14 Tips to Survive Challenging College Environments

Photo Credit: flickr[dot]com/photos/smemon/

Moving out of your parents’ house and going to university somewhere far away where you can have a fresh start is the most idealized dream of every senior in high school. It was mine, at least.

I couldn’t believe myself when I got my acceptance letter from one of the top universities miles and miles away from home, away from my comfort zone. I couldn’t wait to finally be independent, to have no obligation to answer the interrogating questions of my parents: where are you? When are you coming home? What did you spend your money on? I was ready to move on, to start a new life, meet new friends, control my own budget and be accountable to no one but myself. But I was wrong. Yes, I will no longer be held accountable by my parents but I was still going to be held accountable by Allah . I also found out that there was a huge responsibility waiting for me.

This experience challenged me on both spiritual and social levels.

The Spiritual/Emotional Challenges

On a spiritual/emotional level, I remember the first time I was homesick and made countless phone calls to my mom and friends from high school who tried to make me feel comfortable. I remember spending many sleepless nights thinking and thinking about ways to adapt to my new life, but nothing soothed me. It wasn’t until one day when I came back to my dorm room that I realized that I do not need help from dunya but from something outside of this world. I needed strength and persistence to be extended to me from a transcending source of power. I needed help and guidance from Allah . I needed Him  to comfort me when I was in doubt or scared. I needed Him  to guide me. I needed Him  to keep my feet stable on the right path.

When I decided to ask no one for help but Allah , The Tremendous (Al-Mutakabir), The Supreme One (Al-Mutaal), The Creator of All Power (Al-Muqtad), The Possessor of All Strength (Al-Qawiy), I decided to do several things. I decided to do things that were not only proactive but also steps that became my religious threshold.

The Social Challenges

On a social level, I found that I had a bigger responsibility; I had to represent Islam in every step I take, every decision I make and every word I say. That’s because people did not just look at me as an individual who can make mistakes. Rather, they were mostly looking at me as a representative of Islam. Problems occur when opinions and personal statements get mixed up with facts about Islam, thus forming misconceptions.

Through experience, I learned how to effectively communicate whether what I do or say was a matter of personal opinion or a religious stance.

In this article, we will discuss a few tips on how to grow closer to Allah  during such complex periods. We will also discuss some social situations and address how we can attempt to handle them, In sha Allah.

First, let us discuss how to strengthen oneself spiritually.

Tips for Spiritual Growth

1. Wake up for fajr and pray on time

Our religion is a proactive one. We cannot simply wish to stay on the right path and ask Allah  for guidance without doing any work. We cannot argue or ask our professors to give us an “A” when we do not do our assignments or go to class on time and have a high absence rate. Allah  has a higher priority and we cannot be slacking in our duties and then ask for His blessings. Regardless of the deadlines, temptations or anything that occupies your time, take a few minutes to stand before your Lord and preform all your prayers on time always, and make sure you learn how to wake up for fajr.

2. Read Qur’an regularly

Make reading the Qur’an part of your daily routine. Read at least one page a day. Reading Qur’an is not only rewarding in the afterlife, but is rewarding in worldly life as well. It gives you the sense of reassurance you need. You will always find a soothing ayah or story of one of our beloved prophets that you can relate to, which will make you feel at ease. This is not something that I learned through experience only, but also something that Allah  stated over 1400 years ago in the Noble Qur’an:

“Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured” [Qur’an: Chapter 13, Verse 28].

3. Read your morning and evening adhkar

Make reading the morning and evening adhkar a part of your daily routine. This protects you from the harm you can do to yourself (when following your desires that will make you go astray), from people who intend to do you harm and from the shaytan. Morning remembrance will also soothe you and make you feel at ease when you start your day, knowing that Allah  has control over everything. When you know that Allah  has direct control over the tiniest details in your daily life, you become assured that whatever happens to you is nothing other than Allah’s  perfect plan in action.

4. Make dua

The power of making dua is inexplicable. No matter what worldly issue you face, you can always make dua and be sure that Allah  is hearing you. With a proper level of certainty, faith, and trust in Allah  when you make the dua, you can be sure that your worldly problem will be solved, In sha Allah. Talk to Allah . Tell Him what is hurting you, tell Him  what is scaring you, tell Him  what is making you angry or furious and ask Him  for guidance. Ask Him  to solve whichever issue is making you unable to sleep at night. Ask Him  to protect you from things you are not certain of. Ask Him  to guide you towards what is best for you. Be sure He  will answer. Be sure He  is listening. Be sure He  is taking care of you.

5. Make it a goal to wake up for tahajjud

There is nothing greater than feeling that the Lord you worship is close to you.

