My Autobiography

 

In my recent task on biology english education in my program, we were asked to write an autobiography. I also realized, it might not be a bad idea to share my autobiography for those of you who are interested in learning a bit more about my learning experiences. So….let’s get to know me

My name is Novika Eriahta Sitepu, I was born on November 30, 2001 in Jakarta. Fun fact, I got my name from my big cousin’s wife. “Novika” came from November and they just added “ika” because “ita” is too common in here, “Eriahta” means “our joy/our happiness” that came from “Meriahta” in Karo language, and “Sitepu” is family name. I grew up in a small town near the border between Depok, Bekasi and Bogor (or you can just simply call it Cibubur). I live with my parents and my three older brothers. All of my brothers have a fairly large age gap with me. Having older siblings sometimes makes me feel lonely, because they are more busy with their own lives. Sadly my mom passed away when I was 6, right before I entered kindergarten.

I started school when I was six years old. I went to kindergarten for a year and then I attended public elementary school in my city, I went to SDN Jatisampurna IX Bekasi. First month of elementary I can’t even focus to study because I am a shy person, and I always have to check outside for my dad or my siblings or whoever that take me to school that day because I never felt safe with a lot of people around me. But as time went by, I was starting to fit in. From grade 3 through 6 I always got into top 3, I also go into paskibra (pasukan pengibar bendera pusaka (flag raising)) and traditional dance art. I was always interested in crafts, and I always got the best grades when it came to crafts. I was always a good girl at school, but when I entered the 5^th grade I started came home late because I was playing to place that far away from school.

At the age of 13, I continued my education at SMPN 43 Bekasi, which at first did not have a school building and joined in another school building. after one year my school has its own school building with a better standard. When I was in junior high school I often had free hours and didn't have any activities, but after moving to the new building, all hours of subjects became more active. We also have more activities and practices. I remember that my favorite subject in junior high school was English, that's because the English teacher at that time was very diligent and gave material in a way that was easy to understand. One time, my school also held an LDKS (Basic Student Leadership Training) where we would participate in activities such as seminars and physical exercises. I took part in LDKS 2 times, the first time it was held in a villa on the top of a mountain for 2 days, and the second time it was held in Mount Salak for 1 day. I have also been a scout president, even though scout activities only run at the beginning of the year. for 2 years in junior high school I always got the first position, only in the first year I was in the second position. Just because I was always in the first position during middle school, it doesn't mean I can get into my dream high school, because at the time of registration, there was a new system in effect, namely the "zonation system". finally I had to go to private school.

I entered SMA Bina Bangsa Mandiri. this is my first time going to a private school and in a different city even though it is only 5.5 kilometers from home. When I was in high school, I majored in science with a test score that was not too high. in my high school there is a rule where before entering and before going home we must attend a ceremony, EVERY DAY. I am also still wondering why this was made a mandatory activity, because that time should have been used for other activities. during high school I really liked everything related to creativity, almost all the crafts in class were crafts that I made. I also still like English. even though I was in science class, I didn't like chemistry and physics at all, because at that time the teacher who taught did not suit my way of learning, even with all my friends in class, no one liked these subjects. When I was in high school, I also took part in an Indonesian debate competition but did not win yet. But during the trial final exam, I got the lowest score for the Indonesian exam, it was very embarrassing. but at least I can still get the first position for the last 2 years and get a scholarship from the school. unfortunately, my class did not have the chance to experience graduation celebrations because the world was in a pandemic at that time, not even final school exams were held.

Finally I continued my education at the Indonesian Christian University because I did not pass the SNMPTN selection. Initially I really wanted to take English literature as my study program if I got to a state university, but because I wasn't confident with the first choice, I finally decided to take biology education as my current study program. As the name implies "biology" I learned a lot about everything related to living things and the surrounding environment, of course coupled with educational lessons. As I said, when I graduated the world was in a pandemic. This continued until I was in the fourth semester, all learning activities to practice could only be done at home with simple equipment. Even though there are no face-to-face classes, in my opinion, all lessons can still be carried out well and efficiently, it even makes it easier for me because I don't have to go to campus.

During lectures, I really enjoyed lessons that involved outdoor activities such as plant morphology lessons, even though the assignments were very tiring but the lesson activities were very fun. when entering the fifth semester, face-to-face lectures began to be held, and in my opinion online classes were more effective and easier. i mean, i don't have to spend time going to campus and going home. lectures can also be recorded and presentations are also easier to do, you don't have to prepare a projector for presentations.

I'm currently in semester 6 and I'm taking the "Kampus Mengajar" program so I don't take lectures on campus, I only take 2 classes this semester. I hope that I can share and implement the knowledge that I have gained during these five semesters in the school where I teach.

So far I am happy with all the lessons in my study program, and I understand more and more about my natural surroundings. I am excited to explore the unknown and uncover the mysteries of biology. I am eager to learn more about the natural world and understand how it works. I am passionate about understanding the world around me and I am sure that this experience will help me reach my goals and make a difference.