Studying in Australia
Taste of India
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Shanky, a Master’s student from India, joins the Sydney Campus at BMIHMS for his first term.His parents were originally from South India but relocated to Chandigarh in North India, where Shanky was born and raised.The game of cricket is one of the most popular sports in India and before pursuing his hospitality career, Shanky played cricket professionally. |
First introduced to the game at the age of 10, Shanky started playing cricket competitively at the age of 14 at school and district levels. At 16, he entered the open-state level where he represented his state of Chandigarh. From 18 to 19, Shanky competed at the national level again representing Chandigarh in the Pataudi Trophy, which is one of the professional leagues of Indian cricket.
While he has great love for the game, Shanky decided to focus on his education rather than a professional cricket career. He believed playing professionally consumed too much time and was more about the connections and politics. He wanted to build a career that allows for traveling opportunities, while at the same time has ample room for upward growth. With the substantial and continual growth in hospitality, he believed this industry had better opportunities and more secure career paths. Shanky earned his Bachelor’s degree in hospitality in India, completed a management-trainee program with Accor, and just recently moved to Sydney to start his Master’s degree here at Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School. He wanted to be part of the number 1 hotel school in the Australia and Asia Pacific!
i <3 coffee
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Check out the coffee at the renowned Single Origin Roasters! Sit down and enjoy one of their food items or just have a friendly chat with their famous baristas. 60-64 Reservoir Street, Surry Hills Phone: 02 9211 0665www.singleorigin.com.au/ |
Tired of the same coffee from Starbucks or Gloria Jeans? It may surprise you to know that Australia has some of the best coffee and baristas in the world! In an age where global corporations are taking over the markets, it is refreshing to see local companies serving quality products with sustainable practices.
Single Origin Roasters uses locally and ethically grown produce. They use a milk tap system to reduce plastic waste by 80% while at the same time increasing efficiency for the baristas. Sit in to enjoy one of their unique breakfast or lunch items. Or if you’re on the go, just stop by the sideshow next door to grab a quick ‘cup of joe’ to take-away. You can even purchase their coffee beans wholesale and take one of their workshops where they teach you how to make quality coffee at home. As a masters student, learning from one of the best at one of the city’s coolest places will be of interest.
What sets Single Origin Roasters apart from other coffee establishments is their passion. All staff members live for coffee and are very knowledgeable about their products. I was greeted with a big smile and my questions about coffee were answered. As a hospitality student, I am fortunate to be able to extend my learning in such great environments.
Sydney is filled with treasures just like this. While you are studying here at BMIHMS- Sydney campus and you need a boost to aid you in your studies, stop by Single Origin Roasters. I did and it was great!
Eric,
Year 1
Master International Hotel Management
BMIHMS Film interviewee: Jessica, Mexican bachelor student
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Joining us all the way from Mexico, the fabulous Jessica came to Australia to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Hotel and Resort Management. You may recognise her from the various campaigns and brochures posted on campus and online advertising the school.
Jessica faced a bit of a culture shock when she moved across the globe to live in Leura, but the multicultural environment and campus lifestyle became one of her greatest experiences. |
What was it like being interviewed by a film crew for the Blue Mountains film?
It was a very exciting and great experience. I am happy to be part of the production of this video.
Why did you choose to come to Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School?
I chose to come to BMIHMS because of the opportunity to study in a multicultural environment while getting actual work experience. Not only are we allowed to work casually while being a full-time student, the curriculum involves actual industry placements where we can gain real and relevant experience.
Describe your biggest learning experience while studying at Blue Mountains?
My biggest learning experience was managing the sudden change of living to a smaller, but nice, area. Campus life is was such a change of lifestyle and culture from what I was used to. The campus operated like an actual hotel and added to the education and experience I received at BMIHMS.
Favourite Australian activity?
My favourite activities included taking a walk in the Blue Mountains area and enjoying the natural scenery. Just being in the natural environment was very enjoyable.
What is your future career aspirations/goal?
I would like to get more experience in different sectors of the hotel business. This way, I will be able to choose the most suitable position and jump into a managerial position in the future.
