The second phase of FEP (Freshmen Enrichment Program) is AO which stands for Academic Orientation. In this part of FEP, students learn about the basics of college life and the whole AO is meant to be a simulation for students to help them adapt to their new college environments. In my major, Computer Science, there are 4 courses of AO, which are:
- Computer Science
- Curriculum
- Academic Advisory
- Support Center for Your Success
Most of my AO classes were in Anggrek Campus, and the schedule were pretty inconvenient, with a lot of the courses started at 07.20 AM and several had a few hours gap in between courses. The class I had in AO was different than the one in GO. I was in the class of CBN02 during GO, and my AO class is called LH01. This new class consisted of half CBN02 students, and the other half was EBN students.
In the Computer Science course, we were introduced to Algorithm which was basically structured thinking. Algorithm is the basic way of thinking made to help us create calculations and solve problems using operations which will be useful in coding and programming. We were also introduced to C++ programming language, pseudocodes, and flow charts. There was a test on these subjects that will determine our SAT points at the end of FEP. The test had 2 parts, the first was an essay about the basic theory of Computer Science, and the second was a coding test done in a computer. The coding test had only 4 problems with each having 25 points. A lot of the students struggle with this test, but a handful was successful in getting the perfect score. Aside from coding, there was an extra course that didn’t seem to be related to Computer Science. It was about learning methods, like mind mapping and giving presentations.
The Curriculum course was about all the textbooks, materials, and lecturers in this semester. This course was held in the auditorium and specialized course (we will have to choose 1 out of 4 in the third semester) was discussed. Academic Advisory course had us separated in groups with one Advisory Lecturer for each group. The Advisory Lecturer will provide guidance in navigating our college life, relationships, studies, and also job seeking. The last course is Support Center for Your Success. Students were informed about support centers that are provided to them by Binus University, such as:
- Library and Knowledge Center
- Study Registration and Service Center
- Student Advisory Center
- Binus Entrepreneurship Center
- Binus Career Center
- International Office
- Quality Management Center
- IT Division