Everyone’s life is undoubtedly intertwined with the daily lifestyle they lead. Everyone is also given the freedom to choose a lifestyle that suits their desires. Even though free to choose, it is important to opt for a lifestyle that directly benefits both physical and mental health.
The most crucial aspect of choosing a lifestyle is to care for oneself, as neglecting self-care can lead to a haphazard and irregular lifestyle. An irregular lifestyle undoubtedly has the potential for an unfavorable future. That’s why it’s important to adopt the right lifestyle when young, especially as a student pursuing education on campus.
Furthermore, there is now the concept of sustainable living, which places a higher priority on using renewable energy sources. Having such a lifestyle is certainly reasonable, considering the increasing pollution and the depletion of fossil fuels. This makes sustainable living a necessity for everyone, including students, who should be more environmentally conscious.
By harnessing renewable energy, it will lead to cleaner air, and improved physical health, and certainly, it will bring about other positive aspects for future life. That is the reason why it is important to embrace a sustainable lifestyle starting now, including for students.
After understanding the crucial reasons for choosing a sustainable lifestyle, students can immediately adopt a sustainable lifestyle by following simple steps on campus. What are the steps? The following will be discussed in detail.
1. Using recyclable products.
As environmentally-conscious students, it is essential to use recyclable products and avoid non-recyclable ones. One of the problematic products in this regard has been plastic, as it is non-recyclable. Hence, students should make every effort to avoid plastic as it can lead to issues such as water and soil pollution, flooding, climate change, air pollution, and the recent global warming trends.
2. Reducing waste.
There are many ways for students to reduce waste, including avoiding single-use plastics, limiting detergent usage, recycling used items, converting organic waste into compost, and conserving water. Additionally, it’s important to plant various types of vegetation and use eco-friendly everyday products.
3. Prioritizing public transportation.
The recent air pollution problem is due to the high number of people using private vehicles instead of opting for public transportation. However, using public transportation can help reduce pollution, which has a positive impact on the health of many people. Based on data from IQAir, the concentration of PM 2.5 in Indonesia in 2022 was 30.4 micrograms/m2. The data indicates that pollution in Indonesia is 6 times higher than the WHO maximum standard of 5 micrograms/m2. This also makes the air quality in Indonesia the worst compared to other countries in Southeast Asia.
4. Engaging directly in implementing sustainability on campus.
The next step in implementing a sustainable lifestyle on campus is to get directly involved, such as volunteering for various events related to the environment. For example, participating in events like cleaning polluted rivers or beaches due to plastic waste in the ocean.
5. Developing environmentally-friendly technologies.
As a student, one should be capable of bringing forth the best solutions related to environmental issues prevalent in society. One of the things that can be done is to develop environmentally-friendly electrical technologies by STEM students at Universitas Prasetiya Mulya.
The program, known as Faraday, consists of several students from various academic backgrounds, including some who are pursuing international studies at foreign campuses. This team of 5 students has successfully presented a solution regarding an environmentally friendly and safe electricity supply for widespread public use. The existence of interdisciplinary student programs like this can certainly be a way to enhance students’ creativity and directly benefit society.
Universitas Prasetiya Mulya not only encourages students to contribute directly to the environment. But also takes concrete actions to preserve the environment by planting a total of 1,454 mangroves in the Thousand Islands, specifically on Harapan Island and in the Mangrove Nature Reserve in Angke, North Jakarta. This activity is part of the graduation ceremony in 2022, which coincided with the 40th anniversary of Universitas Prasetiya Mulya.
Universitas Prasetiya Mulya also offers the S1 REE (Renewable Energy Engineering) program to manifest its commitment to sustainable environmental practices. So, for those who have a concern for a better environment in the future, they can certainly pursue this program. Furthermore, at this campus, there is also an achievement-based admission pathway, so prospective students don’t need to take an entrance test but must meet the admission requirements through the achievement-based pathway, which can be found directly on the official website of Universitas Prasetiya Mulya.
