Pulkit Chawla - Diploma in Engineering (Level 6) - Civil Engineering

"Engineering is in the family. My father is a mechanical engineer. Both my uncles are civil engineers. My grandfather he was an electrical engineer. Both my other cousins, they live back in India, they are software engineers, and my brother, he's a civil engineer as well. So, I guess I could say engineering is in the blood.”

Pulkit (Pally) Chawla is a recent graduate of our Diploma in Engineering (Level 6) – Civil Engineering. He enroled as an international student and moved to New Zealand, joining his brother who was already living in Whangārei. Since completing the qualification, Pally has taken on a role at the Whangārei District Council as a Building Control Officer.

“It’s not directly engineering,” Pally says about the position. “But I would say my diploma has provided me with skills that I use in the role. I was working as a graduate engineer in my previous job and the skills from that job and the qualifications have been relevant to this position. They created a good base for me and after the initial training in my new role I am now able to use those skills.”

“One of the main things I enjoyed about the course was the practical elements. This is actually one of the things that attracted me to New Zealand education in the first place. There is a very real focus on the physical, practical elements of learning. There is still obviously the theory side as well, however, it’s not just based on the theory.”

“I would have to also say the support I received was very important. The tutors were all really good at supporting students. Not just academically but emotionally as well. I found my last year difficult; I was a bit burnt out by working and studying at the same time and everyone was there to support me. The international team was also very supportive. They also planned cultural events, like the Holy festival, which makes it feel like home.”

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