The Knowledge Traveler

In 2009, it was stated that there were 9,26 millions unemployment in Indonesia. The unbelievable side is 10% between them have bachelor degree. Many people still think that continuing their study until university can make their life better. They hope with their bachelor degree, they will get a good job. Maybe that statement is right for 10 years ago but it is wrong for now. Why? Let’s see the reality. Nowadays, the number of job vacancies is not appropriate with the amount of applicants. To solve that problem we can start our own business. Maybe there will be questions: How can we do that? We are still too young to start a business! What about our study, will it be disturbed? Remember that success is not determined by age because success only comes to them who have a big willingness. The real example is Purdi E. Chandra. He is a millionaire who has started his business since he was in university. Actually, your business will disturb your study or not, depends on two things. Those are what kind of business that you choose and how you give priority to each of them. If you can control those two things, I guarantee that you will be the next Purdi E. Chandra.

First is kind of business that you choose. It is better to choose a business that does not spend much time. On the other words, we can do that business outside the study time. Actually many businesses can be done while studying. College students are creative persons who prefer using their brain to their physical strength to get money. There are two kinds of business, online and offline business. Nowadays, there are many chances to start an online business such as internet marker, ads publisher, and blog monetizing. You do not need a big capital and much time for doing online business. You just create a blog (blogger, wordpress, etc) and fill it with your own articles or other’s articles. However, do not forget to cite a link source for article that you cite from others. There are many businesses which based on blog such as Google adsense, kumpulblogger.com, adsensecamp.com, etc. They will be our publisher then add advertisements in our blog. We will get 300 rupiah for each advertisement which is chosen by our blog’s visitors. If you are not too interested in online business, you can choose offline businesses. Though getting offline business is little bit difficult now, you do not have to worry because there is a way if there is a will. You can write an article then send it to a newspaper or magazine. Or maybe you can be a private course teacher for elementary to senior high school students. The others alternatives are following competition, selling cell phone vouchers, joining a research, becoming lecture’s assistant, etc.

Second is your time’s proportion for studying and business. If you have chosen your business, you must decide how many hours a day to do your business. Just do your business only on that time. Do not take your study time to do your business except you are in holiday at the time. If you choose online business, I think it is not a big problem to make schedule. You can do it at the night after you do all of your tasks as student. If you do not have your own internet connection, you do not have to worry because there are many 24 hours internet cafes outside. If you choose offline business such as becoming private course teacher, it is better to discuss with your students/student’s parents about the suitable times. The point is whatever business that you choose, you must remember that you are student who has duty to study. It is wrong if you give priority to your business.

In short, there are two things that should be controlled to be a successful student and businessman. Those are choosing the suitable business and doing it only on its time. Remember that we do our business while study, not study while do our business. Your study is still the priority. Do not consider your business as everything if you do not want to be “eternal college students”.

References:

Abadi Abdillah. 2009. Berbisis Sambil Kuliah. Accessed 28 Mei 2010. http://adabisnis.com/berbisnis-sambil-kuliah/

Antara News. 2010. Technopreneurship ITS Antisipasi Pengangguran Sarjana 20 Persen/Tahun. Accessed 28 Mei 2010. http://www.antaranews.com/berita/1268519338.

Supadiyanto. 2007. Mahasiswa Kreatif vs Pengangguran. Accessed 28 Mei 2010. http://uinuka.info/humas/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=49&Itemid=1

THREE EASIER WAYS TO SLOW AGING

Getting older is a certainty for all people. Naturally, when we are in adult’s phase, we can not grow anymore. On the other hand, the function of our body parts will decrease because of aging. What is aging? Aging is a process of becoming older that genetically determined and environmentally modulated. From that definition, we know that aging is caused by many factors. Those factors are divided into two groups, internal and external factors. Internal factors are related with gene, immunity, and hormones while external factors are unhealthy life style, pollution, and stress. Because of those factors, people become old, ill, and then die. If aging can be slowed or be prevented, our life quality can be maintained even be increased. Now, the question is what can we do to slow aging? Many researches have been conducted to answer that question. However, to me, avoiding the aging factors; like doing regular exercises, not eating junk foods, and thinking positively are three easier ways that we can do. How do those ways slow aging? Do they have other advantages to our body?

