by: Emma Fleming
Rifqi Achmad, a student here at Parkland College, is a computer science major. Achmad plans to transfer to the University of Illinois to continue his education in computer science after his time at Parkland. “I want to work as a software engineer or a programmer for one of the big companies such as Google or Oracle, one day,” Achmad told the Prospectus.
The computer science major is also an international student, hailing from Indonesia which is a country in Southeast Asia. Specifically, he is from Jakarta, which is the current capital of the island country. “Indonesia is a nice place to live in. It’s a very warm place and the people of Indonesia are some of the friendliest and welcoming people you’ll ever meet,” Achmad said.
As an international student, becoming familiar with American culture was not always easy. “The only thing I struggled with was speaking English regularly,” Achmad said. “Because I grew up in a country where English is not normally spoken, it took me some time to adjust to speaking a completely different language than the one I was used to.” Interestingly enough, Achmad learned a lot about the American culture by watching American films while he was living in Indonesia.
While he did not have a terribly difficult time navigating American life, there were some discernable differences between Indonesia and the U.S. that he noticed upon arrival. “Indonesia is very different compared to the United States,” Achmad said. “First of all, the difference in cost of living is huge. Living in Indonesia is much cheaper than living in the United States. A simple example would be the cost of a full meal and drink. In Indonesia, it would cost around one to two dollars which is much cheaper than in the U.S.” Another difference that he noticed was in interpersonal communication. Achmad said that, “Everyone here is very friendly and very open to talk to others, even if it’s a complete stranger.”
Achmad told the Prospectus that he chose to study at Parkland for financial purposes, as many students do. “I moved to Champaign when I was 16 years old and I attended high school here, mainly to be able to attend college with in-district tuition,” he said. “Going to Parkland was my best option because it was the closest college I could go to from where I was living in Champaign. Also, going to Parkland and then transferring to a university was a much cheaper option than attending a university right after high school.”
Upon being asked about his experience at Parkland, Achmad had a generally positive response. “I’ve met such amazing people here at Parkland and every moment I spend with my friends are the moments that I love the most,” he said. He also mentioned that meeting new people from different cultures on Parkland’s diverse campus has been a wonderful experience.
“Explore every inch of your campus, take every opportunity you are offered to improve yourself and your studies, and treat school like it’s a job, because building a sold work ethic is a key to success.”
Not only does he enjoy spending time with his friends, but he also is involved on campus. Achmad is involved in several different clubs and organizations. “Over the past year I’ve spent here at Parkland, I’ve joined a number of clubs such as the Astronomy Club, German Club, Sustainability Club, International Students Association, and I am now the Fellowship Chair of Parkland’s Alpha Phi Omega chapter,” Achmad said.
Achmad is quite involved on campus, but he also has interests outside Parkland. “Music has been a huge part of my life,” he said. “I enjoy playing music and writing my own songs during my free time.” He has been playing the piano since he was six and the guitar since he was eight. He also enjoys playing soccer and surfing in his free time.
The parkland student wanted to leave students with a final piece of advice. Achmad told the Prospectus that, as a student, you should, “Explore every inch of your campus, take every opportunity you are offered to improve yourself and your studies, make friends, and treat school like it’s a job, because building a sold work ethic is a key to success.”
