Oliver Ruan

The growing importance of data analysis, as well as a competitive streak, led Oliver to a Bachelor of Science in Statistics.

“I saw the role that data played in our modern world and knew it was a good idea to further educate myself on the subject.”

Oliver has found that we need a firm understanding of the theory and processes behind the analyses we make in order to present comprehensive reports.

“My coursework has explored a range of topics and included the use of R. Key learning objectives have included understanding and deriving a range of statistical distributions and maximum likelihood estimates, carrying out large sample tests in both frequentist and Bayesian settings, fitting various models and presenting the output in a logical and comprehensive way. I am barely halfway through my programme and I am still excited to see what the next two trimesters have to offer.”

Oliver has also been working as a tutor within the School of Mathematics and Statistics and the School of Economics and Finance while undertaking his studies. The experience of teaching others about his passion has been personally rewarding. “This has been a great way to solidify my understanding of basic statistical concepts. It has also been rewarding to see students become more confident in their abilities. Students always find these programmes (excel/SAS) to be intimidating and so being able to successfully guide them through is a great honour.”

The passion shown by his lecturers in their chosen fields of study was something that Oliver has related to. “Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington is known for its research capabilities and talented lecturers. What better way to capitalise on this than to learn from the best in the business?”

This combination of passion and competitive drive to learn more is what drew him towards this programme. “A friend of mine has graduated with his Master in Applied Statistics from the University and has gone on to become very successful in his field. I hope to do the same once I graduate.”