When Marcos Martinez discovered he could to come to New Zealand to complete his studies, he seized the opportunity, settling into life in Invercargill, half a world away from his home country of Panama.
Marcos was studying Economics and had started a second degree (Software Engineering) at university in Panama when he found out about studying abroad. The opportunity to come to New Zealand was better, Marcos says, adding SIT appealed to him because of the practical content built into the programme. He hoped it would be “awesome”.
Marcos enrolled in the Bachelor of Information Technology (IT) programme, and now in his second year, he’s satisfied with his choice. “Studying in English was a challenge in the beginning, but over time it got easier, and now it’s no longer a barrier,” he said.
Coming to Invercargill has worked out well for Marcos. “It’s beautiful ... it’s cleaner ... everything is awesome, it’s more than what I expected,” he said. The city has everything he needs, and although there are some differences, such as less public transport, Marcos has adjusted to it. He thought SIT Accommodation was great too. “Life is easier here,” he added.
The big difference Marcos has noticed between studying in Panama and at SIT are the attentive tutors. “The tutors ... make an effort so you’re able to grow ... in my case, I had not much experience in IT. All my tutors have been very helpful. They actually care about my learning.”
Another course highlight is the methodology of teaching at SIT. “I appreciate the way of teaching and how they teach their students; they want you to think for yourself.”
Marcos is finding all of the programme content engaging. “I’ve learned a lot; everything feels valuable at this stage, the experience from all the labs, the practicals, all of it.” The best thing about the IT programme is the practical outworking of the content. “ ... they teach you the theory and immediately you start learning the practical. I’m actually learning and practising at the same time,” he explains.
From the beginning of the programme Marcos has learnt how to problem-solve. “Challenges make you grow as a student and a person,” he said. He has two favourite papers at present - Web Development and Fundamentals of Programming - and describes them as “challenging, but I enjoy making an effort and it’s satisfying to see the results ... I can see myself working in these areas”.
While there are plenty of opportunities on campus to socialise with other students, Marcos has been working hard. Apart from some part-time work at a local dairy, his main focus is studying. It’s been a bonus there are other Panamanian students also studying at SIT Invercargill.
Marcos believes the most necessary attribute before committing to a qualification is to have a strong level of interest that area of study. “I love writing code and sitting in front of a computer for hours ... if you don’t love it, don’t do it.”
To be successful, coming to class is not enough. “You need to have patience, make an effort, and outside of class, practise what you’ve learnt,” he explains. Marcos sums up the SIT experience thus far - “you get given all the tools to build the house, but they won’t build the house for you”.