Abu Huraira  reported Allah’s Messenger  as saying: “Our Lord,  the Blessed and the Exalted, descends every night to the lowest heaven when one-third of the latter part of the night is left, and says: Who supplicates Me so that I may answer him? Who asks Me so that I may give to him? Who asks Me forgiveness so that I may forgive him?” [Sahih Muslim]

What more do we want? What more does a worshipper want from his Lord? What more does a believer want? If you have a problem, go talk to your Lord. When you have an exam, ask your Lord to make things easy for you. If you committed a sin, go ask your Lord for forgiveness and mercy. When you miss Him and feel you are far away from being on the right track, go tell Him  that you want Him. Tell Him you want to be closer to Him and that you want to feel at ease and reassured when remembering Him. Tell Him to protect you from your fears, from people who may harm you, from yourself and from these worldly temptations that are pulling your soul down and preventing it from elevating and connecting to the transcendent power, i.e. Him .

6. Sense Allah’s ma’iya (closeness) in every step you take

Being in Allah’s  ma’iya means being under His protection, blessing and mercy. It means you sense His protection in every step you take. It means you think about Allah  and what will make Him pleased with you before taking any action. It means you feel that He is with you everywhere, in every step, in every word you say. It is watching yourself and what you do or say. It is not to do or say anything that will not please Him . It is you enjoying the company of Allah. It is you wanting to be close to Him, a position that makes you feel at ease and fills you with joy. It is only when you get to this point, that you will fight to not move away.

Tips for Social Intelligence

Now, here are some reminders to help you deal with common social situations that could be perplexing.

7. Carry yourself patiently and wisely to combat media-fed misconceptions

When walking down the aisles of the supermarket, on the subway, in class or even in your dormitory, you may notice somebody somewhere staring at you…as if watching a suspect. The problem such people have is that they do it out of ignorance, not proper understanding or an informed opinion about Islam.

Media today has become many people’s primary source of information. Many people have limited access to proper resources and they rely entirely on media to learn about different people and events around the globe. This becomes dangerous and creates misconceptions when people only have the subjective media lens to understand the world around them.

I personally had an encounter with a saleswoman in one of the department stores. She asked me a series of questions starting from where I came from, whether that place was next to Afghanistan or Iraq, whether they abuse women back home, whether we drive or ride camels and whether we are civilized or barbaric.

She was shocked to know that I speak the way she does, share the same interests and joke around just like she does. I remember her literally telling me:

“I don’t know anything about the Middle East. We didn’t learn much about it in school. All I know is what I see on TV”.

This lady was rather nice and actually wanted to learn more. My friends on the other hand, have had more aggressive encounters, which -again- turned out to be the result of nothing other than the misconceptions they get from the media.

When faced with these situations, don’t lose your patience and try to put on your best attitude. Put on a smile (this is the sunnah of our Prophet ) and show them that you are not different from them. Show them that you share similar interests and concerns (if possible, in class discussions). Remember that no matter what distorted image media represents about Islam, YOU are the living, walking example of Islam. It is within you to either reinforce stereotypes or refute them and show the real manners of our noble Prophet . Remember that it is through the way we carry ourselves and how we interact with people that we can warmly invite people to Islam and let them see the incredible beauty within it.

8. Refrain from arguing with those who don’t wish to learn

You will find a lot of them. They will keep asking you controversial questions, doubt your beliefs and try to question your faith. Before talking to anyone about anything related to Islam, make sure you do your homework: read and ask those who know better. Ask our scholars about the best way to answer questions and concerns of non-Muslims.

Remember that not every battle is worth fighting. From the way the conversation is carried, you can easily tell what the speaker’s true intention is. You can easily identify whether he/she really wants to learn or just waste your time. When you find yourself in the latter situation, remember the words of Allah :

“And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace” [Qur’an: Chapter 25, Verse 63]

Remember that our beloved Prophet  went through hardships like the ones we go through today. Spreading the words of Allah  and Islam was not an easy journey for him  and neither will it be for us. Remember that Allah  said:

“We have certainly created man into hardship” [Qur’an: Chapter 90, Verse 4].

How else shall we prove to Him  that we deserve a certain level of jannah and that we strive to be in Al-Firdaws? It is through such hardships that we learn and grow, wipe our sins and reach higher levels of jannah, In sha Allah.

9. Do not compromise your religious values to fit in

There is definitely no problem in hanging out and grabbing lunch or coffee with your friends who do not share similar beliefs as you, as long as you do not get involved in acts that are against your teachings and values.1

Enjoy spending quality time with your friends; go for a jog, play basket, tennis, soccer or even swim together. Your friends will learn by time that you don’t drink, eat pork or get involved in certain activities they might be doing. You will find many non-Muslims who share similar values and cherish them. Not clubbing or drinking won’t make you a loser; on the contrary, people will respect you even more for cherishing your values and upholding them.

I remember when all the girls on my floor in the dorms asked me to go clubbing with them and I politely rejected their invitation. When they insisted on knowing why, I told them that my religion forbids me from being in a place where every act done is impure or unlawful. Then they were puzzled: they asked me why I wasn’t going yet another Muslim girl was. They wondered if that meant our religion was contradictory. I had to explain that our Islamic principles are constant and whether Muslims decide to follow them or not is a matter of choice.

