Chris (BSc/BCA) - Victoria University of Wellington

Chris Sissons

Bachelor of Commerce and Administration (Honours) in Economics

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As a secondary school student, Chris Sissons set big career goals and chose Victoria as the university that could help him achieve them.

Chris gained a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration at Victoria and went on to study for Honours in Economics.

“Commerce and economics were my favourite subjects in my senior years at secondary school and logical choices when I enrolled at university. There is no way to avoid the economy and it’s something everyone should know something about. A lot of the models you learn about are the ones being used by major institutions in the New Zealand economy, such as the Reserve Bank.”

In his first years of study, Chris aspired to being Governor of the Reserve Bank but his current plan is to become part of an elite group of actuaries, business professionals who analyse the financial consequences of risk. There are only about 100-fully trained and registered actuaries in New Zealand.

“My goal changed after I took some Mathematics courses and realised I really liked that strand of economics,” says Chris.

Victoria was top choice for Chris, partly because it is home to the Reserve Bank, Parliament and Head Offices of many large companies.

“I’ve also found the lecturers really helpful. You can just walk into someone’s office and ask a question—they are easy to contact during the day and after hours.”

Plenty of computers and a good library are other advantages of Victoria boasts.

Chris is earning extra money by tutoring undergraduate students and has also been offered a research assistant position by one of his lecturers.

“I’d recommend Victoria. I’ve had a really good experience and there is nothing I would change about my tertiary study.”

Chris advises new students not to underestimate the time required for university study. “Lectures might only take a few hours each week but don’t be fooled into thinking the rest of your days are free. I’ve earned good marks because I have put in the time. The more you put in, the more you get out of university.”

Chris is well on his way to reaching his goals he set while at university. He is currently working as an analyst at a firm of consulting actuaries and is progressing through the actuarial exams in order to become a qualified actuary.