BMIHMS Film interviewee: Sarah, American Masters student
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Sarah, now in her second term of her Master degree, comes to us from The United States. She has a background in marketing, but decided to enter the hospitality industry to pursue a career in event management.
Brimming with confidence and having clear career goals, Sarah was an ideal representation of the BMIHMS student body. |
What was it like being interviewed by a film crew for the Blue Mountains film?
It was a lot of fun! I had a really good time and everyone made me feel very comfortable.
Why did you choose to come to the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School?
I am interested in entering the Hospitality industry, and I love Sydney. It was the perfect combination of a great lifestyle mixed with a new and exciting career path.
Describe your biggest learning experience while studying at Blue Mountains?
This is a completely new industry for me so it has all been a learning experience. I’ve learned a lot just by meeting new people from different countries all around the globe.
Favourite Australian activity?
My favourite activities here are going to the beaches and taking coastal walks. Manly, Watson Bay, Bondi, and Coogee are just a few of the amazing beaches you can find here in Sydney.
What is your future career aspirations/goal?
I would like to go into Events Management and eventually be planning huge, massive events around the world. Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School is a great platform for starting this new career path.
BMIHMS Film interviewee: Harry, Australian bachelor student
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Our Australian student, Harry, shares his experiences with BMIHMS as a NSW resident and an Australian student. For many of his fellow international students that practically makes him a local, however Harry grew up in Thredbo a small rural, tourist town in NSW famous for its annual ski season and some distance from Leura.As well as being a great skier
Harry wants to be a great hotelier. He is currently on placement after 2 terms in Leura and has aspirations to finish his studies at our International Partnership School in Marbella, Spain. |
What was it like being interviewed by a film crew for the Blue Mountains film?
Being interviewed by the film crew for the Blue Mountains International Hotel School was very daunting at first. However, the director and the marketing team made me feel very comfortable. It was also a great opportunity to share my experiences with many potential students.
Why did you choose to come to Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School?
The reason I chose the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School was based on the university’s reputation, both nationally and internationally. BMIHMS offers the theoretical background at a bachelor’s level coupled with the practical skills needed in such a dynamic industry.
Describe your biggest learning experience while studying at Blue Mountains?
My biggest learning experience while at BMIHMS was definitely in the kitchen. Before I arrived I could hardly boil water let alone an egg, but with the guidance of industry leading professionals I have found a passion for cooking various cuisines in various dining styles.
Favourite Australian activity?
I am lucky to have been exposed to many of the extremes Australia has to offer. I have a love for the white sand beaches up and down the coasts of Australia, my favourite being Byron Bay. However, recently I have become quiet fond of skiing the slops of Thredbo and Perisha.
What is your future career aspirations/goal?
My future career aspirations are to join a five star hotel chain work and travel the globe. I have a profound passion for food and beverage and the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School has equipped me with the essential training to grow in this field.
BMIHMS Film interviewee: Oat, Thai bachelor student
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Oat, our campus superstar, joins us all the way from Thailand. A little reluctant at first, Oat was a hidden gem and worked with our film crew like a true professional. His interview was conducted outside in the gardens at the Leura Campus of the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School during his second term as an undergraduate student.
He is currently out on his first placement as part of his Bachelor in Business. Oat is driven and his career direction clear. His is on his way to fulfill his dream of being a General Manager for a five-star hotel. |
What was it like being interviewed by a film crew for the Blue Mountains film?
I was quite nervous at first, however the entire team made me feel really comfortable with the role. I felt like a superstar for an hour!
Why did you choose to come to Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School?
The School’s strong brand name and reputation meant that there’s a certain degree of quality guaranteed to it. Its location away from the distractions of a big city, but still close enough to commute to Sydney, is also another factor that appealed to me.
Describe your biggest learning experience while studying at Blue Mountains?
This must be the practical work that I have done in Food and Beverage, Housekeeping, and Front Office. Working in the kitchen with qualified chefs and dealing with pressures and demands was a unique experience. These hands-on work sessions over the 2 terms were the hardest and biggest learning experiences.
