User:SantoCharteris
Is It Possible for Students from Small Towns to Succeed in the STIS Exam? My Experience and Lessons Learned
People usually believe STIS is only accessible to students with modern city resources and premium tutoring.
I had that same perception at first.
Living in a small town in East Java, study resources felt very limited.
Over time, I understood that lack of access shouldn’t become an excuse.
In fact, they motivated me to try even harder.
What Makes STIS So Attractive?
STIS consistently ranks as a top choice for students aiming for government-related careers.
Its direct connection to the Central Statistics Agency ensures strong job prospects after graduation.
For most families, STIS represents both prestige and job certainty.
A study by UI highlights that official government colleges attract students with their strong academics and reliable career paths.
It’s natural that each year thousands of students fight for a very small number of places.
Challenges of Studying in a Small Town
The reality is, preparing for STIS from a small town comes with many difficulties.
Most well-known prep schools are based in major cities.
Local libraries often don’t have enough relevant books.
Internet? Sometimes smooth, sometimes painfully slow.
At first, I tried studying with my old high school textbooks, some even torn.
The consequence? Practicing real STIS-level questions became almost impossible.
The hardest parts were higher-level math and quantitative logic.
Wibowo’s 2020 research at Gadjah Mada reveals restricted access severely disadvantages rural students in government school admissions.
I personally went through that situation.
How to Catch Up?
Fortunately, modern platforms now provide remote study access.
I came across BelajarCPNS.com, offering CAT-like STIS simulations.
From there, I realized my weaknesses: basic math and English.
Eventually, I sought online tutoring help through NgajarPrivat.com.
Tutors taught patiently, sometimes using daily analogies.
Bloom highlighted that individual tutoring yields double the results of traditional classrooms.
I personally felt the difference.
As reinforcement, I attended intensive prep from LapakGuruPrivat.com.
The focus was on solving problems quickly.
When studying alone, I often wasted time stuck on a single question.
In these lessons, the goal was mastering problem structures, not chasing final answers.
What’s the Difference Between Studying Alone and with a Community?
Solo studying frequently results in frustration.
Some problems remain unsolved, and in the end, I lost motivation.
That motivated me to participate in an online forum on KoncoSinau.id.
There, I met peers from different regions.
It felt like having a new family.
At times they exchanged shortcut methods, at other times motivating words.
It made a huge difference.
Studies at UNY found collaborative learning increases motivation significantly, around 35%.
It truly worked in my experience.
What Should You Practice for the STIS Entrance Exam?
From what I went through, three subjects are absolutely critical.
Mathematics, both fundamental and advanced—this is the core.
English—many ignore it, but it can make or break acceptance.
TPA/aptitude section—logic combined with time pressure.
My schedule was split: mornings mathematics, afternoons English, evenings aptitude.
The schedule wasn’t rigidly smooth, but discipline mattered.
Duckworth (2016, Harvard) proved grit—persistent effort—matters more than pure talent.
Thus, despite boredom, I kept forcing myself slowly forward.
Are Tryouts Really Important?
Without question.
At first I doubted, but after several tryouts at BelajarCPNS.com, I realized simulations are vital.
They teach not only solving but pacing.
Means et al. (2013) showed simulations boost performance by making students familiar with time pressure and exam format.
Therefore, you must train with CAT, not only learn concepts.
What If You Feel Mentally Down?
This happens often.
Mostly when tryout scores turn out disappointing.
It made me want to surrender.
Gradually, I accepted not blaming myself excessively.
Advice from my tutor stuck with me: “Focus on growth, not comparisons.”
That advice stayed with me.
I relied on my KoncoSinau.id group for emotional support.
Sometimes just venting lightened my heart.
So, Can Rural Students Pass STIS?
The truth: it’s very possible.
Even from a rural town, through blended strategies, it was within reach.
It requires harder effort, but not impossible.
Tutors at NgajarPrivat.com simplified complex lessons.
LapakGuruPrivat.com offered me unique tricks to solve questions.
I used BelajarCPNS.com as my practice arena.
KoncoSinau.id supplied encouragement from peers.
When combined, these four elements made my preparation complete.
Feel free to surf to my website; https://koncosinau.id/product/les-stis-online/