10. Highlight the difference between Islamic teachings and your personal opinion/behavior

There is a huge difference between Islam and Muslims. We know this well, but we need to communicate it to people. Islamic principles are constant and they do not change or fluctuate whether you as a Muslim decide to follow them or not.3 Muslims who follow Islamic rules and regulations poorly do not affect the principles in any way. Just like any other religion, there are believers who decide to abide by the religious principles or breach them. Poor practices do not represent Islam in any way; make sure to communicate that effectively.

11. Answer repeated questions calmly and with a smile

No matter how many times you have been asked why you don’t eat pork, go clubbing, drink or why are you veiled, make sure to answer calmly and with a smile. There is nothing that touches people’s hearts like a genuine act of kindness, a smile or lenient words. No matter how bad your day was or how tired you are, make sure to smile to your fellow brothers and sisters. Smiling in itself is a sadaqah (an act of charity) [Jami` at-Tirmidhi]. The Almighty  rewards you when you smile despite your tiredness or boredom from hearing the same questions regarding your religion over and over, yet keep an open mind and heart to help people and clear their concerns.

How do you think people in the times of jahiliyya (pre-Islamic era) converted to Islam? Allah  says to our beloved prophet:

“So by mercy from Allah, [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah . Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him].” [Qur’an: Chapter 3, Verse 159]

The power of words is incredible. Even when you are to give advice to your Muslim brother or sister, it is always recommended that you use lenient words that are not harsh or strict or else you will drive people away and this is not how the ummah is to be united.

I remember the very first time I was asked what this thing I had on my head covering my hair was and why I wore it. I also remember how happy I was to spread the message of this religion and the words of Allah  by answering those questions.

12. When your tongue fails you, remember that God defends you

There will be times when you will have no clue how to respond to unjust accusations or baseless claims. You will experience anger and frustration hours after the discussion is over and think, “why didn’t I say this or why didn’t I tell them that”. What will frustrate you even more is that you will have the perfect argument to refute the accusations but you weren’t able to say it then. This is when you should remember that it happened for a reason and that God will prepare you to have a better argument next time.

“Indeed, Allah defends those who have believed.” [Qur’an: Chapter 22, Verse 38]

He  with His undefeated power can turn the odds to your side or make a person with authority be on your side or any other means of support that you hadn’t thought of. He is always there, He knows what you’re going through.

13. Do not compare yourself to social standards or expectations

Living in the West or outside your comfort zone might not only be challenging but might make you compromise values and morals you have believed in and cherished for as long as you can remember. It can be the small day-to-day interactions with others that make you question your morals, values and beliefs. It can be questions people ask you, like why you don’t shake hands with a member of the opposite gender or why you do not share house chores with your husband/wife or what is a mahram and why you don’t go anywhere without him and so on. Most of us tend to give up on beliefs or values just because people start to bombard us with questions. This becomes annoying after a certain period of time and we no longer want to explain ourselves or our practices.

Do not give up your values because you feel left out or because you feel you need to fit in. Do stand up for what you believe in and for your norms, even if it means you will stand alone. Ask Allah  for strength and perseverance that will help you stand alone if need be.

14. Compare yourself to where you should be in relation to Allah and your religious commitments

As I stated earlier, do not compare yourself to someone else other than the person you wish to be. Do not let your social fears of not fitting in and adapting be the motivating factor behind you going astray. Be your own meter and compare yourself to religious standards and not the man-made standards that change every now and then. Rather, compare yourself and where you are to religious and divine standards. Compare yourself to something that is constant and never changes and you will be at ease. Compare yourself to where you want to be in relation with Allah .

Final words

Remember that as long as your new life gives you opportunities that don’t go against your religious beliefs, then embrace those experiences and enjoy them. I ask Allah  to provide us all with the strength and guidance to stay on the right path; may He protect us from external and internal harm; may we find joy in His company and may He bless and protect every single Muslim who lives miles away from his/her support group and good companions. May He (swt) help you find your way back to the right path and find righteous companions wherever you are.

If you faced similar issues as university students, what other tips worked best for you? What other challenges did you encounter and how did you overcome them?

source : http://productivemuslim.com
Click to read more: http://productivemuslim.com/challenging-college-environments/#ixzz3nN2XEaKh 

Untukmu ~

                                                            Untukmu

Di ujung sudut pena bertinta biru

Kutuliskan sebuah ceritera  tentang kau dan aku

Penuh debu haru biru dan cerita sendu

Dan tawa tangis semu tak palsu

Hai..

Kuingin sedetik saja menyapamu

Tuk sejenak obati rasa rinduku

Meski di sana tak ada jawaban

Setidaknya kau akan dengar

Lihatlah..

