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As part of Reading and Writing III course, UDE third semester students learned a unit on green environment, alternative thinking and entrepreneurship.

As part of Reading and Writing III course, UDE third semester students learned a unit on green environment, alternative thinking and entrepreneurship. The unit described how some new entrepreneurs started their businesses by providing creative and unique solutions to some environmental problems in their environment. As a learning and follow-up activity of this unit, the students were assigned to practice creative thinking, soft skills and business skills through an entrepreneurship project. Bearing in mind that nowadays entrepreneurship is such a valuable skill to master by young people, this project aimed to facilitate the students to learn how to do a small business on their own.

In the beginning of the entrepreneurship project, the students firstly learned how to recycle used papers as a solution to the major environmental problem at UDE. It is generally known that used papers from students’ assignments and office documents are one of the most common litters found in many academic environments, including UDE. Hence, the students recycled those used papers to promote a greener environment at UDE. The recycled papers would then be used as the main material for their business products.

For about three weeks in November 2016, the students cooperated together to recycle some of the used papers in UDE. Two students from UDE batch 2015, Han Ni and Fitri, who had undertaken a paper-recycling training earlier in June, led and managed their peers step by step in the recycling activity, from its preparation until its implementation. Despite the hot weather, technical problems, restricted time and vigorous physical actions they encountered during the activity, the students managed to finish the recycling activity admirably. Once their recycled papers were ready, they distributed the papers equally to each entrepreneurship group.

In December, the students then worked together in their own entrepreneurship groups to produce new products using the recycled papers as the products’ main material. They displayed interesting creative thinking and beautiful crafting skills in making their business products. These products, then, were displayed and sold at UKRIDA Auditorium lobby during the university’s Christmas celebration on Friday, 16 December 2016. Many people who came to the Christmas celebration, such as students, lecturers, staff and other guests, were impressed by the students’ enthusiasm and their handmade recycled products. In a relatively short time, most of the students’ products were sold out; some groups even received a new list of orders from their customers.

Overall, this entrepreneurship project could be managed successfully from the beginning until its completion because of students’ cooperation, enthusiasm, dedication and engagement towards the project. I was personally impressed with how they strived to finish each task in this project with responsibility. Although they admitted that this project was tough and time-consuming, they were delighted to see the results of their hard work appreciated by others. Hopefully, this project, in some ways, could inspire and encourage the students to explore other entrepreneurship possibilities in the future.