Rahmat Wibowo posted a detailed review of Prof. Amrinsyah Nasution's study-method book, but framed it as a pointed message to Rahmat Fabhian Aminuddin, publicly branding him as alleged for academic fraud with a below-3.0 GPA, thereby damaging his reputation.

Have You Been Studying Diligently? Study Case of Rahmat Fabhian Aminuddin Rahmat Wibowo - June1,2026 Have You Been Studying Diligently? Adeep reading of Metode Belajar 24 Jam by Prof. I. Amrinsyah Nasution, MSCE, Ph.D. and what it means for every student navigating the new era of Indonesian highereducation sucine Sah a ae ae ese on he Sine apt tar eat) ona teak jr Peng es awe veces ete hi Tm Mange serena career st neg ig 7 eyo hans roenmen eenerne deo There is a question on the cover of this book that is simultaneously simple and devastating: "Have you been studying diligently?" Most students would instinctively answeryes. Prof. Amrinsyah Nasution spends the entire book proving, with data, testimonies, and neuroscience, that the honest answer for the majority of usis no, and that the way we have been defining "studying’is itself the problem. This is not another motivational pamphlet dressed as a textbook. The 24~Hour Study Method (MB 24) is a structured, evidence-backed, and field-tested behavioral intervention developed over five years at ITB's Civil Engineering program. Ithas been applied to undergraduate (SI), graduate ($2), and doctoral (S3) students alike. The results recorded in this book are not anecdotal feel-good stories. They are measurable: students achieving Dean's List awards, graduating on time, winning national competitions, and describing a fundamental transformation in their relationship with time, focus, and responsibility. The National Context: Why This The book opens with a critical and timely policy frame. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) issued Permendikbudristek No. 53 of 2023 on Higher Education Quality Assurance, fundamentally changing what it means to complete a university degree in Indonesia Under the newregulation, undergraduate (Sl) and applied bachelor (D4) students are no longer required to write a thesis as a graduation requirement, provided their program has adopted a project-based curriculum oran equivalent alternative. Final assignments can now take the form of prototypes, group projects, or other innovative outputs. This shiftis positioned as a liberation, hence the series title "Merdeka Belajar” (Freedom to Learn), butit also places a heavier responsibility on both institutions and students. Prof. Amrinsyah's arguments precise: when youremove the compulsory structure of thesis writing, you expose something that was always true but previously hidden behind procedural compliance. The ability to learn, to self- manage, and to sustain effort over time isa softskill, and Indonesian higher education has never formally taught it. This is where MB 24 enters, not as a workaround to academic rigor, butas the missing infrastructure beneath it. Chapter 1: The Softskill of Learning The first chapter grounds the bookin regulation before moving to practice. The author walks through the standards governing learning processes under the new framework, specifically Pasal14, which mandates that learning must be enjoyable, inclusive, collaborative, creative, and effective, while guaranteeing equal opportunity regardless of educational, social, economic, or cultural background What the regulation does not specify, the author points out, is the method. How do you create an enjoyable and effective learning environment? How do youtraina student to be collaborative when their entire secondary education rewarded individual performance? The policy creates the aspiration. MB 24 provides one concrete pathway towardit. The chapter establishes a tripartite framework for learning softskills drawn from Stephen Covey's work: ed MB 24is positionedas the practical engine for developing personal victory first. Without the foundation of being able to manage your owntime, energy, and attention, no amount of collaborative learning or curriculum flexibility can produce excellent graduates. Chapter 2: Lessons Learned from Real Students This chapteris the emotional heart of the book. Rather than theorizing about student behavior, Prof. Amrinsyah collects first-person testimonies from students who applied MB 24 across multiple semesters. The accounts are striking for their honesty. “Inever thought that there was any kind of study method like MB24. It was really hard to getused toit at the first time. But, as the time passes, your body clock will get used to it. Before | got MB24, all my schedule felt rough forme and will go home in fully exhausted condition. "Nyoman Triani Herlina Dewi, SE, ST, MT One student describes how, before MB 24, she consistently returned home exhausted with no clearunderstanding of where her time went, Aftertwo semesters of tracking her daily activities against a minimum study target of 1lhours, she noticed her body clock recalibrating naturally. She stopped needing external enforcement. The habit had become internal. Another student, Hanang Pandu Himawan, credits MB 24 directly with his ability to win a 2nd-place awardin the CENS competition organized by Universitas Indonesia while simultaneously managing heavy academic loads in his Sth semester at ITB. His tracking charts, included in the book, show the correlation between consistent study hours and performance spikes during high-stakes periods. A third student narrates applying MB 24 from his very first week at ITB, introduced toiit during a Bidikmisi matriculation event. He graduated with an IP of 4.0 for two consecutive years and received the Dean's List award from FTSL. He attributes this not to intelligence, but to the maturity of his study planning, 100% These