Jemariku mulai lelah tuk menggores tinta

Tangan ini sudah terlalu lama mengungkap lubuk hati

Airmatapun nyatanya tak bisa mengering

Namun, apalah daya hatipun tak lagi mampu berteriak

Semoga..

Semoga, semoga, dan hanya semoga

Yang sanggup mengantar selembar harapan dan lantunan doaku

Agar sampai padamu

Duhai sahabat terbaikku

~WNA~

Aku menganggapnya tak biasa !

Pandanganku tertuju pada jam digital handphone yang menunjukkan pukul 23.02 WIB. Suasana malam ini masih diramaikan oleh suara tadarusan orang-orang di beberapa mushola di kampungku. Malam ini adalah bulan Ramadhan yang ke 16. Bulan purnama terlihat lebih anggun daripada bulan-bulan sebelumnya, mungkin ia ikut mempercantik lautan bintang di sekitarnya. Sepintas aku teringat hari kemarin dan beberapa jam yang lalu di hari ini. Ada apa  gerangan?

Rumahku sudah sepi, orang-orang sudah terlelap dalam mimpi masing-masing. Di sampingku, adik perempuanku juga sudah berselimut dan tertidur lelap. Sembari duduk manis di atas kasur empuk dengan ranjang yang sudah agak keropos, kucoba menulis sebuah note kecil di laptop kesayangan. Aku berinisiatif untuk menuangkan beberapa hal menarik yang telah terjadi beberapa hari belakangan. Beberapa menit kemudian, akupun mulai mencoba mengingat satu –persatu bagian yang menurutku berkesan.

Hal pertama^^

Aku dan ayah pergi mencari lokasi Bank Sinarmas, lebih tepatnya ATM Sinarmas. Bank Sinarmas yang biasa aku datangi dulu, entah sejak kapan berpindah tempat. Keluargaku pun juga baru sadar kalau bangunan yang dulu menjadi lokasi bank Sinarmas telah dibongkar. Akupun masih belum tahu lokasinya yang baru, maka kuputuskan untuk mencari alamatnya di internet. Siapa tahu disitu tertera alamat dan nomor telepon kantornya. Alhasil, iya aku berhasil mendapatkan alamat dan nomor teleponnya. Segera, aku dan Ayah pergi menghampiri alamat tersebut. Karena belum tahu persis lokasinya, sambil melambatkan kecepatan jarum speedometer, Ayah menyuruhku memperhatikan kanan-kiri jalan untuk mencari bank Sinarmas. Beberapa menit kami menyusuri jalan raya, dan tak satupun tanda-tanda menemukan bank itu. Sejenak kami beristirahat di bawah pohon rindang dan mencoba menghubungi nomor telepon bank Sinarmas. Tapi nyatanya, nomor tersebut tidak bisa dihubungi. Ada nomor telepon yang bisa dihubungi, namun kantornya berada jauh di kota. Yasudah, kami putuskan untuk berbalik arah dan menyusuri jalan yang sama tadi sambil mengamati tepi jalan, kalau-kalau mungkin kami kelewatan jalan. Di tengah perjalanan, Ayah menyuruhku untuk memberikan uang ke petugas kotak amal pinggir jalan. Berharap pertolongan Allah menghampiri kami. Beberapa menit kemudian aku teringat sesuatu. Ku suruh Ayah mengeluarkan ATM ku, di situ tertera “ATM bersama”. Astaghfirullah, mengapa tidak dari tadi aku lihat ATM ku, tahu begitu aku dan Ayah tidak perlu jauh-jauh mencari bank Sinarmas di tempat jauh, karena meskipun ATM beda bank, bisa diambil di ATM bank lain yang tidak sejenis. Kuucapkan syukurku kepada Allah yang telah membantuku dan Ayah menemukan jalan keluar atas kebingungan kami. Ingatlah bahwa pertolongan Allah akan selalu ada di saat hambanya kesulitan.

Hal kedua ^^

Ada hal yang cukup menarik bagiku di hari itu. Aku, adik, dan Ibu pergi ke pasar membeli kebutuhan tertentu. Pasar yang letaknya 15 menit dari rumahku itu, cukup ramai di bulan puasa ini. Maklumlah, banyak orang berbondong-bondong memborong baju lebaran, makanan, dan perlengkapan hari raya yang lainnya. Setelah berputar-putar berkeliling pasar, tak terasa peluh pun berjatuhan. Rasa dahaga juga mulai menyerang kami. Astaghfirullah, kami sedang puasa. Setelah mendapatkan apa yang kami butuhkan, bergegas kami menuju tempat parkir motor. Suasana siang itu panas dan penuh debu pasar beterbangan. Kamipun ingin segera pulang dan beristirahat di rumah. Sampai di rumah, ibuku menyadari sesuatu.”sadarkah kalian kalau kita tadi membeli 3 barang yang berbeda, di toko yang berbeda, dan harganya 65 ribu semua?”, tanya Ibu padaku dan adikku. Ya Allah, apakah ini hanya kebetulan belaka ataukah ada maksud tersirat di dalamnya? Wallahu A’lam. Mungkin bagi kalian tidak begitu aneh, tapi bagiku ini benar-benar aneh karena kisah orang yang melatarbelakangi cerita tersebut belum tentu kalian pahami.

