The perks of participating at the RAWC
Anthony Hertadi discusses the differences between studying in Indonesia and Canada, as well as how he found his current community.
On January 28, The Medium interviewed Anthony Hertadi, a first-year commerce student here at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM). Hertadi hopes to join the finance stream while also majoring in economics.
Hertadi’s parents are Indonesian, but Hertadi was born in North America. After living between the United States and Vancouver for three years, he moved to Indonesia.
In his high school, named Kolese Kanisius, Hertadi experienced the developing side of Indonesia when he taught underprivileged students in the tough sub-district of Papanggo. This was one of the proudest experiences of his life. “I feel like if you contribute to someone’s success, especially someone who really values you being there, it makes you happy,” he says.
At Kolese Kanisius, Hertadi struggled to find time to simultaneously participate in sports and do well in his studies. So he left his basketball club in grade nine to set a good record for future university applications. When Hertadi graduated high school, he ended up at UTM.
When, we asked him about the differences between living in Indonesia and living in Canada, Hertadi commented on the level of development. While Indonesia is advancing, it is still a developing country, which makes it distinct from Canada.
Regarding academic differences, Herdati pointed out the varying teaching styles. This can represent a cultural difference between North America and Asia in general, but Herdati notes some distinctions: “Here in North America when they teach you, they want you to understand why. In Indonesia they want to bash you with books and tell you to memorize without understanding anything, but your range of understanding becomes wider naturally.”
The success of teaching styles is subjective and Herdati thinks that it depends on the course. For example, courses like Math are studied better in Indonesia while courses like Economics are studied better in Canada.
We asked Herdati about his experiences with the Recreation, Athletic & Wellness Centre (RAWC) and he mentioned his participation in intramural badminton. While he initially felt out of place, he also got to meet a group of friends.
Being a part of the sports community here at UTM does not mean you need to have years of experience. In Herdati’s case, he had explored tennis. While the Varsity team might not be his goal, there are still clubs like the UTM Tennis Club which welcomes new members every year.
Outside of academics, Herdati joins UTM virtual town halls to voice his concerns about issues such as the return to campus. Additionally, in the short time he has spent here, he has been able to create a network of friends, some of whom have come together to introduce a start-up company named Osiris Farms.
Transitioning to a new environment can be overwhelming at times. You may be unsure about committing to new things, but the change can turn out to be exactly what you need. We hope that Herdati, along with other students here at our university, gain the confidence to join new clubs and try new experiences here at UTM!
Athletics Correspondent (Volume 48) — Robert is completing a Bachelor of Commerce, specializing in accounting. He has served as a staff writer for two years. Upon completing first year Robert was unsure of which programs were available to him and what to commit his time into. Curious, he took writing courses and began writing short stories on his free time which led him to The Medium. He loves the competition that sports brings and spends his time watching or playing Basketball, Tennis, or Soccer.