STUDENT’S PROFILE: FITHROTUL IZZAH (Full Interview)

[Greetings and brief introduction about the Bulletin Board to the interviewee]

IN: Can you please introduce yourself before we get started?

FI: My name is Fithrotul Izzah. I usually go by Fitri. I was born in Pekalongan on January 15th, 2000.

IN: Thank you. Okay, let’s go to the first question. So, back when you were in high school, did you feel hesitant to decide the major for college? If so, what convinced you to choose English major?

FI: I absolutely did. Well, I was actually in the science program back in high school. Yet, I’ve always been fond of English. Even my counseling teacher said that my average English score was the highest at school. And then, just like any other science students, I’d once attempted to choose medical and engineering studies. I was thinking about choosing either the Faculty of Medicine of UI or Engineering Physics in UGM. However, deep inside my heart, I couldn’t lie that I was more interested in learning English above everything. Finally, in the first semester of 12th grade, I convinced myself to choose English and started to look up on the internet which university has the best English major as well as a higher chance for me to get accepted through the SNMPTN batch. Long story short, I decided to pick English Literature of UGM since the percentage of science students who get accepted isn’t less than that of either social science or language students. Also, the reason why I love English is because I took an English course for about four years and back in middle school, I got a perfect score on the English national exam.

IN: Wow, that is extraordinary! It is rather difficult to get into university through SNMPTN batch especially when you take a major that is out of your field. Were you actively joining English clubs? Or any competitions such as debate, storytelling, speech, etc.?

FI: No, not at all. In fact, I’ve only once entered an Islamic debating competition. I know it’s not related to English at all, but that was because I was taking part in Islamic Spiritual extracurricular. To be fair, I used to join the English club, but it wasn’t for a long time because I wasn’t very comfortable with it and didn’t really feel the benefit of it. Instead, it was in middle school when I joined many English-related competitions, even though I never won except for the spelling bee competition once. It is because my school wasn’t that much of a top school so there was not much of preparation.

IN: I can relate to you so much. I barely joined any competition in high school but I was very active in middle school instead. Maybe it’s because the English Club wasn’t very developed back then. Anyway, let’s move on to the next question. For about three years of being an English student, is there anything that has affected you personally? For instance, your way of thinking or seeing something. If so, what is it?

FI: Okay, so I was the kind of a person who you can say as conservative, judgmental, and closed-minded. Maybe being in Islamic Spiritual extracurricular had shaped me into the person that I was. Then, ever since I got into English Department or speaking more generally, the faculty’s diverse environment, and after making friends with many people from other departments and faculties, I began to open my mind with new things I’ve never experienced before. Also in literature class, although I’m not that good in that particular class, I’ve learned to see something not only from the surface because when we analyze a literature work, we must not see the first layer only but also the second layer and so on. I believe it has also affected my way of thinking: critical yet not judgmental.

IN: That’s true! Alright, next question. So this whole time, many people have been asking “what can you do with an English major?” and how would you respond to such a question?”

FI: Educational background is indeed important for your future job. However, I don’t believe it’s the one and only factor. I think it’s just as important for us to explore and develop ourselves in college. That way, we’ll know what we’re going to do after graduating. Maybe my opinion is not valid because I haven’t worked yet and I only based it on people’s experiences around me. For instance, if a friend of mine takes part in the public relations division in events, it isn’t impossible for them to get a job in that particular field. As for me, because I am keen on teaching and feel comfortable with the academic environment, I want to be a lecturer. I think we, as English major students, already have the “English skills” privilege which nowadays is needed. Now, it’s up to us how we want to develop it based on our own passions.

IN: Okay, last question. Is there anything you want to say to other English major students, especially the freshmen?

FI: To English Department ’20, enjoy the ups and downs and see you at grammar tutorial class hehe.

IN: Alright, thank you so much Mbak Fitri for making the time for this interview.

The interview was conducted by Rizna Himmatu D. via WhatsApp message and rewritten by Farah Nadira L. D.