Hal ketiga ^^

Kisah tentang keanehanku beberapa hari belakangan ini. Seringnya aku melihat jam digital di handphoneku menunjukkan angka yang sama. Ya, kalian biasa mengenalnya sebagai jam kembar. Misalnya 13.13, 10.10,dll. Sudah terhitung kira-kira 4 hari belakangan ini. Entah itu karena kebetulan atau apa tapi yang pasti aku sudah mulai tidak percaya yang namanya kebetulan. Hari ini saja, aku sudah menjumpai  empat kali jam kembar. Tiga diantaranya berturut-turut yakni jam 21.21, 22.22, 23.23. selain jam kembar, aku juga menemui jam dengan angka penunjuk jam dan menit yang berkebalikan, misalnya 21.12. inipun tidak hanya terjadi sekali, tapi beberapa kali. Kurasa hal ini unik. Namun, untung saja tidak ada jam 24.24, kalau ada memang kalian mau rotasi bumi menjadi 25 jam? Entahlah, ini sudah ada yang mengatur, Raja bumi dan langit. Semoga saja ini adalah pertanda yang baik di bulan Ramadhan yang suci ini.

Dina's Note (again)

Hai hai jumpa lagi sobat menulisku…

Yo’opo kabare, kumaha damang ? bung, neng, kang, mas, mbak, le, nduk, mbul, men, mble…

Maaf yaa,, kalau aku pakai panggilan ini.. yaah ini adalah beberapa panggilan keakraban kawan dekat, yang aku harap bisa dimengerti hihihi J

Semoga semua selalu diberi kesehatan sama Allah , aamiin..

Hari ini aku mau nglanjutin nulis nih, mau baca nggak? Hehe.. mau kakak.. :D àmau nggak mau aku akan tetap nulis kok, hihi ._.  oke cuss curcol aja ya men..

Di bulan Juni ini sepertinya banyak asam manis garam nya ya, eh apaan malah jadi kayak es campur.. warna warni gitu rasanya. Tapi hari yang paling melelahkan akhir-akhir ini mbul, hari yang diterpa banyak praktikum kimia menjelang liburan akhir semester. Holaa capek banget bung, tapi seru juga loh, apalagi saat kejar-kejaran waktu sampai rasanya pegel-pegel semua ini kaki. 2 hari harus bangun lebih awal dan pulang malam. Eehhh pas hari pertama malah bangun kesiangan, soalnya malem-malem habis bikin jurnal praktikum buat besok sampai jam 1. Helaaah mble-mble, dasar anak rajin. Padahal modul praktikum sudah dikasih 3 hari sebelum hari H keberangkatan ke ITB Bandung, malah dikerjain H-1, super sekali orang-orang ini. Wkwkwk :D..kebiasaan buruk yang sering mengulur-ulur waktu. Eh, jangan dibiasain, nanti malah nyesel lho. Hari kedua praktikum à hari ini lebih banyak nunggunya. Dari pagi sebelum keberangkatan aja sudah nunggu lama, sampe-sampe ada temen yang ketinggalan *eh, kasian tau ditinggal, supir busnya juga malah bikin sebel, kenapa dia yang ngatur-ngatur.. kan jadi kasihan kalau begini. Sampai di ITB, jadi molor juga paktikumnya, mepet sholat Jum’at juga L. Eh, tapi nggak terlalu cape kok, soalnya praktikumnya banyak nunggunya.. iya ? ya,, nunggu oven, duduk, ngoven, duduk, nimbang, duduk. Hihihi :3 . Anak pulp dan kertas kan strong-strong mas.. mbak..

Dua hari berlalu dengan praktikum kimia di laboratorium kimia dasar ITB. Nah, besoknya aku harus berangkat pagi lagi buat acara rihlah Gammus. Tau nggak rihlah itu apa? Berhubung aku lagi baik hati, Sini deh aku kasih tau. Rihlah itu acara untuk melatih kita mensyukuri alam, menyadari bahwa Allah telah menciptakan alam ini dengan tidak main-main. Acara ini cukup melelahkan juga sebenarnya, karena rombongan harus mendaki jalanan yang curam selama kurang lebih setengah jam. Tapi, rasa lelah, capek, lesu dan lapar seketika hilang pas kami sampai di tujuan. Yaaa, aku melihat ciptaan Allah yang luar biasa indahnya. “Curug Cigeuntis” itu namanya. Lokasi di Karawang, satu jam lebih perjalanan dari kota Deltamas. Air terjun yang luar biasa, airnya yang dingin mengajakku untuk cepat-cepat merendam kaki dan mencuci muka. Brrrrr mak nyess dinginnya neng, hehehe :D. Perjalanan nggak sia-sia kok, di bagian air terjun yang bawah kulihat pelangi yang indah. Subhanallah.. jadi betah foto-foto deh. Wkwkwk, ckckck, hihihi :D, Ya nggak mbul.. iyalaah :v . Rasanya, nggak pengen pulang tau.. tapi sayangnya aku nggak sempet mandi, padahal pengen banget mandi di situ L . Alhamdulillah perjalanan yang melelahkan.. :D :D

