The qualification is just one benefit of studying environmental management at SIT

Bachelor of Environmental Management student Troy Kendall, is loving studying in Invercargill with Southern Institute of Technology (SIT). The 19-year-old comes from a small Waikato town but has enjoyed his time in Invercargill so much, he now sees Southland as home.

Since beginning his course, Troy has found his studies have motivated him to get involved in numerous outdoor activities, a far cry from what he now sees as his unmotivated and underachieving former self.

“SIT’s classrooms are interactive and lively, we get to go on regular field trips to various locations and we learn practical, real-life skills that are needed for the workplace. I believe SIT’s classroom-based environment is a lot more family and community-like when it comes to peer-to-peer relationships. Students become close to their classmates and form close bonds doing a lot of course related activities together.

“I was expecting SIT to be just another type of tertiary institution where you do the papers and exams and repeat, but their way of teaching and learning is different to just sitting and listening.”

Troy says that studying at SIT has made him a lot more confident and open to new activities, such as taking up mountaineering. The course assignments are hands-on and he enjoys the fact that this makes the learning environment feel much more positive.

“It has also made me a lot more motivated to go and do more for myself and those in the community and wider New Zealand.”

Thinking about taking a gap year part-way through his study to work and earn a bit of money, as well as to take up the opportunity he has been offered to climb peaks and traverse passes in the Himalayas, Troy aims to complete his study by the end of 2020. His plans then involve travelling and either volunteering or working abroad, with his eventual goal to hike and climb peaks around the world.

Highly recommending SIT and the Bachelor of Environmental Management to prospective students, Troy says: “My classmates and tutors are great, I really enjoy the trips we take and we learn essential skills that we will need after we finish the course, in a practical environment. I could not have chosen a better place to study.”

– This story is sponsored content provided by SIT