numbers are not presented as marketing, They are presented as evidence. The difference between students who applied the method and those who did notis visible in graduation rates, GPA trajectories, and competition performance. The data is the argument. Chapter 3: Are You Studying Diligently? The Science of Grit and Body Clock This is where the book shifts into learning science, andit does so with genuine intellectual depth. The author opens with the work of Angela Lee Duckworth, psychologist at the University of Pennsyivania, who concluded that IQ and innate talent are not reliable predictors of long-term success. What matters more is a combination of self-control and grit, defined not asa sprint but as a marathon, The Body Clock (Jam Tubuh) Framework The most original and scientifically grounded contribution of this chapteris the concept of the body clockasa learnable and trainable system. The author explains that the human body clockis governed by the hypothalamus, a brain organ coordinating a cluster of roughly 10,000 nerve cells. This biological system regulates when we feel alert, whenwe feel hungry, and when we feelready forrest. MB 24is designed to leverage this system rather than fight it. By consistently performing specific activities at specific times across many weeks, a student trains the hypothalamus to anticipate and prepare for those activities. The result, confirmed in multiple student testimonies and tracking charts in this book, is that studying at a frxed hour eventually stops feeling like discipline and starts feeling like a natural bodily need “Slowly, without realizing it, |became far more diligent and felt guilty whenever! hadnot yet met my II-hour study target. ‘Amatulhay Pribadi, ITB student testimony This is nota metaphor. The authoris describing a genuine neurobiological conditioning process. When the body clock takes over, the student no longer relies on motivation, willpower, or external pressure. The behaviorhas been internalized at a physiological level. Chapter 4: Kampus Merdeka and the Mechanics of MB 24 This chapteris the operational guide. It breaks down how MB 24 actually works in practice, covering compensation rules, material allocation, posture during study, eye rest intervals, and the distinction between morning, afternoon, and evening study categories The Compensation and Make-Up Rule One of the most underrated features of MB 24isits built-in accountability mechanism. If a student fails to meet the minimum daily study hours for any activity, that shortfall must be compensated the following day by taking time from other non-essential activities. The system does not allow students to simply "reset" each morning andignore yesterday's failure. For example, if extracurricular study time outside class is only 2 hours when the targetis 4 hours, the next day that student's leisure time is reduced by 2 hours to repay the debt. This creates a cascading incentive to meet daily targets consistently rather than cramming before exams. The Drop-Out Reality at ITB The chapter does not avoid the uncomfortable statistics. Between 5 and 10 percent of each new cohort at ITB drops out during the first four semesters They fail to clear the TPB (Basic Preparation Phase) minimum GPA requirement. The Rector of ITB, quoted in this book, identifies the primary cause notas lack of intelligence but as failure to adapt socially and academically after the transition from high school Students who were top performers in their high schools often arrive at ITB and find themselves surrounded by equally capable peers. Without the social scaffolding they relied on previously, and without self-management skills, many collapse. The problemis not cognitive. It is behavioral, MB 24 addresses this directly. Chapter 4 (continued): The Seven Habits Framework Applied to University Life Prof. Amrinsyah explicitly integrates Stephen Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People into the pedagogical framework of MB 24. He acknowledges the need to adapt it for an engineering faculty context and adds integrity as an explicit, named value rather than leaving it implicit in Habit 7. uimgnsne Manone _—_Desgnoremae era an ndieiod Beer parce rea rine ‘etsy aty a mar han comgsson >a The author adds a note that professors must model these habits. If a professor consistently arrives late, they have no moral authority to demand punctuality from students. Ifa professor cannot work collaboratively, they cannot realistically expect teamwork from their class. Characteris transmitted through example, not instruction. The Multi-Tasking Problem: A Research-Backed Warning One of the most important and practically relevant sections of the book isits treatment of multi-tasking, a behavior that defines how most modem students study. The author cites multiple research studies to build a devastating case againstit. Astudy of 263 students from junior high school, senior high school, and university levels found that when observed during 15-minute study sessions, students were actually studying for only 65 percent of that time. Within two minutes of beginning, they had already started checking social media and replying to messages. Research by Professors Kraushaar and Novak from University of Vernon found that students used theirlaptops fornon- academic purposes during 42 percent of class time, even while knowing their activity was being monitored. David Meyer, a psychology professorat the University of Michigan, explains the cognitive cost precisely. The brain cannot genuinely execute two complextasks simultaneously, Whatit does insteadis rapid task-switching, which carries four compounding costs: extended time to complete each task due to re- familiarization, increased error rates from mental fatigue, degraded memory formation