This year is the second year for the implementation of PKKMB USU online, considering that it is not yet possible to hold offline activities. Although the cheers of enthusiasm and faculty slogans in welcoming freshmen who were usually boisterous at the USU mini stadium in the days before the Covid-19 pandemic will not be heard, the presence of young faces full of new enthusiasm on this green campus will still be welcomed with joy. A series of virtual welcoming activities and attractions are being prepared. Even the Minister of Education and Research is scheduled to be present online at the opening of PKKMB later.

The 2021/2022 New Academic Year, which will begin on August 16, 2021, will be enlivened by the presence of 8,653 new USU students spread across 15 Faculties, 49 undergraduate study programs, and 14 Diploma study programs. The number of new USU students consists of 2,131 students who passed the SNMPTN selection, 2,463 students who passed the SBMPTN selection, 2,889 students who passed the SMM route, and 1,170 who passed the SPMPD selection. The majority of the 8,653 new students (except for students of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry) are the first batch to experience the deconstruction curriculum of Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka.

The Universitas Sumatera Utara, this year, opened 3 new study programs, namely the Undergraduate Program in Entrepreneurship, the Undergraduate Program in Nutrition, and the Master's Program in Obstetrics and Gynecology. This year's Nutrition Study Program still has not accepted students, while the Entrepreneurship Study program has accepted new students.

Being a new student in the era of the Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka program, of course, has advantages and flexibility for these new students. Kampus Merdeka is a form of learning in higher education that is autonomous and flexible so that it can create a learning culture that is innovative, not restrictive and in accordance with student needs. Where they are given the freedom to take the right to study 3 semesters outside the original study program. The 3-semester learning rights in question are in the form of 1-semester opportunity to take courses outside the study program and 2 semesters to carry out learning activities outside the university. The form can be in the form of internships in offices/industries, carrying out community service projects in villages, teaching in educational units, participating in student exchanges, conducting research, conducting entrepreneurial activities, making independent studies/projects, and participating in humanitarian programs. This allows students to increase their knowledge beyond the subjects they study in their original study program, according to their potential and interests, and gain experience that will be useful to support their competence after completing their education in college.

USU Rector, Dr Muryanto Amin, S.Sos., M.Si., some time ago gave a mandate to the driving lecturers to be able to encourage the implementation of the MBKM program. He hopes that the driving lecturers can encourage the acceleration of MBKM implementation in the USU environment, in order to capture the potential and passion of students to be developed. This is what the Rector promotes through the tagline Transformation Towards the Ultimate as a form of transformation in the world of education.

The USU Rector said that the campus must be a place to develop the potential of students, and a lecturer should be able to improve students' abilities based on their potential.

The role of the campus through lecturers, according to the USU Rector, is to provide rails to students so that they do not get off track. Despite providing opportunities for students to develop themselves, the students remain within the corridors desired by the university, and follow academic and university rules.

The new USU students will also be accustomed to utilizing technology on various occasions and become the main communication tool in the lecture process. Absence in classrooms is no longer a reason to limit the entry of information and the development of science. New generations who are well-established in technology will soon be present on our beloved green campus. They are expected to no longer just be technologically literate but qualified enough to make technology a third hand and a traveling companion towards a glorious future.

Welcome to the Green Campus, USU Superior Human Candidates. Your struggle will begin soon. Good luck!