The Path That Found Me

A first-year student of International Relations at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Lampung, for the academic year 2026/2027. This is the story of how i ended up here, i entered through SNBP, but the path didn’t start in the final year. Somewhere along the way, i changed direction toward International Relations, a shift that felt uncertain at first.

It was in the 12 grade that things settled, my sociology teacher, Bu Widya, who was also my homeroom teacher, looked at me and said i could do it. She told me i had what it took. Her words stayed. And on the 31st, the screen turned blue. The word “Selamat” appeared, that was the moment everything became real.

On the 11th of August, stepped into the GSG of Universitas Lampung for the first offline orientation, honestly the air still carried the nervous energy of new beginnings, yet the day itself felt unexpectedly kind, there were snacks and cold drinks waiting for us. The committee moved with patience, welcoming rather than commanding, guiding rather than overwhelming, the sessions unfolded with care, speakers who spoke with warmth, stories that lingered, and materials that felt useful instead of merely formal, for a first full day on a campus still so large and unfamiliar, it felt surprisingly gentle.

The following day, the 12th of August, the orientation moved online, i spent those hours in a small café not far from the university, sitting with friends whose faces reflected the same mix of excitement and quiet uncertainty, there was something comforting about sharing the experience side by side, even through a screen, in a place that already felt a little like home.

Then came the 13th and 14th, the faculty and major orientation. It was already my third time walking through the doors of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, and still, a soft disbelief remained, the major i had once only imagine was suddenly the ground beneath my feet, International Relations was no longer a distant hope. It was becoming real, one careful day at a time, what stayed with me most was how light the entire experience felt, there was no unnecessary pressure, no sharp edges meant to test endurance, only a proper introduction to campus life, senior mentors who guided with patience, a welcome that felt sincere, and the simple permission to arrive exactly as we were: new, uncertain, and hopeful, it did not feel like something to survive, it felt like something to step into and for that quiet kindness, i remain deeply grateful, this is only the beginning, but already, it feels like a soft and honest place to start