The Field Study is an annual routine activity for first-year students of the Soil Science Department, Faculty of Agriculture, UPN "Veteran" Yogyakarta. This year, it was attended by the 2024 cohort, currently in their second semester. The program consisted of visits to two locations over a span of two days.

Initial preparations included coordination between the lecturers (resource persons), assistants, and the organizing committee (EO). Students also received pre-activity assistance in the form of an overview of the planned activities and necessary preparations, including a quick soil survey field book and a practical soil classification guide. The assistants prepared the necessary field tools and materials, while the EO arranged for group transportation and administrative procedures for the destinations to be visited. Interestingly, each group involved in this activity prepared different uniforms.

The send-off ceremony took place in front of the rectorate, consisting of directions, speeches, and group photos/videos. Afterwards, participants boarded the buses according to their group assignments—students, assistants, supervising lecturers, and bus guides. On the first day, the route headed toward Wonosari to visit three stop sites, and on the second day, toward Dieng to visit two stop sites. Each passenger was advised to remain in the same seat to make it easier to check attendance over the two days.

Stop Site 1 was located in Pathuk, Gunung Kidul, where students described and classified red soils, typically identified as Alfisols or Ultisols. Students worked according to their group tasks—some described the soil profile, some measured the landform, and others analyzed soil chemistry. All data were then compiled on a whiteboard for discussion on the relationships between soil layers and classification types.

Stop Site 2 was in the Bunder Forest, where Mollisol soils were classified. The series of activities at each stop site was the same, but group tasks differed to ensure shared learning. This Mollisol location was several kilometers from the main road, on the banks of the Oya River, within a forest managed by the Yogyakarta Forestry and Environment Service.

Stop Site 3 was in the Gading area for Vertisol classification, where the dark-colored soil surface with wide cracks was clearly visible during the peak dry season. The visit took place around 11.00–12.00, so the weather was quite hot, and discussions were conducted in shaded areas.

After the lunch and prayer break from 12.00–14.00, the group traveled toward Wonosobo via Yogyakarta city and Magelang. The 4-hour trip was used for rest, group discussions, and karaoke entertainment on the bus. The journey in the Wonosobo area was delayed for 30 minutes due to traffic congestion.

Around 19.00 WIB, the group arrived at a hotel in Wonosobo for dinner and rest. At 20.30, a discussion session was held to present analysis results from Stop Sites 1, 2, and 3. After the group presentations, the lecturers provided in-depth explanations. At the end of the discussion, to maintain a cheerful and energetic atmosphere, there were door prizes and spontaneous impressions shared by participant representatives.

After spending the night in Wonosobo, the next morning at 8.00 the group headed to the Dieng Plateau using smaller local buses familiar with the winding uphill roads. At 9.00 WIB, they arrived at the plateau.

Once the buses were parked, the group immediately visited two sites: an area of Andisol soil and Histosol soil. Thus, Stop Sites 4 and 5 were conducted in the same area. For the Histosol (peat) site, peat coring was practiced using a special auger, drilling several meters deep. The rest of the activities were carried out sequentially, ending with presentations and discussions on the two sites.

Time passed quickly, and by around noon the group descended back to Wonosobo for lunch and prayer, with some time for purchasing local souvenirs. At 15.00, the group departed for Yogyakarta via the Parakan–Temanggung–Magelang route, which offered gentler road conditions. They arrived back at campus at 18.30 WIB safely and smoothly. Alhamdulillah.
(M. Kundarto)