Catching Up

I just realized that the last time I posted on this blog was 2 years ago. I was waiting for the miracle for my postgraduate study funding which was ended with I didn't get that scholarship. In 2016, I faced two options which were study or work. In the mid-year of 2016, after I got Letter of Acceptance for my study, surprisingly there was a job vacancy from PLN. It's really weird because PLN, a government-owned utility company, has a business in power generation, transmission, and distribution line and that's not a common industry for mining and petroleum engineering graduates. It turned out that PLN already entered the upstream business of energy sector, especially primary energy. So, I applied for energy management trainee position while trying my fortune for another scholarship opportunity (which also failed not so long after I signed the contract in PLN). On August 2016, after six phases of the recruitment process, I accepted as an employee. So I decided to take the job and pending my plan to continue my postgraduate study. It took 6 months from I signed the contract until I got the employment letter by Jan 1st, 2017.

In PLN, I work as an analyst for coal contract in coal division. It was a shifting moment for me to work in managerial works instead of an engineering works. It also means that I have to adjust my plan for the future, especially for my postgraduates study.

Chasing dreams

as human, we can only make a plan. The rest depend on Allah..

***

6 weeks and couple of days after my submission to TU Delft, I got the official Letter of Acceptance as the student of Geo-engineering Programme, Master of Applied Earth Sciences 2016/17. Alhamdulillah wa syukurillah, dengan segala kepanikan dan ketertekanan gw selama nyiapin, daftar dan menanti kabar, salah satu hal penting untuk rencana S2 gw udah didapat. But, jalan ini tidak mulus ternyata..

Jadi ceritanya di seleksi substansial LPDP, mulai tahun ini, calon awardee tujuan luar negeri akan menjalani proses seleksi full english. Jadi, gw mendapat jatah LGD, Essay on the spot, dan Interview full english. Gw ga terlalu ngerti poin yang paling kurang saat seleksi substansial ini dimana, yang jelas nilai gw masih dibawah passing grade LPDP untuk keilmuan teknik. Sedih? pastinya. To be honest, beberapa hari setelah pengumuman LPDP gw agak stress karena itu berarti gw belum bisa bernafas lega sampai beberapa bulan ke depan. 

Tidak ingin membuang waktu untuk bersedih, gw melanjutkan perjuangan mengejar mimpi ini dengan mendaftar beasiswa dari pemerintah Belanda, yaitu StuNed. Dari beberapa sumber mengatakan bahwa dulunya, sebelum LPDP digulirkan oleh pemerintah Indonesia, StuNed merupakan primadona para mahasiswa Indonesia yang melanjutkan studi di Belanda. Namun hadirnya LPDP mampu mengalihkan sedikit banyak calon mahasiswa karena ya... LPDP katanya ngasih bulanan yang lebih banyak. Berbekal harapan untuk melanjutkan studi, info-info dari teman-teman seperjuangan, blog walking, dan pencarian info lainnya, gw akhirnya mendaftarkan aplikasi beasiswa gw ke TU Delft ke Neso Nuffic untuk beasiswa StuNed. Dari timeline StuNed-nya, hasil akan diumumkan pada akhir Mei atau awal Juni dimana itu adalah sekitar 1 bulan sebelum batas konfirmasi gw ke TU Delft yang deadlinenya di 1 Juli.

Harapan besar gw kepada StuNed akan menentukan apakah 5 September nanti gw akan berkuliah di TU Delft apa nggak. Yaa, like what I said before, manusia cuma bisa berencana. Allah maha penentu dan sebaik-baik perencana. Gw tetap berdoa untuk mendapatkan beasiswa ini, tapi juga bersiap untuk kemungkinan menunda rencana ini.

*mungkin di postingan berikutnya gw akan cerita lebih detail tentang pendaftaran gw ke Delft, LPDP, dan StuNed.

Kelas Inspirasi Bandung #4

Sehari Mengajar, Seumur Hidup Menginspirasi

Volunteers K20 - Kelas Inspirasi Bandung 4

On February 24^th 2016, Hari Inspirasi was held by Kelas Inspirasi Bandung for the fourth time. I joined as a volunteer for photography in this agenda with others 21 volunteers who taking part as Inspirators, photographers, and videographers in Group 20. Group 20 had a duty to conduct Hari Inspirasi at SDN Babakan Priangan 3&5 which is located at Jl Sriwijaya, Ciseureuh, Regol, Bandung 40255.

The preparation was started on February 14^th 2016 but I didn't come to the briefing day. At that day, I supposed to meet others volunteers, acquainted each other and made some plan. So, technically I just join group meeting (three times) and group survey (once) to the school.

At the day, the activity was started with routine gymnastic by the students and following by introducing from us, Group 20 Kelas Inspirasi Bandung 4. Kang Cecep as group leader introduced Hari Inspirasi in general and then each Inspirator introduced them self one by one. After the simple ceremonial and took a photograph, each Inspirator started to come into the class one by one. As the photographer, I had to take the picture of students, inspirators, school condition, and any moment at that day. I saw the chaos in several classes and realise that teaching elementary school is so damn hard. 

Joining this activity make me realise that even in a big city like Bandung, the education quality is still not prevalent. Moreover, one of the teachers said only about 40% students who willing to continue their study to junior high school.

I really hope this activity could give them insight into the future,  encourage them to take next step to reach their dreams.

