Hi, everyone! My name is Maria and I’m currently doing a bachelor’s degree in International Hospitality Management. Being an international student, as well as a first-year undergraduate student, I am quite familiar with the amount of emotions one might feel at the prospect of choosing to follow a course abroad. Although uncertain at first, after one semester spent here, I now have no doubt in my mind that Bournemouth University was the right choice for me.
Why BU?
I chose this particular subject area because I am interested in all areas of Hospitality, it is related to pretty much everything we do: from going to new destinations, using different modes of transportation and checking-in at small or large chain hotels to delving into the inner knowledge of food handling from Farm to Fork. Communication is key when it comes to this course, having already done quite an amount of group presentations where you get to know and work with people from all parts of the world. The teaching staff makes sure you get all the support you need, especially working in various teams throughout the years means developing our team work skills from the start.
Top Accreditations
When it comes to what convinced me in placing Bournemouth University at the top of my list, was the vast number of accreditations this particular course holds: Institute of Data and Marketing, World Tourism Organisation and the Institute of Hospitality (to name a few), ranked top 10 in the world. Moreover, the opportunity for a placement in the 3rd year of study raises the chances of finding a job quickly. Speaking of which, over 80% of students manage to secure a place to work at in the first six months after they graduate*. If this doesn’t sound like a promising path just yet, here is a taste of what I experienced for the first few months at BU.
Getting out of the Classroom
The faculty professors organised a trip to Brownsea Island in the induction week, giving us the opportunity to speak to National Trust members with the purpose of having a clear understanding that the Hospitality domain doesn’t only refer to hotels. After a 45-minute ferry ride from Poole, we were tasked with exploring the land, chatting with the volunteers that help maintain the island and keeping an eye out for the endangered red squirrels (found only on Brownsea Island and the Isle of Wight). I was pleasantly surprised when I realised that this was only the beginning of a hands-on experience.
Hands On Experience
Because we are preparing to be potential food handlers, the best way to truly be familiar with the risks and safety hazards is to actually go into a lab and document the changes between various raw and stale products. One time, we were tasked with taking samples of hair, skin and nails to determine what the differences are between a normal level of certain bacteria, found in the body and other harmful bacteria coming from different sources.
That being said, I genuinely cannot wait to see what the 2nd semester has in store for me. If you are the sort of person that is communicative and puts their ideas into practice, then Bournemouth University is certainly the place for you.
Why you should study Multimedia Journalism at BU
How to get ready for uni over the Summer
My experience at the Tourism and Hospitality Fusion Summit 2019
Studying English at BU, is it for you?
