Thileena Jayakody loves Accounting

According to Thileena, Dunedin has more in common with tropical Sri Lanka than one might expect.

“It's so calm here. The geography, the people, the culture, it’s all similar to Sri Lanka.”

The Bachelor of Accounting student is in her second year at Otago Polytechnic. She had initially studied pre-med in Sri Lanka for a couple of months, before deciding that medicine was the wrong fit. But she knew her strong analytical skills would be useful in business. She tried marketing and HR programmes before landing on accounting.

“I realised accounting is my thing. I love numbers, I love detailing everything. I love it. I’m openly saying I love accounting.”

Thileena took a considered approach to choosing her programme and where she was going to study. She had looked into Canada (wrong climate), the UK (too crowded) and Australia (too busy), before deciding on New Zealand, and specifically Dunedin, because she wanted a smaller city with a relaxed atmosphere to “study peacefully”.

And why Otago Polytechnic? Thileena said she weighed up university and polytechnic study options. Since both offer the same qualification, the difference came down to learning style.

“The lecturers at Polytech are so close,” she explains. “We can talk to them, we can go to the reception and ask ‘can I talk to this lecturer?’ and they’re so available to us. We can talk to them through e-mail, Teams, Moodle. Some even give us their phone number.”

Thileena recounts an example from one of her first assignments, when she was still settling into study.

“English is not my first language. I didn't understand some of the terms and I was still adapting. Our first assignment was about Otago Museum, and I'm so new here, I don't know anything about the museum. I found the assignment confusing.

“But I messaged my lecturer, ‘Hey, I don't quite understand this sentence here. Can you explain it?’ And she explained it like in a really simple English. I said thank you so much. The lecturers are really helpful.”

That help extends beyond the lecturers. Thileena takes pride in being an A+ student, so she has gone to the Learning Advisors for help understanding how assignments are assessed and how to go the extra mile to get that top grade. This year, she’s a Peer Tutor, helping other students with their learning.  

She has taken advantage of other Student Success services, too.

“I was homesick last year and I got counselling. I'm still getting counselling. I'm not afraid to say that, because people need mental health support and Otago Polytechnic gives us that opportunity. And recently I went to the Career Advisors because next year I have to apply for internships, and they’ve been helpful as I prepare for next year.”

Along with making the most of every opportunity on campus, Thileena travels when she can. She has family in Invercargill and particularly enjoys visiting them whenever there’s a break. On longer breaks, she’s explored some of the other cities of the South Island.

“I’ve been to Christchurch, I’ve been to Queenstown. I went to Queenstown during summer, so I'm hoping to go to back during winter to get the full experience.”  

Another important aspect of the student experience is making friends – and Thileena has found plenty of great people.

“All of them really welcoming. I have a sense of belonging here. And it's so good. I feel like I’m from here, not an international student anymore. It’s awesome. I feel included here.”

Thileena describes grabbing food in the Hub, and enjoying late-night sessions with friends in the Robertson Library.

“We go home, get in our PJs and come back to study. We do roleplays and teach each other. I only go home to get ready for work, or to sleep.

“I’m always here, it’s so good here!”

Thileena’s goal is to become an external auditor, so she has set herself up to follow that path. Her advice to other international students is to think ahead and do plenty of research to make sure your studies will line up with your ambitions.

“Where will the qualification take you? For my Accounting degree, we have CA and CPA recognition, we can start a CPA qualification right after we graduate. So what are your goals, what will you get after you finish your studies – these are the things international students should be looking for.

“The best thing at Otago Polytechnic is that we have smaller classes, and a smaller amount of students. We can go to the lecturers and talk to them. They are great for international students, so come here and study, get the experience. You will love it.”

When asked if she has a favourite memory to share, Thileena laughs.

“Every memory, every experience I have, is a good memory for me.”