MID-Semester: Why Thesis Should be An Option for Students? This The Reasons!

 

"Thesis (Skripsi)", a word that is familiar for students in Indonesia, especially for final students. This word is sensitive enough for some student who are working on it even who haven't done it. It is not taboo anymore if a thesis has been used as a graduation requirement for students. In July 2015, the Government planned to remove the thesis as a requirement for graduation for the undergraduate level in an effort to prevent cases of fake diplomas that were increasingly occurring. The government policy regarding the elimination of this thesis is actually not a new plan in the world of education in Indonesia. Many people who provide thesis writing services that sell fake theses and diplomas was the strongest argument that led this policy being issued. In addition, many students feel burdened by the existence of a thesis, so that many students have delayed their graduation because they have not completed their thesis.  However, it is necessary to know that the thesis is actually important. Thus, universities can measure the quality of their students based on the thesis they make. Therefore, the thesis should not have to be obliged or even deleted. It would be better to implement a policy of making the thesis an option for a final project for students. There are two reasons that underlie why a thesis should be an option for student as their final project.

The first reason is not all students are oriented, have interests, and are also talented in research. So, if the thesis is a compulsory graduation requirement for undergraduate students, that’s why this could be one of the reasons for the emergence of fraud in thesis making. The acquisition of student insights while studying on campus cannot be measured only by a thesis. The determination of the thesis as a compulsory subject in the final semester needs to be slightly changed because the development of the student mindset is increasing in line with the times. Students' knowledge which is now more extensive and advanced, so it is not sufficient only to be measured by a thesis.

In addition, the study in the thesis are usually more theoretical rather than practical. Students learn theory then the theory is applied in society and is expected to be able to become a solution to existing problems. However, it cannot be denied that there are students who do not agree with the thesis as one of the requirements for graduation because not a few of them usually prefer practical things rather than theoretical ones. They prefer to explore their ideas to be realized in a form of work that can be seen and beneficial by many people. Sometimes, this is what makes many students compelled to make a thesis just because of the demands of the university, so that the thesis made was not optimal.

        The second reason is still related to the previous reason, namely the thesis is considered a creepy thing for students so that many students die before going to war.  Currently, thesis is seen as a "fortress" that must be passed if you want to graduate from college.  As a result, all the students did to get beyond the fort.  Many students think "the important thing is that I can passed this thesis," and not a few students who take their research topics not according to their interests just because they avoid the supervisor who is considered "killer" so that students cannot deepen the knowledge they are working on,  so the thesis was made not very satisfying.

Many of the students who at the beginning of the lecture have good thinking qualities, but after starting to encounter the thesis making process they become pessimistic students. Problems that are often faced by students when completing theses, such as delayed theses, problems with supervisors, or ongoing revisions, are what can be frightening for students. This is the reason they cannot graduate on time, even many of them cannot graduate and are forced to move to other universities. This also frustrates them so that they don't want to continue their studies anymore. Because of this, it will not only harm students, but also harm the university. The academic quality of the university has also decreased as the number of students graduating has declined. So, currently thesis is only considered as a way to graduate, which is actually a thesis aimed at measuring the quality of students, but now there are not a few students who don't care about the quality of their thesis, they just think the important thing is that the thesis-making process is passed quickly.

Since the beginning, the university should strive to foster positive student attitudes towards research, and make research activities a part of student life, as a continuation of inquiry-based learning and critical thinking. However, it does not mean that students obligate to write a thesis with the processes and systems that have been considered often make student graduation not on time, and make some students do not like doing research. If the government will establish a policy that provides other alternatives to a thesis as a graduation requirement for undergraduate students, I strongly agree.  However, these other alternatives must still support student interests, talents, and orientation, and can support the fulfillment of students' hard skills and soft skills.