A group of students that made a papercraft 

Students in geologist class

 These elementary students do love to be photographed

Cute fifth-year students with their snack 

Me and the students taking selfie :p 

Routine gymnastic in the morning. The motion and the music are so Sundanese :D 

The Inspirators

Traditional dance 

Groufie of Group 20 Kelas Inspirator Bandung 4

kelasinspirasibandung.org

Goa Dalem, heritage sites of Kesultanan Cirebon in ITP limestone mining area

Currently, in the middle of the period for my postgraduate study enrolment, I join a geotechnical investigation for a karst hill in Palimanan. The area is Kesultanan Cirebon's heritage site. So, ITP, a cement producer who has the permit for the area, cannot mine the hill for its limestone. Yet, since last year, there is an indication that the structure is moving. It is shown by the fact that a grave located near the hill becomes closer to the hill. So, this project is to prove the movement, and if there is a movement, whether it is from the hill or the ground around the grave.

Is general, this work is divided into several parts which are surveying, geotechnical (structure mapping), geophysics (modelling), and vibration monitoring. Due to my experience in blasting monitoring, I got responsibilities to do vibration monitoring with one of my junior in mining department taking his final assignment this year. But, I also able to learn other kinds of work because in this project we also apply a "knowledge sharing" method.

Firstly, I learnt about GPR. GPR (Ground-Penetrating Radar) is a geophysics method to detect the subsurface structures. It is using electromagnetics wave that able to differentiate each layer of soils or rocks. Actually, I never do this test before. When I was studying mining engineering, I just learn how to make a geological model based on borehole data. And l was lucky to know this method because I found in the master programme syllabus that I applied, GPR is used in geotechnical engineering to detect the cracks or other structures in the subsurface. Although I haven't known how to process the data yet, I think it's a good thing to learn this method directly from the experts on the field.

GPR uses high-frequency (usually polarized) radio waves, usually in the range 10 MHz to 1 GHz. A GPR transmitter emits electromagnetic energy into the ground. When the energy encounters a buried object or a boundary between materials having different permittivities, it may be reflected or refracted or scattered back to the surface. A receiving antenna can then record the variations in the return signal. The principles involved are similar to seismology, except GPR methods implement electromagnetic energy rather than acoustic energy, and energy may be reflected at boundaries where subsurface electrical properties change rather than subsurface mechanical properties as is the case with seismic energy. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground-penetrating_radar).

Secondly, I tried the structures mapping. I have learnt this in college. But, to be honest, it was my first experience trying this mapping directly in the field. The method named scanline. Things that needed to do in the scanline is spanning a line (with scale) that crossing the structures both minor and major. Then, each structure needs to be identified. The identification includes the dip and dip direction, filling materials, opening, water conditions, and the weathering.

Besides these new things, like what I said before, I also do vibration monitoring using Minimate. It's really funny how I knew this device at first and until now I have got many experiences from this device; becoming the assistant for Explosives and Blasting Techniques, Person in charge for Blasting Vibration Analysis competition, Jury for the same competition, team for blasting monitoring, and the latest, in this project for vibration monitoring. The best things from this monitoring are you just need a few minutes to do the work, and sometimes you can watch the blasting activity!

There is another situation that gets me a flashback to my former project in South Sumatera. It is about liquefaction. Most of the fresh graduates mining engineer who choose geotechnical as their specialisation will not familiar with this term. Liquefaction is more studied by the civil engineer because liquefaction happens in soil layer. As far as I know (from the former project and youtube video :p), this condition happens in saturated soil that makes the soil lost its strength in response to applied stress. So, this case might have a condition where the saturated soil with a "makam keramat" on the surface gets stress from blasting or heavy vehicle vibration in a long period and so the liquefaction happens. But, I don't know for sure...

Say Hi, 2016

So, In this new blog, I would like trying to share my stories start from 2016..

A year from my graduation on October 2014, I decided to take my plan seriously. I want to continue my study this year taking MSc programme at TU Delft, The Netherlands. So, in the early of 2016, I wrote several resolutions for this year.

Resolution #1, taking IELTS test. 

On January 9, 2016, I took IELTS test for the first time. Preparing since November 2015, I succeeded to reach my goal of IELTS test. Actually, I planned to take the test in the early of 2015, but for some reasons, I postponed the plan.

Thing that I regret from my earlier plan was focus in searching job experience, then preparing my study plan. It felt like I wasted several months waiting for my job application. So, in 2015, I was asked by 2 different companies, one for apprenticeship and  other for field engineer position. But, unfortunately, the employer canceled the offer and yeah, I wasted my time waiting for them. So, I decided to focus on my preparation for enrol to MSc Programme and Scholarships.

Resolution #2, Enrolment for Master Programme.

My long searching of my future study ended at MSc Programme at TU Delft. I enrol for Master of Applied Earth Sciences with the track on Geo-Engineering. I decided to enrol on this programme because it is a joint programme between Applied Earth Sciences with Civil Engineering. I think, the programme will allow me to take my future career in both mining and civil industries. And also, I involved in several projects related geotechnical engineering that make me curious to deepen my knowledge in this specialisation. After received my IELTS' result, I sent my application to TU Delft. I got an email about the application have been approved. Then, I need to wait approximately 6 weeks from the day it was approved for the decision whether I got the Letter of Acceptance or not.

Resolution #3, Enrolment for Scholarships.

In February 2015, I applied for Australian Awards Scholarship. It needed almost a year for the result. And in December 2015, I did not make it. So, I decided to apply for LPDP scholarship in January 2016. I passed the administration stage. It means I have to prepare myself for substantial selection on 10-12 January 2016. There will be 3 kinds of test; an essay on the spot, leaderless group discussion, and interview. Wish me luck! :)