A Thesis Should Be An Option, Not An Obligation

A thesis is a scientific paper in the form of research results that discusses a problem in a particular field of science.  Writing a thesis is the final assignment of an undergraduate student before ending their study journey.  Thesis writing aims to train students to think critically and creatively, improve their ability to understand, analyze, describe, and explain problems that occur in a field of science that is their major.  There are several stages in the preparation of the thesis, including submitting the title of the thesis, research and thesis guidance, seminar proposals, trials, and revision of the thesis according to input from the examining lecturer.  Many things have been passed by students during their studies.  They have undergone more than 3 years of study, contracted hundreds of credits, and attended dozens of courses.  In my opinion, a thesis should be an option and not an obligation for students.  In other words, it is possible for a student to graduate from S1 education without having to write a thesis.

Thesis writing has become an academic tradition in universities.  For some students, a thesis or thesis seems to be a nightmare they don't want it to happen.  Starting from determining the title of the thesis, submitting the title and receiving several rejections, guidance with lecturers who were difficult to contact, lecturers' instructions that were unclear in writing the thesis, the thesis that had to be rewritten, to the supervisor who blamed his students during the proposal seminar or thesis trial.  However, this was only done by some lecturers.  There are still many lecturers who are dedicated and really help and guide their students in completing the thesis.  There are some students with good academic potential who have to give up and change the title of their thesis and even propose to replace their supervisor.

Currently, one of the interesting phenomena among students is bebas skripsi.  This means that a student does not need to write a thesis to end the study period and graduate from undergraduate education.  This is not just a discourse but has been realized by several universities in Indonesia.  For example, like Jambi University, where I am currently undergoing my undergraduate education.  The Chancellor of Jambi University promised that students are entitled to a free thesis on the condition that they join the Student Creative Program (PKM) and pass up to the national level.  This is an appreciation given by the University for the student's achievements.  Student studies in PKM (the Student Creative Program) are valued as a thesis.

The thesis should be an option and not an obligation for students.  Students can replace the free thesis with activities that are challenging and beneficial for students, universities, and the community.  These activities include society service, resolving community conflicts, and other things that are still related to the study program he has chosen.  This is certainly in line with the new policy of the Ministry of Education and Culture Indonesia, Merdeka Belajar - Kampus Merdeka (MBKM).  Through the concept of the Kampus Merdeka, students are expected to choose whether or not to take the thesis and replace it with internships or additional courses.

So, bebas skripsi is an authority given by an institution or university to students not to make the thesis a requirement for S1 graduation.  Thesis writing for students as the final step to ending their study period should be an option and not an obligation.  Through the concept of the Kampus Merdeka, students are expected to choose whether or not to write a thesis.  Students can change their thesis by doing internship assignments, taking additional courses, community service, and other things that are useful for students related to the study program they have chosen.