What is your future career aspirations/goal?
. . . and you will see on the film (: I see myself as a General Manager one day of a well-recognised and well-established hotel brand, while working and living all over the world.
Introducing our New Marketing Ambassador
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Eric Yang joins us from Los Angeles, California. He is a first-term master student at Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School in Sydney, Australia.
Welcome from the BM Marketing team! |
My name is Eric and I’m 27 years old. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Community and Regional Development.
When I decided to pursue a hospitality education, my first thought was to look at schools in the United States. What I have noticed about these schools is that they lack an international perspective. I wanted to have the skills and opportunities to work anywhere in the world. After searching through schools in Switzerland, Europe, and Asia I came across Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School in Sydney, Australia. The school looked perfect and exactly what I was looking for in a hospitality degree program.
BMIHMS uses a 3 pillar approach in their curriculum which encompasses personal development, academic achievment, and practical experience. These pillars are precisely the reason I wanted to attend Blue Mountains Hotel School. Hospitality programs in the United States often only focus on the academics. I want to broaden my learning experiences and be able to work on an international level, and I believe Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School will do just that.
I admit the Swiss model of education and the national/ state accreditations were appealing. However most of all I knew having spent a year in Sydney on working holiday, that this would be an amazing place to study and learn. What better place than one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world?
I’m very excited to be here in Sydney and looking forward to serving the Sydney campus as their first marketing ambassador!
Watch this space,
Eric, USA
Master of International Hotel Management,
year 1
One journey ends, another begins
 Blue Mountains recent graduate, Sonia |
Hi everyone,I am Sonia. I just graduated from Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School with a Bachelor of Business in Hotel and Resort Management. This degree was a pretty exciting and interesting time of my life.My family is originally from Vietnam, but I was born in Moscow, Russia. I spent 11 years of my life in Russia and 6 years in Vietnam, which has given me an interesting and exciting cultural background. |
What made me come to study in Australia you ask??? . . . because I wanted to meet people from different cultural backgrounds. Australia seemed a perfect destination. My choice of the school was hugely influential in my decision-making. I always wanted to study in a prestigious hotel school, one that could teach me all the operating skills to become a great hotel manager. The Blue Mountains Hotel Management School was my first choice and still remains one of the best choices of my life.
I started my university life when I was just 17 and a half, which made me ‘The youngest sister of my intake’.
Because of my young age I had to alter the program slightly from others in my intake and lived off campus in homestay for 6 months. Homestay was great! I experienced living with a true Aussie family. When I turned 18 I joined my peers and enjoyed the campus life with all its fun. Some of my friends still tease me about my time being underage, but I know it gave me to have the unique experience to enjoy time with my Aussie family and appreciate the ‘crazy’ student life at the same time.
Industry placements were a highlight and an exciting part of my degree. They allowed experiencing further areas of Australia and added to the whole Blue Mountains experience. My first internship was in various Food and Beverage outlets at the Hyatt, Perth. The second I worked in Cairns, Queensland as a receptionist for the Novotel. Both industry placements gave me not only great working experience, but also a lot of travelling. I went to Margaret River, Fremantle and other cool destinations in Western Australia. Cairns gave me some great adventurous experiences. I tried sky diving, scuba diving and went to explore Great Barrier Reef and Queensland’s many islands and rainforests. I met a shark during one of my scuba dives. It was pretty scary I reckon. I even swam with wild dolphins!
Of course my last year studying in Sydney was quite busy. However I still tried to find some time to have some fun. I went to learn surfing with my Irish housemate. I did fall from the board quite a few times and nearly hit couple of people. But my friend thinks that I have some ‘hidden’ talent and should persist.
Alongside all these fabulous experiences I achieved my original goal. I met so many different people in these places. I made friends with not only Australian locals, but with a lot of international people. I gained essential experiences and skills to make my hospitality career a reality.
