James Cooper

Socrates said: “I cannot teach anybody anything; I can only make them think.”

For Toi Ohomai graduate James Cooper, thinking skills such as questioning, communicating and collaborating, has been some of the most valuable things he learned while completing his Graduate Diploma in Software Development. 

“Learning to effectively communicate, face and resolve conflict, lead and follow in a team environment, question the box and think outside it, and bounce back from failure are invaluable skills for long-term success - it’s not all about grades.”

James graduated in 2019 and is sharing his knowledge with the next generation of innovators in his new role as a secondary school digital technology and mathematics teacher. 

“With my new understanding of how websites, applications, and databases work, I’m also working on a couple of digital side projects in my spare time,” says James.  

Living in Rotorua, Toi Ohomai was an obvious choice for James when he decided to further his studies, however he said it wasn’t without its challenges. 

“When I decided to return to study, I knew I was going to need my family’s support. Returning to study was not as easy as I thought it would be, especially working on group projects. 

“Everyone comes from different backgrounds and have settled in to a certain way of doing things. With circumstances at home, mindsets, work ethics and goals that differ from person to person, we had to work hard to align these aspects in order to produce something that everyone felt good about.

“Again, in the end, it proved to be an amazing learning experience and a great way to develop those soft skills.”

James says working with industry players on real projects helped open his eyes to what would be expected of him in his job. 

“I was fortunate to work on a project that involved designing and building an application for a real-life client, which was awesome. It seemed to be a very different experience than simply working for fictional client. It gave me a more realistic understanding of what an industry-grade piece of software would need to be like.”

James says he plans to incorporate some of the software that he used during his studies to help develop a meaningful senior digital program at the school he’s currently working at. 

“I will also continue working on my online business endeavours.”

James has encouraging words for those who wish to return to study or continue their studies, especially after spending a few years in industry. 

“You can definitely teach an old dog new tricks, so it isn’t too late. As long as that dog puts in the effort,” he says.