Graduates 2002

Kien Luu Thrung

“I came to La Trobe University, Bendigo in February 1998 to undertake a four-year Civil Engineering Course. Coming from overseas, I did not have any knowledge about either Bendigo or the University. When I first came here and saw the campus with my own eyes, my initial thought was that Bendigo would not live up to my expectations of an Australian University. However, I soon realised how much La Trobe University, Bendigo and its Engineering Department had to offer.

“Civil Engineering is a small course in Bendigo – there is no doubt about it. It is, however, the small sized classes that bring so many advantages to students when compared to the larger universities in Melbourne. Small classes mean more student contact with the lecturers and it's really easy here to find lecturers when you need them. My friends at RMIT or Melbourne University often told me that they normally had to wait most of the afternoon to catch a lecturer just to ask a question. I considered myself lucky to have come to the Bendigo campus, as waiting a whole afternoon just to ask one question could have easily frustrated me.

“The lecturers at Bendigo have been a terrific help to me, an overseas student, since my arrival in Bendigo. I often talked to them, even if I had personal issues, and often received invaluable advice of how to deal with these issues. I truly think that the lecturers at Bendigo have greatly contributed to my personal development and growth.

“The Civil Engineering course structure and integrated industrial placement are quite appropriate in that they equip students with sufficient knowledge in most of the fundamental areas of Civil Engineering. It is then up to students to pursue their future career in Engineering by either becoming a practicing Professional Engineer or further their studies. I personally would like a bit of both. Other campus facilities such as computer labs, library, student union etc are also just brilliant.

“Bendigo has everything you need from Myers to McDonalds, KFC and Hungry Jacks. It, however, still has a strong flavour of countryside. Bendigo is also quite close to Melbourne so you can easily get down there for a day trip if you need some changes. More importantly, Bendigo provides a perfect study environment.

“I have now completed my Bachelor of Engineering degree and have been working for Singleton-Bahen-Stansfield, a consulting engineering company in Bendigo, as a Design Engineer. Most of my works have been small to medium-sized subdivisions, which included road, drainage, water, sewerage designs. I have also been involved with various large-scaled drainage study projects. These works have been new experiences for me. My current goal is to come back to university to further my studies.