SMS in 2026? A Survival Story

We’re officially in Week 2, and honestly, the academic grind is still as tough as ever. The complex subjects of the fourth semester are definitely following me everywhere like a shadow. However, the atmosphere this week has felt a bit different because we are currently in the month of Ramadan. Even though I personally don’t fast or celebrate it, I’ve been really enjoying the changes in routine. One of the best parts? Classes finish much earlier than usual! It’s such a relief to have that extra bit of time in the afternoon.

Even though our lecture hours are shorter, my social life has been busier than ever. This week was packed with “Small Wins” and great company. I joined my classmates for buka puasa bersama (breaking the fast together), celebrated a friend’s birthday, and even joined the “war takjil” trend! For those who don’t know, it’s basically a friendly “war” to get the best snacks before breaking the fast. Exploring new spots in Malang to find delicious snacks was such a fun experience, and it’s these little moments that keep me going despite the heavy workload.

But the highlight of the week and a memory I won’t forget happened during a crazy storm. Lately, Malang’s weather has been super unpredictable, and one day, it rained so hard it felt like a hurricane. Naturally, the power went out everywhere. At that exact time, my class had an online meeting scheduled. Suddenly, my phone started ringing with regular calls (not WhatsApp calls). Since I’m so used to everything being online, I thought it was just a spam caller or a scammer, so I ignored it several times.

It turns out, my friends’ Wi-Fi was dead and their mobile data was completely gone due to the storm. They were panicking and trying to reach me through regular calls only to have me report to the lab assistant that they couldn’t join the meeting. They eventually had to send me a manual SMS! When we realized what happened later, we couldn’t stop laughing. It’s funny (and a bit scary) how dependent we are on the internet. The moment it’s gone, we all go a little bit “crazy.”

It was a chaotic but hilarious reminder to appreciate the little things and maybe start answering my regular phone calls HAHAHA!