Students in a changing era: Between degrees, pressure and the future

A university degree is no longer presented as a guarantee of success for Indonesian students. The pressures surrounding campus life now include academic performance, mental health and an uncertain future.

The commentary describes university as a traditional route toward knowledge, relationships and employment. But it argues that students face demands far beyond completing assignments and earning high grades. Rapid technological development, artificial intelligence, economic change and competition for jobs have made preparation for working life more complex.

Students are expected to build organizational experience, communication skills, digital abilities, foreign-language skills, work experience and, in some cases, entrepreneurial capacity. These expectations can arrive at the same time, prompting a central question: are students preparing for the future, or racing to meet standards that keep expanding?

The piece does not dismiss the value of higher education. A bachelor’s degree remains important, and universities still help shape how people think and provide a foundation of knowledge. But the degree must be combined with the ability to solve problems, adapt, cooperate, communicate and use technology wisely.

It gives accounting as an example. Understanding how to prepare financial statements is no longer enough. Students also need to understand how technology and artificial intelligence are changing accounting and how financial information can support decisions. The broader goal, the commentary argues, should be to produce graduates who can address real problems in society, not only answer examination questions.