SEMARANG, 21 May 2026 – PT Bank Jago Tbk and Tirto.id invited more than 400 students across three prominent universities in Semarang to sharpen their critical thinking skills through financial literacy and data journalism. Through a collaborative program called "Kelas Tirto"and "Jagoan Kampus", the younger generation was encouraged to understand healthy financial management, build data-driven content and arguments, and develop skills relevant to an ever-changing workforce.
The third collaboration between Tirto.id and Bank Jago carried the theme “Shaping Your Critical Thinking” and took place from May 19 to 21, 2026, at Universitas Negeri Semarang, Universitas Wahid Hasyim and Universitas Diponegoro. The event drew enthusiastic students from various backgrounds eager to learn skills that are increasingly vital today, ranging from financial management and data processing to building a critical mindset to navigate life and career dynamics.
Andhina Ratri Aryani, CFP, Sustainability Program Activation Specialist at Bank Jago, who is also a Certified Financial Planner, emphasized that critical thinking is not only required in academic or professional spaces but also in building financial health. A key step to achieving financial well-being is understanding how to allocate money based on specific goals, rather than simply spending it or saving whatever is left over.
“What do you want to do after graduation? Work, continue your studies, start a business or take a gap year before deciding your next move? Everything requires money and preparation—from interview travel expenses, buying a laptop for work, language tests, business capital to daily living costs. That is why it is important to start financial planning now, so your future choices can truly be realized,” she said.
According to Andhina, building financial health can start with simple steps, such as recognizing needs, understanding priorities, adjusting spending to one's capabilities and balancing financial security with a desired lifestyle. “At Bank Jago, financial health is divided into four stages. It starts with financial control to meet daily needs, financial resilience to face emergency situations, financial security when one begins to confidently make decisions and invest, and finally financial freedom through passive income and long-term asset management,” she explained.
To move from one stage to the next, Andhina stressed the importance of disciplined and healthy money management. In this regard, the old Indonesian habit of dividing money into envelopes or containers based on specific goals remains a highly relevant, simple solution. This art of placing money inspired the Pocket feature in the Jago app, which allows users to create up to 60 Pockets to separate funds according to their financial needs and goals without any monthly administration fees.
“You can start by creating an emergency fund Pocket, targeting at least three times the living expenses for a student or single individual. Then, continue by making a savings Pocket—it does not have to be a large amount right away, just start small but save consistently. Finally, a Pocket for specific life goals, such as graduation costs or preparation for your first job after college. This way, your money is not just stored away, but has a clear purpose,” Andhina said.
The challenge for today's younger generation, Andhina added, is not only about managing money wisely and forming healthy financial habits, but also about continuously developing skills to remain relevant amidst industry shifts. These include analytical thinking, creativity, leadership and a willingness to continuously learn and adapt to change.
“To achieve this, students need to invest in the right network, such as internships, job opportunities, projects and side gigs. Even volunteering, hobby communities and study groups can open new doors. Because the right network can pave the way to lead a growth net worth.”
This sentiment was echoed by Rachmadin Ismail, editor-in-chief of Tirto.id, who emphasized the importance of young people possessing critical thinking skills and the ability to process data for various purposes, including building arguments, creating content and making decisions.
He added that amid the overwhelming flow of information, the ability to understand and process data has become an essential skill, not just for journalists but across various professional fields. Data serves not only as a tool for work but also as the foundation for building a more critical and structured way of thinking.
During the event, students were encouraged to learn how to use data to analyze social phenomena, break down local issues and build more relevant narratives. Through this process, students saw that critical thinking begins with the ability to question information, seek comparisons and evaluate facts before drawing conclusions.
“I feel that data also provides security. So when we speak using data, it is relatively safe. If you just talk without data, you could get picked up or suddenly raided tomorrow,” Rachmadin said.
As a practical exercise, participants identified an issue, gathered supporting data, built an argument and developed it into a data-driven story. This approach is expected to encourage students to produce more responsible content while training them to make more objective decisions.
To make the learning process more interactive, participants were also invited to play Jago Money Quest, a web-based educational game that introduces financial management principles through various simulations and simple challenges. Through a gamified learning approach, students were challenged to set priorities, make financial decisions and understand the impact of their choices on their financial state in a way that relates closely to the daily lives of young people.
