Serving the Environment: Internship Reflection at the Environmental Laboratory Center of DLHK DIY

Being a college student is certainly not just about in-class activities, but also about preparing oneself for the professional world. For the author, being a science education student, especially in chemistry education, is a privilege. This is because there is not only the opportunity to apply knowledge limited to the school environment when teaching, but it can also be expanded into various professional fields. Internships provide opportunities for students to test the validity of the theories we memorize in textbooks, while honing soft skills that may not have been fully taught in class. This experience of transitioning from the academic space to the professional environment was directly felt by the author while undergoing an internship at the DLHK DIY Environmental Laboratory Center. The DLHK DIY Environmental Laboratory Center has a strategic role as a provider of accurate data regarding environmental conditions through a series of testing and analysis activities. Since 2018, the center has been operating as a public service unit that serves environmental testing, one of which is water testing, whether clean water, river water, or wastewater. The testing of each parameter at this center refers to the 2019 Indonesian National Standard (SNI) or the latest edition, thereby ensuring the consistency and accuracy of the test results.

After completing the two-month internship program, the author realized that the duration felt short to explore the entire complexity of the environmental laboratory world. In addition to equipping the author with technical skills in the field of environmental testing, this experience also instilled an awareness of the meaning of data accuracy and collaboration at work. For this reason, the author recommends an internship at the DLHK DIY Environmental Laboratory Center as an ideal platform for students who want to make a real contribution to the world of science and the environment.