practice what you've learned on the weekend. It's better than directly starting the business and struggling.

Details: JIC; Articles; 14 October 2022

Monday, May 1^st 2023, was the graduation day at our university partner, Western Michigan University. We are happy to tell you that some of our JIC alums have also successfully graduated on that day.

The students who graduated on Sunday also graduated with brilliant achievements, such as achieving Summa Cum Laude and as part of reputable student organizations in Michigan. Their success will forever be a pride of our campus, and we are always grateful to see them thriving and achieving success at a young age.

Two of our talent ambassadors, Beby Tsabina and Yoriko Angeline, also graduated Summa Cum Laude on Sunday, an achievement we can always be proud of. Beby Tsabina and Yoriko Angeline first joined JIC in 2020. They took the JIC’s 3+1 program, where they studied for 3 academic years (24 months) in Jakarta and 1 year at Western Michigan University. This program allows them to stay longer in Jakarta to build their career and graduate faster, an option that suits students with outstanding talents and achievements outside the academic field.

The journey to graduation was not easy as they had to work on their school projects and assignments and work on their projects outside of school. Even during their time in the USA, Beby and Yoriko always found opportunities to learn and expand their experience, making the most of their time in college. The dedication and discipline she showed in reaching their dream never fail to amaze us. They showed us focus and determination that taught us that it is possible to fulfil your dream while pursuing education at the same time, and we believe that they will become the perfect role model for young people of their age.

We would like to congratulate Beby Tsabina and Yoriko Angeline as well as all the graduates and the parents who have relentlessly supported them in their pursuit of education. We believe this is the beginning of your success journey, and the best is yet to come. Best of luck in your future endeavour, and see you again at JIC soon.

Details: JIC; Articles; 05 May 2023

Congratulations! You have successfully made your pathway to one of the top leading universities in the world. Even better, your dream of living abroad has finally become reality! However, this creates one problem. Have a guest? Bills!

For many, college is when we start to live and take care of ourselves, and in practice, it is not an easy task. The bill for one time grocery expense adds up so quickly by filling the needs into the cart. Your favorite foods at the restaurant look overpriced. The professor told the class to get a pricey textbook. Many of us end up checking bank savings on the phone every single day feeling anxious. If you are one of them, don’t worry, you are not alone, and this is why we are here to share some of the tips for you to save money as an international student without blowing up your bank savings.

New textbooks are not necessary
Every college student needs a textbook for lectures, but buying a completely new book is not necessary, and in fact, it is highly overpriced for college students like us. Instead of getting the shiny new textbook, why not get a used textbook online for half or even more of the price online! Is there any other way to get a textbook cheaply? Ask your seniors who already completed the semester.
Cook your own foods
Yes, it was quite normal and fun to go out with families and friends to have lunch or dinner in the restaurants. However, doing the same activities abroad can be challenging because if you open up the menu, for sure that many will say “doesn’t make sense” with the price tagged, but since it is how it is in the area that you are staying, why not learn to cook your own meal! Oh, and in fact, it is a healthier choice for you to plan and cook your own meal!
Bring your ID card everywhere
Being an international or college student doesn’t always mean that you pay the same amount of bills. Many places such as cafe’s, clothing stores, fitness centers, and public transportation offer special prices for students and all you have to do is show your student ID card and register yourself as a student in some cases. It’s not a hard reminder, so don’t forget to bring it with you wherever you go!
Be mindful about your data usage
What do you do in your spare time, commuting and any other time when you don’t really have things to do? If your answer is scrolling through phones or calling friends and families, be alert with the data usage on your carrier because it will charge you a lot! The best way to manage your carrier bills is by setting your carrier to a subscription service where you get a decent amount of data for you to entertain with lower fees!
Use the campus amenities
Many campuses provide most amenities that you need, such as fitness centers, soccer fields, swimming pools and many more! It also provides special care for college students who need advice or additional support such as improving grades or even boosting it, essay writing strategies and many more! So, why spend your own money on services offered for free!