Internship at Second Chance, FIB Unpad Students Receive UKT Reduction While Writing Thesis

Second Chance, a secondhand store, is a unique creation made by the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Padjadjaran. This store not only provides an opportunity to sell secondhand goods but also provides financial assistance to students from low-income families.

The Second Chance store began with an appeal from Prof. Aquarini Priyatna, Dean of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, in 2023. The store aims to sell clothes and other items in good condition at low prices through donations of items that are still usable. However, more importantly, this program provides financial benefits for students because it can help reduce their tuition fees. Operational Manager, Bu Ferli, said, “This internship program helps those who have difficulties with UKT or whose scholarships are late, such as those who receive KIP scholarships but the funds have not been disbursed yet.”

Initially, this program was intended to be a business unit, but it was later turned into a charity shop so that the store would not have to meet specific targets and, at the same time, assist students with low financial backgrounds.

Each semester, two students from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences intern at Second Chance. In the previous year, interns came from Indonesian Studies and Japanese Studies. This year, there are students from French Studies and Japanese Studies in the even semester, followed by two students from Indonesian Studies in this odd semester.

Students who are eligible to participate in this internship program are those who are currently writing their thesis and need UKT relief. During their internship, students can work at the store, which is located in the faculty, while working on their thesis.

When Second Chance was held, the faculty held open registration for the internship program. However, recently, in order to specify the program for students from low-income families, the faculty is now accepting interns directly from the head of study programs.

Students interning at Second Chance hold various tasks and responsibilities as store managers. They work as store clerks from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with schedules adjusted to accommodate thesis guidance and work, as well as agreements between the two interns. They also keep various records, such as incoming transactions and items placed for sale. In addition, they manage content on Second Chance’s Instagram account. However, according to Ms. Ferli, the most important thing is for the interns to “keep the Second Chance store tidy so that visitors can come comfortably.”

During their internship, students gain both experience and financial benefits. They receive pocket money for daily needs and a tuition fee reduction of IDR 500,000. Besides the interns, faculty members and other students also benefit because they can donate or drop their items for sale. To date, 20 people have donated items, and 119 have consigned items for sale.

Compared to last year, Bu Ferli said that in the beginning, Second Chance had more donors and sellers, but as the hype began to fade, buyers decreased. She felt that the problem lay in the location of the Second Chance store, which was not strategic. Therefore, this semester, FIB has decided to move Second Chance from behind the PSBJ building to building B so that it would be visible to more people.

Bu. Ferli hopes that after the relocation of Second Chance, “there will be more sales so that profits can also increase, and if profits increase and revenue grows, more students can be helped.”

Red. Jauza Maryam Mumtazah