I have chosen to share with you my opinion about Gen Z and higher education and the article “How Generation Z Is Shaping The Change In Education” written by Sieva Kozinsky as it influences me a lot and that exactly the reason why I choose to study abroad in Switzerland, Hotel Institute Montreux for my bachelor degree.
Generation Z just like us have finally finished the high school education, and now is the time for us to consider what they are going to study in the nearly future. In fact, there are many areas and specialisations to choose in the future. But I have chosen Switzerland as my destination because Switzerland like no other, it is the ledger of the hospitality, has an incredible reputation for offering the finest hospitality education.
But why Hotel Institute Montreux? It is really simple, Hotel Institute Montreux is a world class Swiss hospitality business school that can allow us to explore with the combination of the traditional Swiss hospitality know-how and the American business studies which can well-equipped ourselves to be the future hoteliers.
Hotel Institute Montreux situated in the bustling part of the Switzerland, Montreux, which is is one of the French Speaking part city, located in this beautiful city, along the stunning lake Leman, full of fun and lifestyle. In here, you can find there are many tourists attraction and events like Montreux Jazz Festival, we can be beneficial to that and have a work-life balance in our daily life, listen to jazz music and have some dances. Not only projects and exams, we can participate different activities in order to enrich our experiences.
Furthermore, with the easy access to the European countries, we can have a variety of admirable boundless travel opportunities to see the world, like in the previous terms, I have been to Paris, Nice and Barcelona, these opportunities allow me to get in depth with different European heritage and culture.
Studying abroad, especially study in a hospitality international school, it is a once-in-a lifetime experience!
Studying abroad, especially study in a hospitality international school, it is a once-in-a lifetime experience allow me to make new friends from different backgrounds and nationalities all around the world. It can strengthen my personal relationships and build the important networking tools for my future career. And I have boosted my English Skill with the daily usage.
Thank you for the unique Hotel Institute Montreux curriculum, while finishing the bachelor degree, we can receive the double degree awarded by Hotel Institute Montreux and the Northwood University that admirable by the future Hotel companies. It award us the degree with the specializations. We can according to our preference to choose between Finance, Human Resources or Luxury Marketing and business Management which can allow ourselves to choose to focus in the future career. For me, I have chosen luxury management, it is really interesting comparing to the other specialisations, having discussions, talking about brands, we have the opportunity to do the Tag Heuer visit.
Most of the Gen Z just like us love learnt best by doing, so the programs are suitable for them. Thank you Hotel Institute Montreux: the students can be offered with the combinations of the theoretical knowledge and the hands-on skill as well.
For the academic part, we will learn about the front of the house including Housekeeping, and Front Office Management etc. Also, we learn about the back of the house, like Human Resources, Marketing and also the Financial and Accounting perspective. These knowledge could be get used and applied in the future hotel industry. As an example, in the Front Office lessons, students need to get used with the technology to practice how to handle with a check in guest with different requests and during my internship, I am able to use Opera to check the guests details and handling guests requests.
Thank you Hotel Institute Montreux: the study life in this school is not only sitting in the classrooms, in front of the lecturer and taking notes. As nowadays Gen Z will feel that it was boring. We have to take part in the services practice that can well equipped themselves with the Food and Beverage knowledge and the food handling process.
Moreover, we have to organize an event with a specific theme, from the decoration to the food, is all the process what we have to consider and plan by ourselves. Although sometimes it is challenging to hold a huge event. But throughout this event, I gained a lot from it, it raised the efficiency of teamwork, created friendships and learnt all the importances of an event. This kind of coursework will be more interesting for Gen Z just like us.
Last but not least, we have to do two internships, they are really valuable, thank you Hotel Institute Montreux, for offering me the chance to learn about the hotel operations strategies and applied what we have learnt in school to the real life. Finally I gained the work experience which will be useful in the future career.
To furthermore, the school has implemented the latest technologies in order to make a better study environment, all of the classrooms have installed the Apple TV as well as the airplay devices. iPad is the new teaching digital tool between the students and lecturers. During the lessons, we can get used of the iPad to read articles and passages to have group discussions and presentations to exchange viewpoints and opinions. It will raise more fun and interesting for the Gen Z just like us as we enjoy the interactive classrooms environment over the traditional teaching method. This kind of digital tools are beneficial for our studies and raised more interested.
For our future, we can reward from different career opportunities, it is not only limited to the hotel industries, graduates with a hospitality degree holder can also join the events planning and some tourism and business industry.
Author: Ms Sui Tung Leung, Hospitality Bachelor Student at Hotel Institute Montreux (HIM), from Hong Kong.