Desmond Wong

Meet Desmond Wong , a current Monash College student with a candid view on adapting to life away from home and family.

Name: Desmond Wong Kit-Keong

Country: Malaysia

Course: Diploma of Commerce ( Monash College )

Why Melbourne?

I decided to study in Melbourne because of the great experiences and cultural diversity. I also wanted a country that is not too near and not too far from my home country, Malaysia .

Why Monash University?

After consulting the advisers at the Monash campus in Malaysia , I was convinced that Monash University would be ideal. Monash University is one of the top universities in Australia and the world. It also allows you to live in a truly campus lifestyle where you bond with your mates through the semester.

What do you enjoy most about studying in Monash?

The great friends I've made since I arrived in Australia . The classes are smaller, which allows me to pay attention in class better. The tutors are really helpful and friendly and they are all trained professionals. The study atmosphere and environment is great. Besides that, Monash has a wide variety of academic resources to help our study and course work.

What issues did you encounter when you first came here?

I'm not used to eating Western food daily and it really upset my appetite. But after a couple of weeks, I gradually adapted and am beginning to appreciate the different kinds of food in Australia . Another major issue was doing laundry. I'd never washed my own clothes before and I ended up dumping everything into the machine. This caused my clothes to decolourise and it was a bit of a disaster. There were also other issues like home-sickness and culture shock but I was able to overcome that.