Classes

Well it is now Thursday on Week two and I've actually had a little class time...so I figured it's about time to talk a bit about that.

First of all...Rooms Division Management.

Actually, first of all...a little background.

The first and second year students do have classroom time beyond just cooking and serving...and those classes aren't all about those subjects too. They take HR type classes, room division, marketing, etc etc. I take those classes too...but "upper level" so to speak. And this is what I've learned so far...

School here is easy. Very easy. I guess in the prior years the students never had to really write essays, or papers, or do any real serious thinking. Tests were multiple choice, fill in the blank...weak sauce.

But there is one slight problem. The problem is that the teachers are assuming that we all retained our knowledge from the prior semesters in these classes. Obviously I didn't. But, as perhaps you shall soon see, that isn't a problem in the slightest.

First class...Room Divisions Management.
From what I understand RDM (don't want to type too much) is basicially about the person that deals with the rooms in the hotel...the housekeeping staff, guest complaints regarding rooms and equipment, the stuff that goes in the rooms, etc. Not bad. Interesting stuff. I don't have any real plans to be a hotel manager...but hey, it'll come in handy.

With 110+ HOIII students we are divided up into 4 "classes"...M1, M2, M3, M4. I'm in M1 and all of us have the same classes at the same time. Same with M2. Simple. Efficient. Swiss.

Anyway I've got a couple jokers in my class...two guys from Mexico that really desperately and painfully need to be the center of attention. It's cute in a 12 year old sort of way. I don't mind much. I'm the quiet (and as I've discovered) intelligent American.

So RDM was fine...the teacher is German and worked in yada and tought for yada and knows his stuff. We've got a midterm, a final...and that is it. No homework. Cake.

The other class I've had so far is Contemporary World Issues. This is divided up into 5 sections of 4 weeks each...International Relations, Art, Culture, Sociology, and Environmental Ethics (the Swiss are big on the environment). I'm in International Relations.

Perhaps I'm a bit sensitive to this...but wow did it seem that America got singled out quite a bit in class discussion. Perhaps it is because we've got our nose in EVERYTHING around the world. But being the only citizen of the good old U S of A in that class...it was odd. But I'm rather excited about this class...it is very Poly Sci and I dig that stuff.

Economics...now that was interesting. A Scottish bad ass teaches it. He layed the law down.
"Be a smart ass...points off"
"Be an idiot...points off"
"If you, yes you...loud kid...talk one more time...points off"

It put a huge smile on my face.

The class is primarily Macroeconomics. No homework. A midterm and final. Cake.

I also had Hospitality Marketing...taught by a rather wild and crazy Italian. He is awesome actually. He told us to not whisper in class...just pass notes instead. Again the two Mexicans were acting up...so he stopped lecture and said this...
"Ladies, I need to ask you to do the men in here a favor. Obviously the men are in dire need of sexual release due to their unruley behavior. Therefore it is your duty to have sex with them."

I am not in America anymore! Say that in an American university and hello lawsuit. Amazing. I love it.

This morning I was to have Human Resources Management...but for some reason it was cancelled. I've no clue why.

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America comes up as an example often in class....ie "The European style is X, the American style is Y".
"In Asia you need to do Z, in America you HAVE to do A"
In other words...we are still a major focus in the world market. I rather like that.

But there are things that are associated with us...
-Sue happy. Quite often teachers will make mention of this.
-PC...politically correct. People here generally are not, but like to mention that America is.
-Money driven...everything we do is for money, making more money, losing as little money as possible...that we care more about filling rooms and less about giving a good meal.