3 hari berturut-turut yang membuatku lelah dan bahagia. Cieee.. :D .Besoknya adalah hari minggu.. yeay free men.. Alhamdulillah seharian bisa santai, dan sejenak melupakan rasa lelah di otot. Haha :D. Dan nggak habis-habisnya aku balsemin kaki dan pundakku, biar nggak pegel-pegel mbul. Oke deh lanjutin. Dan di hari minggu ini aku sempetin ngeblog malem-malem, ngapain? Aaahh lagi mood pengen nulis aja, nggak masalah kan mas-mase.. mbak-mbake,, hihi :D. Berhubung blognya belum selesai di hari minggu, aku lanjutin hari seninnya. Yaaa bangun tidur pagi-pagi udah ngeblog aja.. wkwkwk.. ketimbang aku   nganggur sempetin aja nulis, toh ada manfaatnya juga. Eeeh, hari ini bukan hari yang free lho, nanti ada acara rapat besar himpunan IMPAS (Ikatan Mahasiswa Pulp dan Kertas). Yolooo siap berpartisipasi lagi ke himpunan tercintaa.. :D. Yaaa, hari-hari yang cukup melelahkan lagi. Iyadeh, karena jam 10 hari ini aku harus berangkat untuk acara rabes, ngeblognya sekian dulu yaa.. jangan bosan-bosan mantengi tulisanku, yaah tulisan kecil-kecilan buat mencurahkan isi hati pemimpi kecil. See you mbak e, mas e, akang, eneng, mbul, mble. Daa :*. Semoga Allah masih mempertemukan kita di tulisan selanjutnya..

Little note in June

Halo Juni.. tepat tanggal 10 Juni 2015.. Ngga terasa yaa udah mau semester 3 aja. Hampir setahun di sini,di Kota Deltamas Bekasi yang banyak orang mungkin mengganggapnya sebagai “kota aneh”. Kenapa gitu? Coba datang aja ke sini deh. Sengaja biar kalian tau sendiri.. hehehe :D. Bagaimana kabar blog ini.. ah rasanya sudah lama aku ga nulis (cuma beberapa bulan doang). Sekalinya buka blog banyak sarang laba-labanya. Hiii.. disapu dulu atuh neng (apa sih). Jadi pengen ngeblog soalnya lagi termotivasi dari kakak tingkat yang udah mau skripsi taun depan. Weee makasih loh kak. Eh.. ngga terasa loh sebentar lagi udah jadi kakak tingkat bagi adek kelas. Iya loh, semoga nanti ketemu adek-adek tingkat yang ganteng-ganteng dan cantik-cantik.. hahaha.. J. Ngga nyangka umur 17 aku habiskan di masa kuliah.. masa dimana aku sedikit mulai tahu dan mengerti tentang arti memahami. Iya, memahami tentang banyak perbedaan apapun lah. Dan kelihatannya, di umur yang lumayan ini aku ngerasain betapa indahnya perbedaan, karena ini  pertama kalinya aku hidup di rantau. Mengenal perbedaan suku, uniknya bahasa daerah, dan masih banyak lagi. Perbedaan yang unik itu, tetap kita satukan dengan canda dan tawa bahagia kawan. Senang bisa bertemu dengan kalian keluarga IMPASian ku ! :* . Cinta banget deh sama kalian. Dan juga ngga kalah seru dan gokilnya para keluarga ELGIC (kak Akbar, kak Cikal, kak Ijay, kak Danny, kang Obay, POO, Dara, Sulis, Irpan, kak hentay.. *ups maksud ane kak Ridwan) yang ngga habis-habisnya bikin kegokilan yang aneh-aneh.. Ajibb mamen !! joss deh pake banget :* . Mereka yang selalu bikin ngakak ngga jelas malem-malem di grup line ELGIC. Grup yang kadang isinya spam-spam aneh bin gaje, kadang bully-bully an.. tapi unik. Haha :D. Orang-orang ini juga yang sempat memberiku motivasi, teladan, dan pencerahan.  Give big-big thanks to kalian semua.. yang ngga pernah buat hidup aku sepi, jadi ada warnanya deh. Juga sama kakak-kakak yang ngga ada habis-habisnya selalu bantu kami (baca: pithecanthropus greenleafinensis 33), mengajari kami tugas-tugas yang kami ngga ngerti, kakak-kakak cluster nice yang ngasih gratisan ngeprint disaat kami lagi butuh ngeprint banyak dan takutnya kalau ngeprint di luar kena mahal. Hehehe .. makasih loh kak udah jadi kakak-kakak yang baik :D wkwkwk.. Eh, ada yang ketinggalan, terimakasih buat kalian yang sudah mengajariku jadi stalker hihihi.. asik juga ternyata (buat bercandaan doang kok, ga ada maksud menyinggung hati :D). Maaf deh, kalau terkadang membuat kalian jengkel dan sebel, tapi sumpah itu hanya buat guyonan semata.. (ane jujur kok mbul, mble, dll). Sorry buat kak Cikal, kak Danny yang sering aku kirimin foto mereka yang unik, hihihi :D, habis ngga bisa nahan ketawa ngakak kalo liat foto-foto mereka, wkwkwk. Ya keles dandan kaya ibu-ibu pengajian, jubahnya pake mukena, hijabnya pake almamater kuliah.. :v . Aduh nak, mereka orang-orang logic sekali ! :v. Wehee, sebenernya banyak sekali yang ingin ku tulis, tapi berhubung aku keburu ngerjain jurnal buat praktikum kimia di ITB besok, jadi sambung lain kali ya sobat.. wuiih jadi anak ITB sekarang :D.. Apaan, Cuma numpang praktikum doang kok, hehehe maklum-maklum (ah, gausah disebutkan :v) . Daa.. dadaaa.. see you again.. pengen banget nulis lagi, sumvah ! :D .Semoga bulan Juni ini membawa berkah buat kita semua, Aaamiin :*.

