Finding Ilmu

I think that is a “Ilmu” look like

Few days ago, I was given a task to find 100 professors in 100 universities in Japan. Kak Ali, as my mentor said that “You must sent emails to at least 100 professors in 100 universities in Japan to get a letter of acceptance (LoA). After that, you could pray maybe one of those emails would be replied. You can’t sent email to some professors in one university, because they like make gossip when drunk.”

In the first time, I felt like it is not a difficult task.

I just thought that you have to open 100 official website of the university, find the department, and find the professors plus their email. I only thought simple thing. I started to do my task at 10 am. I spent for about 5 hours in the library and I realized that in that time I only got less than 15 professors. The first deadline was that day at 00.00. I started think that it was a difficult task. I had to stop my work at 15.30 because I had to give a private lessons and I started again my work at 18.30. That time I thought that it’s impossible to get 100 professor until the deadline, so I thought 50 professor would be good for me.

I started to work. I was very focused and concentrate to find at least 50 professor. I spent a night in the library. The air began cooler in the late night, I didn’t wear a jacket and I felt chilled, but the number of professor that I found was still small. I thought to give up and sent my work to my mentor, but again….the number was still small. I thought that if I started my work in the earlier time the number will bigger. So, I started to work again until 10.00 pm. In that time, the campus activity would be stopped. Soon after that, the lamps were switched off and so the Wi-Fi. I had no choices except back to home. I wanted to continue my work in my boarding house but I had no internet connection at that time. So, I sent my work to my mentor and only could find 35 professors. Such a poor work.

In fact, Finding 100 professors is not an easily matter. If you open the official website of universities, you can find many type of website in there. If you are lucky, you can find professors and their email in the same website. But many universities give information about their professors in different website, there are sub-websites to department, then sub-websites to the laboratory and you can find professors in there. The worse thing that you can only know the name of professors but you can’t find what is their email. You find everywhere, in the websites, in their publications, but no one can give you information about their contact. It’s really laborious thing.

In the middle of my work, I felt that it is impossible to find 100 professor

I received email from Kak Ali and he kindly gave me one day to finish my work. Poorly, I opened the email in the afternoon. I regretted why I didn’t open the website in the morning, so I could have more time to finish my work. But, the time can’t be replayed. I started to continue my work. I worked until midnight and saw number 70 in my professor’s list. In that time I felt like I had looked for all professors. I had look for all universities. I opened so many websites and there is no information about agriculture or food department again. I thought that were all food science professors in Japan. I thought, why Kak Ali gave me a task to find 100 professor while in reality there are not such number of professor?

I thought it was impossible work. But, I didn’t know why I still wanted to looked again. Back then, I wrote on my BBM Status “When you think it is impossible thing, but you still do it”. The time went quickly and at the 00.00 I had to sent my work. I sent my work to Kak Ali with 72 professors. Although the deadline has been end, I still wanted to complete my work.

In the end, I realized that 100 was a small number

I woke up in the early morning on the 3^rd day. Last night, I told to Kak Ali to complete my work, so I had to complete this day. I began to work and found many way to find professors. I didn’t only open the official website that took more time. I start to write many kinds of keyword in the Google, such as “List of food science professor in Japan” “Agriculture Universities in Japan” and many others keyword. By the different way, I found that there were still so many universities and professors based on food science in Japan. I saw some of the universities for the first time, I never heard before. I opened so many universities. And finally at 21.00 I could write number 100 in my professor’s list. When my work was finished, I realized that 100 was a small number. I realized that there were still so many professors and universities that I didn’t find yet. Japan’s education is really a thing.

Once more, I think that is a “Ilmu” look like

The way I finished my work, I think it is the same with the way we are searching for knowledge.

For the first time, we think that Ilmu is a simple thing. We think that we can get Ilmu if have high score in our exam. Then, we go to a higher level and realize that Ilmu is very difficult to get and we feel like we will give up. But, if we can pass that level we will realize that Ilmu is sooo BIG and very spacious. And that time, we will realize that a human is just small creature. It’s very small when compared with Ilmu. And then, until the end of time we will never be a master of all knowledge.

I don’t say that I have reach a higher level. No. I am still in the lowest level. The task is just a simple example and I believe that we will find such a level in everything that we do before we become success. So, never give up and try to get better every time. 

Be stronger so you can get more.

Thank you.

Rista Fitria Anggraini :)