Huay Jun Poh

There are many benefits of study in rural Victoria, as Huay Jun Poh discovered in both her research and personal experience on the Monash Gippsland campus.

Name: Huay Jun Poh

Country: Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Degree: Bachelor of Business and Commerce (Honours)

Arriving in Gippsland

Huay Jun moved to Monash Gippsland from Monash Malaysia in 2004. Gippsland offered subjects that she was interested in, and Huay Jun was keen to experience overseas living.

When she first arrived, she was shocked by the different environment and culture, but soon adjusted, "I made new friends in almost 10 minutes of getting there!"

She found more to enthuse about on campus. "This place is terrific. The environment is good and the lack of traffic has saved a lot travelling time."

Study at Gippsland campus

Huay Jun's Honours thesis explored the international student experience in a regional area different to their home country.

She found that study in a rural area provided many advantages, including:

• a quiet and peaceful study environment, free from distractions
• approachable teaching and administration staff within a close, friendly community
• stronger friendships - rural students were more likely to develop 'real friendships' as part of their support system, compared to those in city campuses.

Huay Jun had similarly positive experiences as a Monash Gippsland student. "It was great being able to get close to lecturers and have a close relationship with them."

The small class sizes and friendly atmosphere gave Huay Jun more reason to stay on and continue her studies with a PhD.

Huay Jun currently lives in Churchill and hopes to finish her PhD next year.