due to distraction during encoding, and storage of informationina less useful form when attentionis divided "Maintaining concentration and focus is what distinguishes an expert from an amateur, anda starperformer froman average one. ‘Daniel Goleman, as cited by Prof. Amrinsyah The implication for MB 24 is that the method's insistence on focused, undistracted, posture-correct study ata desk is not arbitrary strictness. Itis a direct response to what neuroscience tells us about how learning is encoded, retained, and retrievable. The Three Learning Curve Archetypes The final analytical section introduces what the author calls the three typical tracking curves that reveala student's study character and habits. These curves emerge naturally when students plot their actual weekly study hours against their targets overa full semester. Curve A: Undisciplined Time Management Study hours begin high in the first weeks of the semester, then collapse dramatically as habits and the novelty of the newmethod fade, There is a brief spike before midterms, then collapse again, anda frantic recovery before final exams. Thisis the “instant effort" student: reactive, inconsistent, and always exhausted Curve B: Natural Body Clock Alignment This curve shows consistent, relatively stable study hours throughout the semester with only minor fluctuations around exam periods. The student's focus and attention have become habitual, meaning they do not need the pressure of approaching deadlines to. activate their discipline. This is the target outcome of MB 24. Curve C: The Workaholic This curve shows chronically excessive study hours that exceed whatis healthy or sustainable. While it might appear admirable at first glance, the author warns that this pattern correlates with physical deterioration, anti-social behavior, an attitude of self-reliance to the point of isolation, and dismissiveness toward peers. Workaholism is not excellence. Itis a form of imbalance that ultimately undermines the public victory dimension of student development. What Makes This Book Exceptional Several qualities distinguish this book from the vast library of generic "how to study” literature that clutters university bookshops across Indonesia. Itis empirically grounded. Every claim in this bookis supported either by data from ITB students who applied the method, by peer-reviewed research in psychology and neuroscience, or by official policy documents. The author does not make assertions without evidence Itrespects student agency. MB 24 does not tell students what to study or how to think. It creates a structure of time and attention within which any student, regardless of major oracademic level, can operate. The methodis discipline- agnostic. An engineering student anda social science student can both applyit without modification. Itis honest about difficulty. Multiple student testimonies acknowledge that the first two to three months of applying MB 24 are genuinely hard. The body resists the new rhythm. The temptation to revert to old habits is powerful. The author does not promise a smooth transformation. He promises that the transformation is possible and worth pursuing It connects individual behavior to national outcomes. The author explicitly links the drop-out rate at ITB to the absence of structured softskill development. He connects this to the broader Kampus Merdeka agenda, arguing that freedom without discipline is not liberation; itis drift. This is a politically and educationally courageous position Itembeds character education without moralizing. The integration of the Seven Habits framework, the emphasis on grit, the encouragement of social balance on weekends, and the warning against workaholism all reflect a holistic vision of what a university graduate should be. But none of this is delivered ina preachy or patronizing tone. The author lets the data and the student voices do the persuading. Honest Critique No review would be complete without acknowledging where the book has room to grow. The book is written primarily from within the context of engineering education at ITB. The testimonies, the data, and the institutional references are almost. entirely from FTSL. Areader froma social science, humanities, or arts program may find some of the quantitative framing of study hours somewhat mechanistic for their context. A future edition could benefit from voices and data across diverse disciplines Additionally, the book does not deeply address digital tools and their role in study management. In 2024 and beyond, students are navigating not just WhatsApp and SMS distraction but algorithm-driven short video platforms that operate ona scale of compulsive engagement unlike anything Covey or Goleman could have anticipated. The core insights of MB 24 remain valid, but anupdated edition engaging with screen time management and digital focus tools would significantly extend the book's reach Finally, the book does not fully address students with mental health challenges, disabilities, or highly non-standardlife circumstances. The 11-hour daily activity target may need contextual calibration forstudents managing chronic illness, significant family obligations, or other constraints. A brief framework for adaptation would make the method more inclusive, consistent with the equity mandate of Pasal 14 that the author himself cites. ATribute to the Architect of Merdeka Belajar: Nadiem Anwar Makarim Itwould be intellectually dishonest to discuss this book, its series title, and the regulatory landscape it engages with, without pausing to honor the person who made all of it possible at a national scale. Nadiem Anwar Makarim, as Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia from 2019 to 2024, initiated and pushed through one of the most ambitious education