Master of Applied Management student Bikramjeet Singh Suman has hit the ground running since arriving in New Zealand in April.

Bikramjeet arrived later than expected due to a visa delay, meaning he had to make his way straight from the airport to his first class.

At first, he felt a bit overwhelmed due to missing Orientation and other sessions for new learners, but his classmates and staff soon got him up to speed.

Bikramjeet is now doing his part to help other students settle into life in New Zealand and on our campus. He signed up to be a Student Ambassador and was last week showing our newest intake of students the ropes at their Orientation event.

He says some of the best parts about his OPAIC experience so far have been our Employability offerings, our Student Success department, our clubs, and our alumni mentorship programme.

“All in all, the way the school creates opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate their skills, gain new experiences, and receive recognition is commendable,” he says.

Just a month into his life in New Zealand, Bikramjeet put himself to the test by signing up for the Auckland Startup Weekend.

The weekend brings together Auckland designers, developers, entrepreneurs, and experts from all domains to bring their ideas to reality during a 54-hour challenge.   

Bikramjeet belongs to the Sikh religion and says he enjoyed a versatile upbringing in southern India, a land of diverse cultures.

His previous work includes contributing to the growth of the payments application Google Pay by facilitating product development and launching user-engagement features.

“This app simplifies digital payments and is on the road to achieving a billion users. The most exciting part was experiencing the impact it made in the real world through user engagement and behaviour stats,” says Bikramjeet.

 After he graduates, Bikramjeet wants to develop a software product for a specific industry which will simplify its operational challenges.

“This path shall begin with gaining experience in product development projects and project management.”

He enjoys connecting with others and hopes to develop a community of like-minded people to pursue his goals alongside.

Bikramjeet’s advice to new students is to take things one day at a time. 

“Every sunrise is a new day to you. It is important to appreciate yourself for being here in a new country and to take small steps towards your goal and vision.”

Students should also remember that they are here to study and develop themselves, he says. There would be plenty of opportunities to make money after that.

 “Focus on developing your skills and nurture yourself with everything New Zealand has to offer.”