Glen Wildodo, recipient of the Central Borneo Orangutan Caring Scholarship in 2019, is in the Forestry Department at the University of Palangka Raya. He was interviewed for this update:
How have you overcome the challenges of studying during COVID-19?
Glen: During Covid the biggest challenge in studying for me is the increased amount of information that you need to keep track of such as learning materials, assignments, and the presence list. What makes it a challenge is that the increased amount of work happened in such a short amount of time it almost felt overwhelming. So, the way I overcame it is to be more organized with my assignments and the lecture materials while also doing other things to keep my mind fresh such as by going for walks in the forest, learning new information from podcasts, online videos, and so on.
What is your favorite part about university life?
Glen: My favorite part about university has got to be the people. Although everyone is different, university is where I have met some of the most passionate and motivated individuals in my life so far. Seeing people being passionate in what they are doing really inspires me to do the same.
What are your future plans for after graduation?
Glen: After graduation I am planning to try and get a steady job first in order to have financial stability. When my income becomes stable enough, hopefully I can contribute more to conservation efforts, especially in my local area.
What advice would you give someone wanting to study a conservation subject?
Glen: My advice would be, “keep being passionate, but don’t overdo it”. Because while it is important to be passionate in what you’re doing, you also need to be a realist, you need to know the situation and you need to know your own limits and then you can act.