Sadly after 2.5 years living and studying in Australia my time is up! I am no longer a student but a graduate. ‘One journey ends and another begins’. I am starting this journey . I may end up in Dubai – one of the most modern cities of the world, or in the Maldives to develop my skills in scuba diving and surfing (:
Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School in Australia has been one of my greatest choices of my life. It not only made me stronger and smarter, but also gave me some great life experiences.
You never know where you will end up next.
With love,
Sonia
BMIHMS Hotel and Resort Management Graduate
5 Star concierge services on Sydney campus
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As a member of staff I meet students everyday from all over the world with stories that inspire. Today I wish to introduce Pedro.
Pedro Ribeiro is Portuguese he traveled to Australia to become an undergraduate student of the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School (BMIHMS). Keen to study Hotel and Resort Management he has left his legacy on the Sydney campus through his introduction |
From an academic family, they were initially skeptical of his career choice. Hospitality is not a common career path for the Portuguese. However, Pedro proved how passionate he was about the hospitality industry with strong beliefs in the benefits to his career, International travel being a key consideration. Pedro opted for big hotel chains, as he could see how his career would progress quickly.
Pedro chose to study in Australia undertaking the Bachelor of Business program at BMIHMS a prestigious hospitality degree with two practical internships offered. Undertaking his first internship in Agsana, a Great Barrier Reef Resort (part of Thai Banyan Tree brand) allowed him to learn ‘hands on’ about food and beverage/restaurant management within a resort. He happily discovered the working conditions in Australia were fantastic. The level of transparency from management, hours and pay were considerably appealing. Pedro never looked back about his decision.
His second internship, in Rooms Division, at the Hotel Intercontinental Sydney, Pedro was offered a casual position, where he currently works now– post graduation. Pedro works within concierge services at this 5-star hotel as a porter. A hotelier’s customer service skills working at their highest. Pedro works at an elite level of guest services.
Applying his skills into a new initiative Pedro introduced a concierge service to students and staff of BMIHMS Sydney Campus. This service was developed to make both student and staff’s life easier. The services include dry cleaning, restaurant and table booking, postage and city information about Sydney. Pedro even found a suitable babysitter for one of the staff member!
A service skill taught at our practical learning center on Leura campus now operates in full swing on our city campus. Sadly for us, Pedro must now hand over the reigns of his initiative to Eitan Swartz, South African/Australian student who will now manage the position.
Both staff and students alike will remember Pedro’s bright personality, skills and dedication to customer service. We all wish him all the best in his future career.
Gabrielle BM
Terracotta Warriors- a symbol of my home
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Hi, everyone! My name is Jiahuizi Li. It is hard to be pronounced so I prefer you call me Vicky. I come from Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, the northwest part of China. Maybe you don’t know where it is but if I say the Terra-Cotta Warriors, those ‘fake soldiers’, any impression? |
As part of the new series of blogs from the Sydney Campus I would like to introduce Vicky a third year student with much enthusiasm.
I started my hospitality major in Jin Jiang Les Roches, Shanghai, China and I have completed Year 1 and Year 2 there. After that, I transferred to Kendall College, Chicago, USA to continue my Year 3 study. That was my first experience being aboard and…yeah, there were many difficulties but a lot of fun as well. And now, I am in Australia and studying at the Blue Mountains Hotel Management School. Sometimes I don’t even believe that I am here already, but yes, I am in this amazing country right now, and I just love studying in Sydney!!!
Blue sky, fresh air, beaches and all those nature beautiful sights, this is the city I always imagined before and it is so true when I reached here. I thought food would be a big problem to every international student due to my previous experience, however, in Sydney, you can just find everything you would like to eat, and they are all nice! Just a warning for anyone contemplating to transfer I have gained weight since I came here.
The most exciting thing I did is hugging a Koala!! They are just so cute and I think it is one activity that should be on the ‘MUST TO DO LIST’ in Australia. Well, another thing I just knew is that Kangaroo can be eaten because it is normal food here. I thought Australians might also eat Koalas but fortunately, I was wrong but I still feel very sorry for the kangaroos…
My new journey has just started and I need to discover more. Wanna join me? You will be welcome to Australia!!!
Vicky
China
Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School
3rd Year Bachelor in International Hotel Management