Aku ya Aku

AKU YA AKU. Kau tak bisa memaksaku menjadi seperti dia, seperti dia, dan banyak dia-dia yang lain. Aku, ya aku. Dengan keadaanku dan sifatku yang menurutmu janggal, aneh, dan serba membingungkan. Meskipun seperti ini, aku sudah bangga. Menjadi aku yang benar-benar memang aku yang sesungguhnya. Tanpa campur tangan seseorang pun, tidakpun seorang engkau yang mampu mengatur-ngatur hidupku, memaksaku untuk bertingkah seperti ini ataupun itu. Ingat ya, duniaku mungkin tidak akan sama dengan duniamu. Saat ini aku mungkin kalah. Di sisi lain, mungkin di duniamu aku telah menjadi pemenang. Ya, pemenang ! pemenang yang telah memenangkan pertandingan kesabaran. Dan yang harus kau ketahui aku tidak akan mundur, melawan kamu, yang mungkin seringkali meremehkan aku di belakang. Intinya, jangan paksa aku menjadi dia ataupun orang lain yang menurutmu lebih baik perangainya. Aku biarkan tetap aku. Karena aku akan tetap pada kepribadianku.

*Sebuah coretan, mungkin isi hati, mungkin hanya sebatas goresan tinta yang tak bermakna oleh sang Dina

Coretan kecil

Untuk yang aku rindukan…

Siang ini, mentari bersembunyi dan membiarkan si mendung yang menang. Begitupun rasanya seperti hatiku yang kian dikalahkan oleh rasa rindu padamu. Tapi mau bagaimana lagi, jarak dan waktu menghalangi. Sebenarnya, aku tidak mau seperti ini terus, kamu tau? aku rindu. Entahlah, apa aku sanggup bertahan dengan ini semua? Tapi aku kan coba memendam dalam-dalam rindu yang semakin tidak wajar ini. Apa kamu merasakan hal yang sama? Entahlah, aku bukan seseorang yang pandai menebak. Biar angin di sore ini yang mampu mengirim surat rinduku padamu. Aku berharap kau bisa membacanya segera agar secepatnya kau juga paham. Seandainya sanggup , akan kucoba memutar balik sang waktu, dan kusuruh dia memberi kesempatan untuk kita lebih lama bercakap-cakap lagi. Aku rindu, iya rindu. Aku harap kamu juga paham itu. Namun, mampukah dengan segenap rasa, aku tetap bisa menjaganya? semoga saja. Dan kau tau?sekali lagi AKU RINDU.