reform agendas in modem Indonesian history: Merdeka Belajar. Before Pak Nadiem took office, Indonesian higher education operated undera framework of centralized, prescriptive standards. Graduation requirements were uniform, outcomes were mandated from above, and the creative autonomy of universities, faculties, and students was significantly constrained, The system measured inputs, attendance, credit hours, written submissions rather than the genuine development of a graduate's capacity to think, adapt, and contribute. Pak Nadiem arrived witha fundamentally different philosophy. He came from the world of building and scaling technology organizations, where the quality of a person's thinking, initiative, and collaborative capacity matters farmore than their ability to comply witha fixed procedure. He saw clearly what decades of academic administrators had grown too accustomed to overlook: Indonesian students were graduating technically certified but too often underprepared for aworld that demands creativity, self- direction, and resilience The Merdeka Belajar Legacy of Nadiem Anwar MakarimUnderhis leadership, Kemendikbud launched over 26 episodes of Merdeka Belajar policy reforms. Key milestones include the abolition of the mandatory National Examination (UN) for secondary school, the Kampus Merdeka framework giving students freedom toleam outside their home faculty for up to 3 semesters, the Permendikbudristek No. 53/2023 liberating universities from mandatory thesis requirements, the MSIB (Magang dan Studi Independen Bersertifikat) program connecting students to real industry experience, and the Guru Penggerak program investing in transformative teacherleadership. Each of these reforms pointed in the same direction: trust the learner, liberate the process, and measure what truly matters. The very fact that this book by Prof. Amrinsyahis framed under the banner of “Merdeka Belajar: Pengembangan Softskill Belajar Mahasiswa’ is itself a testament to the intellectual space that Pak Nadiem openedup. Before Merdeka Belajar, abook arguing that softskill development shouldbe treated as a core academic deliverable, on par with technical competence, would have struggled to findits policy home. After Merdeka Belajar, it fits naturally and urgently into the national conversation. Critics of Pak Nadiem's tenure often focused on implementation pace, the disruption of transition periods, or the uneven readiness of institutions across Indonesia's vast archipelago. These are fair administrative observations. But the directional vision he brought to Indonesian education was correct. He asked the right question: not "have students fulfilled the requirements?" but “have students truly learned?" That shift in framingis precisely what gives books like this one its moral and policy legitimacy. Reform in education is never painless. But the pain of changes always less than the pain of staying stillina world that is accelerating past you. Pak Nadiem chose movement, and Indonesia's students are the beneficiaries.Reflection from the reviewer As Pak Nadiem moves forward beyond his ministerial chapter, want to express, on behalf of every Indonesian student who benefited from Merdeka Belajar, genuine and deep gratitude. The reforms he drove may take a full generationto fully manifest in outcomes. The students entering university today under the Kampus Merdeka framework, guided by books like this one, will be the living proof of whether the vision was right. believe they will be. | believe the vision was right And I believe Pak Nadiem deserves to see that vindication with his own eyes in the years ahead. Whatever path he walks next, mayitbe met with excellence, respect, and the knowledge that the seeds he planted in Indonesian education are still growing AMessage For My Friends Rahmat Fabhian Aminuddin Who's Been Alleged For Academic Fraud With Below 3.0 GPA Who Should Read This Book The cover correctly identifies three audiences: first-year university students, students with a GPA below 3.0, and students working on thesis, master's, or doctoral research. | would add several more Lecturers and faculty members should read this book because it challenges professors to examine their own habits and how those habits model or undermine the culture they claim to want intheirclassrooms, Parents of university students should read this book because it explains, clearly and without blame, why the transition from high school to university fails for so many students who were previously excellent. The issue is almost never intelligence. Itis preparation for self- management. Education policymakers and curriculum designers should read this book because it makes a compelling case that Merdeka Belajar without MB 24-style softskill developmentis an incomplete reform. Liberating students from mandatory thesis requirements without giving them the internal structures to direct their own learningis offering amap without a compass And finally, working professionals who feel chronically undisciplined with their time and attention should read this book The body clock science applies to anyone. The Seven Habits integrations universally relevant. The warning about multi-tasking applies to every knowledge worker on the planet. This article reflects a personalreading and review of the book. Allfactual content is drawn directly from the text, student testimonies, and data included by the author. The views expressed are those of the reviewer. #NadiemMakarim #MerdekaBelajar #HigherEducation #StudyMethod #MetodeBelajar24Jam #ITB #LearningScience #Softskill #TimeManagement #IndonesiaEducation #CharacterEducation #Grit #BodyClock #StudentLife #KampusMerdeka #Neuroscience #SevenHabits #PersonalDevelopment #AcademicSuccess #BookReview #PendidikanTinggi #infraloka #RahmatWibowo