Student Profile: Gillian Tan Voon Ee, 19

Diploma in Hospitality and Tourism Management, KBU International College, Second year

My favourite hangout place is in the cafeteria of my college. I enjoy spending time with my friends there during breaks.

I love being a college student because the timing is more flexible and I can make new friends from different countries.

I know I made the right decision to study this course because it may be the best way for me to reach my goal which is to operate my own café one day.

Choosing my course

I chose this course because I’m an outgoing person. I love to travel, discover new things and places, and making new friends. Another reason I chose the course was due to my interest; it was my choice since high school. I believe that as long as we are interested in something, we can do it very well. This course suits me and I am enjoying it.

My course

The hospitality and tourism management course equips students with the knowledge and skills necessary to play supporting roles in different areas of the industry − front office, kitchen management, food and beverage service, etc. This course is useful for me to prepare for work in the industry because it involves a lot of training which might mirror the same situations in future work.

The best bits about my course

I enjoy practical classes the most, especially food and beverage service. During practical classes, we gain a lot of new experiences and improve our hospitality skills. Indirectly, it has improved my confidence in dealing with real customers.

My challenges

As a student, there are a lot of challenges in college. For me, the most challenging part was taking the responsibility to do my best in every assignment. Sometimes, there are miscommunications between group members. The best way to overcome the problem is to communicate with group members and show initiative in doing the assignments.

Extra-curricular activities

I participate in the English Chat Club of my college. It is a form of social activity for us to improve our English by speaking with native speakers from the US and also learn about their culture.

Looking ahead

I would like to further my studies in Australia after graduating from here. As my dream is to operate my own café, I wish to work in a catering and event company to gain experience first.

My advice

Choose a course that you have an interest in because you will give 100% effort if you are interested in it.