Sekedar Menyapa

Haii kawan lama.. sudah berapa lama ya aku tidak menyapa kalian semua. Berharap kabar baik selalu ada pada kalian. Amiin...Apa cerita kalian yang paling mengesankan hari ini? pasti semua punya cerita. Haa.. meskipun kalian sedih atau bahagia, mudah-mudahan itulah rencana terbaik yang Allah beri pada kalian hari ini. Bagaimanakah jalan ceritanya? lancarkah?  gagalkah? baikkah? burukkah? Semua itu ada "skenario"-Nya sendiri yang telah ditetapkan. Tidak usah terlalu pesimis  jika tidak sesuai dengan harapanmu. Dan pastinyaa... akan ada masa dimana kegagalanmu saat ini akan tergantikan dengan kebahagiaan yang tiada tara. Trust me, Believe it !. Syukurlah jika ceritamu hari ini membuatmu sangat bahagia. Jangan lupa.. Give Thanks to Allah and say Alhamdulillah. Keberhasilan maupun kegagalan saat ini jangan sampai membuatmu terlena. Aku tahu di dalam diri kalian masing-masing pasti terdapat ketegaran jiwa. Manfaatkan itu, karena itulah yang akan membuatmu tetap kuat setegar karang di lautan. Boleh sih punya rasa kecewa, tapi hilangkanlah secepat mungkin. karena jika tidak, hal itu akan membuatmu semakin terpuruk. Bahkan, kalian bisa menangis kok, jika bisa sedikit menenangkan jiwa. Kejadian hari ini, biarkan menjadi hari ini. Besok sudah lain lagi ceritanya. Aku tidak mau kalian ketinggalan cerita besok, kalau kalian tidak mau bangkit dari keterpurukan hari ini. Let's move up friends !! :D

My English Essay

The important of bleaching process in pulp making process

As we know that everybody  all over the world needs paper for their daily life. Paper is used in every part of human’s life such as for writing, packaging materials, tissues, printing, and many more. The raw material for making paper is wood. Then, woods are processed to be pulp. After that, pulp is processed in paper machine to form it become a paper. Do you know about the pulp making process? There are five main stages in pulp making process. They are debarking, cooking, washing, screening, and bleaching. This five stages are very important to do,  so that we can produce the good quality of pulp. Bleaching is one of the important stage in pulping process. Bleaching is the process that  removing all of the lignin that still remains after cooking process, as the lignin contains the chromophoric groups which make the pulp dark . Although bleaching is important process, it’s using is optional. Why? Here is the reason. Pulp produced by the Kraft process is brown.  This presents no problem for certain uses, for example sack paper, most corrugated boxes, some bag paper, and etc.  However, a major proportion of the Kraft pulp that is made is used for white or colored papers such as writing and printing papers, so the pulp needs to be bleached.

Strictly speaking, bleaching and cooking are both delignification processes, and modern developments have tended to blur the difference between the two processes.  However, traditionally the name 'bleaching' is reserved for delignification that is taking place downstream of the cooking process.  In practice, there are two separate "bleaching" process steps: oxygen delignification and final bleaching.  Oxygen delignification removes about half of the lignin remaining after the cooking process, while the final bleaching removes all remaining lignin.

The first step in bleaching process is oxygen delignification. In oxygen delignification, washed pulp is treated with a highly alkaline solution of sodium hydroxide.  The high pH ionizes phenolic groups in the lignin, which are then attacked by molecular oxygen.  The aromatic part of the lignin is partly destroyed and it is then depolymerized to lower molecular weight compounds.  These are more soluble in water and can be removed from the fibers.  It is important that the pulp has been at least partly washed beforehand because the black liquor solids in unwashed pulp consume oxygen.  After the oxygen delignification stage, the pulp has to be washed very well.

The final bleaching is always carried out in several stages to improve the efficiency of the chemicals used, and to decrease the strength loss of the pulp.  There are quite a number of bleaching chemicals used commercially, and many more have been tried in the laboratory. The chemicals used are:  chlorine, chlorine dioxide, sodium hypochlorite, oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, and  ozone. Of these chemicals, the first three contain chlorine atoms, while the last three use non-chlorine oxidizing compounds.  Elemental chlorine is efficient in bleaching the pulp and does not degrade the pulp strength.  However, it produces a large amount of chlorinated organic compounds in the effluent.

Essentially, the objective of bleaching are to remove lignin, maintain cellulose chain length, and brighten the fibers. First is remove lignin. It means that the lignin that have brown color must be throwed away, so it will make the color of paper brighter, not as dark as before. Bleaching agents are said to be “selective“ if they readily remove lignin without substantially attacking the cellulose. Beside that, the existence of lignin can make a degradation to the paper, so it will influence the strength of paper. Second is to maintain cellulose chain length , it means that the pulp will have more strength and can stabilize the bonding between the cellulose molecule. The third is to brighten the fibers. In this case, we can choose whether we will use once or more than one bleaching to get the brightness that suitable with the paper product that will be produced.

Three aspects are important for monitoring the various steps in the bleaching process. They are kappa number, viscosity, and brightness. The first is kappa number. Kappa is a number that measures the amount of lignin remaining in a pulp sample. Beside kappa number, there is viscosity that indicates the cellulose chain length. And the last is brightness that monitors how well color bodies are being removed from the pulp.

From the explanation above, we can conclude that  the using of bleaching process is actually optional. But, the paper which is have been bleached have better quality and stronger than the paper which is not have been bleached before. So, we can choose whether will using bleaching process once, more than one, or not at all. It depends on the final product that will be produced.