My personal reflection on the HTM330 course and my experience this semester
Coming into the semester as a third year Hospitality and Tourism Management student, I had high expectations for my classes and for myself. I was determined to get A's in all my classes, join an HTM organization on campus, and become more involved in the hospitality industry. Although I did not achieve my goal of gaining all A's this semester, I did pass all my classes. As for my other goals, I believe I have HTM330 to thank for allowing me to gain experience through volunteering at several events throughout the semester as well as connecting me with some students on the MESA board, who encouraged me to attend a couple MESA events throughout the semester.
At the beginning of the semester, I was very nervous about how I was going to be able to accomplish everything I needed to do schoolwork wise along with working a full time job. I had set high goals for myself to try and not only pass all my classes but also get A's in them. Being the naive young student who thought she could do it all, I hadn't realized how much time and effort would need to go into my schoolwork and how much time I wouldn't have due to working 5 days a week. I found it difficult to get involved in the HTM program because I didn't have the time to attend all meetings and events, however, after meeting some people in class who were part of MESA, I was always updated on the different events going on throughout the semester and was invited to attend.
During the semester, I did find it a little frustrating that I wasn't able to attend many meetings or events happening within the student orgs because I had to work. However, due to HTM330 requiring students to volunteer at events, I decided what better way to try and get involved than to volunteer at a MESA event to earn points for my volunteer hours. By combining my desire to join an organization and also my need to complete my class assignment, I had more of a reason to get involved and accomplish two things at once. Through this strategy I was able to learn about the BRICK Venue at the MESA BRICK Venue tour and also meet a few MESA board members. In addition, I was able to help make decorations and volunteer my time at the HRTM Showcase in which I learned a lot about planning an on campus event and was also able to meet more MESA board members.
Aside from my personal goals, I had no idea what to expect when signing up for the HTM330 course. After looking back at this past semester, I realized this course has taught me a lot. There was so much information given throughout the semester about event planning, logistics, and other aspects of events that never occurred to me before. Learning all the new vocabulary then volunteering at events and being able to see how these ideas are applied at actual events definitely helped me understand the breakdown of the event planning process and exactly how much detail goes into every event.
I think the biggest take away I retrieved from this HTM330 course were the lessons learned by the guest spears. It amazed me to see past HTM Alumni share their success stories and the lessons they learned a long the way. I thought learning from them and their experiences was a huge benefit for me especially since I hope to become a leader in the hospitality industry one day, just like them. Looking forward, I would like to take the knowledge I have gained from this course and volunteer at more events in the future, applying the details and information I was able to acquire this semester. I would also like to apply for a MESA board position for the next semester in order to ensure my involvement in the program and also build a network with my fellow HTM students.
Coming into the semester as a third year Hospitality and Tourism Management student, I had high expectations for my classes and for myself. I was determined to get A's in all my classes, join an HTM organization on campus, and become more involved in the hospitality industry. Although I did not achieve my goal of gaining all A's this semester, I did pass all my classes. As for my other goals, I believe I have HTM330 to thank for allowing me to gain experience through volunteering at several events throughout the semester as well as connecting me with some students on the MESA board, who encouraged me to attend a couple MESA events throughout the semester.
At the beginning of the semester, I was very nervous about how I was going to be able to accomplish everything I needed to do schoolwork wise along with working a full time job. I had set high goals for myself to try and not only pass all my classes but also get A's in them. Being the naive young student who thought she could do it all, I hadn't realized how much time and effort would need to go into my schoolwork and how much time I wouldn't have due to working 5 days a week. I found it difficult to get involved in the HTM program because I didn't have the time to attend all meetings and events, however, after meeting some people in class who were part of MESA, I was always updated on the different events going on throughout the semester and was invited to attend.
During the semester, I did find it a little frustrating that I wasn't able to attend many meetings or events happening within the student orgs because I had to work. However, due to HTM330 requiring students to volunteer at events, I decided what better way to try and get involved than to volunteer at a MESA event to earn points for my volunteer hours. By combining my desire to join an organization and also my need to complete my class assignment, I had more of a reason to get involved and accomplish two things at once. Through this strategy I was able to learn about the BRICK Venue at the MESA BRICK Venue tour and also meet a few MESA board members. In addition, I was able to help make decorations and volunteer my time at the HRTM Showcase in which I learned a lot about planning an on campus event and was also able to meet more MESA board members.
Aside from my personal goals, I had no idea what to expect when signing up for the HTM330 course. After looking back at this past semester, I realized this course has taught me a lot. There was so much information given throughout the semester about event planning, logistics, and other aspects of events that never occurred to me before. Learning all the new vocabulary then volunteering at events and being able to see how these ideas are applied at actual events definitely helped me understand the breakdown of the event planning process and exactly how much detail goes into every event.
I think the biggest take away I retrieved from this HTM330 course were the lessons learned by the guest spears. It amazed me to see past HTM Alumni share their success stories and the lessons they learned a long the way. I thought learning from them and their experiences was a huge benefit for me especially since I hope to become a leader in the hospitality industry one day, just like them. Looking forward, I would like to take the knowledge I have gained from this course and volunteer at more events in the future, applying the details and information I was able to acquire this semester. I would also like to apply for a MESA board position for the next semester in order to ensure my involvement in the program and also build a network with my fellow HTM students.