Firstly, regular physical exercise prevents reduction of aerobic capability and increases it. Aerobic capability is human capability to provide oxygen that is used in metabolism, a process that produces energy. Normally, aerobic capability decreases about 5ml/kg/minute for every decade. If that number decreases under 18ml/kg/minute for men and 15ml/kg/minute for women, they will get heavy fatigue when they do daily activities. Regular physical exercise such as jogging, cycling, and swimming increase that number up to 25%. It means that aging will be slowed for 10-12 years. How does regular physical examination increase aerobic capability?Normally, physic exercises increase stimulation of sympathetic nerve, a nerve that stimulates heart’s work. Our heart contracts stronger than before. It means our heart pumps more blood and our cells get more oxygen. If we do the exercise regularly, our heart will have an adaptation on it. As a result, our aerobic capability will increase. Besides slowing aging, maximum aerobic capability also has other advantages to our body such as shortens recovering time, maintains the muscle’s strength, and decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Secondly, not eating junk food reduces fat amounts and indirectly reduces free radicals in our body. As we know, most of junk food contains high fat which is not good to our body. Maximum fat intake is 30 percent because fat contains triglyceride and cholesterol. If fat amounts in our body exceed that number, risk of obesity is higher. Someone with obese status has higher risk to suffer many diseases and premature death. Besides that, fat which is burned in high temperature and oil which is cooked repeatedly, like in most junk food, are free radical sources. Free radicals are chemical species with a single unpaired electron in an outer orbital. Such chemical states are extremely unstable and readily react with inorganic and organic chemicals. When generated in cells, they attack nucleic acids as well as molecule membrane. In addition, free radicals initiate autocatalytic reactions; molecules that react with free radicals are in turn converted into free radicals, thus propagating the chain of damage. Fortunately, our body has developed many mechanisms such as antioxidants to remove free radicals and minimize injury. Those mechanisms mean nothing if we still continue our habit to consume junk food. Why? Because antioxidants amount in our body is limited. If that habit is not ended, free radicals amount in our body will be in abundance. As a result is oxidative stress, a condition that causes oxidative damage from cells, tissue, until body organs. Those damage cells cause premature death cells. That condition is manifested as premature aging, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Based on facts above, if we reduce eating junk foods, it means that we reduce free radical amounts in our body and oxidative stress can be avoided. So, many conditions that are caused by oxidative stress such as premature aging will not happen.

Lastly, thinking positively slows aging by reducing psychosocial stress. When we face a problem and we think positively on it, possibility to get psychosocial stress is less. It means our body has been saved from many diseases that are caused by psychosocial stress. You have to know that stress is every condition that threatens our body homeostasis (our body balance). It can be physical stress, chemical stress, psychosocial stress, etc. Normally, our body has complicated stress responses that involve hormones and sympathetic nerves to face it. Whatever the type of stress, the responses are the same. Those responses cause energy mobilization that is used to repair damaged cells. Unfortunately, those mechanisms are not too useful for chronic physical stress. The cause is no physical destruction in psychosocial stress. So, the responses which are produced are useless. If those responses are in abundance amount, they destruct body cell and cause premature cell death. Such conditions make aging happens earlier causing a condition that is called as premature aging. They also cause other diseases, like atherosclerosis and hypertension.

In short, aging is unavoidable for all people because it is one of life cycle.  However, there are many ways to slow it. If we can slow it, our life’s quality will be maintained even be increased. From those ways there are three easier ways that we can do. Those are doing regular examination, not eating junk foods, and thinking positively. Besides slowing aging, those ways also have other advantages to our body such as prevent cardiovascular disease like hypertension and atherosclerosis, shortens recovering time, etc.

References

Adikusumo, A. 1999. Penatalaksanaan Stres. In : Cermin Dunia Kedokteran         No 123. Accessed 22 Januari 2009       http://kalbe.co.id/cdk

Karnadi, J. 1999. Stres dalam Kehidupan Sehari-hari. In : Cermin Dunia    Kedokteran No 123. Accessed 22 Januari 2009       http://kalbe.co.id/cdk

Pamela, Ruri. 2008. Stress Oksidatif Memicu Penuaan Dini. Accessed 22    January 2009 http://ruripamela.com/2008/11/html

Robbins, S.L.,Kumar, V., Cotran, R.S. 2003. Basic Pathology 7^th Edition. New      York : Elsevier Inc.

Shephard, R.J. 2008. Maximal Oxygen Intake and Independence in Old Age.          British Jurnal Sports Medicine; doi:10.1136/bsjm.2007.0448. Accessed         20 January 2009 http://bjsm.bmj.com

Sherwood, Lauralee. 2002. Human Physiology : From Cells to Systems. West : A Division of International Thomson Publishing Inc.