3 MONTHS AT SHANNON COLLEGE OF HOTEL MANAGEMENT

Since childhood, I have always had an interest in the culinary field. It started with my mother who worked as a cook and I always really liked her cooking. However, because she worked quite far away and would only come home a few days a month, I could not eat his cooking every day. I felt that the food bought outside was not very satisfying, so I often cooked my food at home. As a consequence, cooking has become my hobby and even my passion. Apart from cooking, another thing that makes me happy is when I can please people with my cooking. Based on these things, I am sure to enter the world of hospitality.

In line with my major at Sriwijaya State Polytechnic, through the IISMA (Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards) Program 2023 I chose to spend one semester at Shannon

College of Hotel Management. It was founded in 1951 and Its graduates have made a major contribution to the development of the Hospitality and Tourism Industry in Ireland as well as international achievements. Nowadays, SCHM (Shannon College of Hotel Management) has grown from a small private college to a school in the top 2% of universities in the world. In 2015, Shannon College merged with the University of Galway and became one of three Schools within the University’s Faculty of Business, Public Policy, and Law.

At SCHM, they apply a direct practical learning system. During the orientation period, students are exposed to important information, ones of which are a list of class names and lesson schedules. Shannon College divides the classes into 5 those are Alsace, Beaujolais, Chablis, Dezaly, and Epernay. Meanwhile, the lesson schedule is divided into two types, namely practical classes and theory classes. For the first semester, there are five practical classes that each class must take. Using a rotation system, Alsace, Beaujolais, Chablis, Dezaly, and Epernay take turns attending five practical classes for six days per practical class. These classes are Life Skills, Kitchen, Restaurant

Service, Accommodation Services, and Information Technology. Meanwhile, theory classes such as accounting and management are held together for all students in a large classroom called Forte or Banfi.

My intention is to become a real hotelier who can work according to international standards.

By participating in the IISMA Program, I managed to receive firsthand hospitality experience from the experts at SCHM. henceforward, I want to continue to help many people in the same field as me. In the near future, I want to become a mentor for juniors as well as introduce Shannon College so that they can get the same opportunities as me. Furthermore, I want to work applying what I have learned in hotels throughout Indonesia.

EXPERIENCE

During my three months at Shannon College, I did and experienced many valuable things. The three things that have the most lasting impression on my heart are that I studied in Practical and Industrial-based Classes, participated in the Indonesian Night event, and had the opportunity to visit Adare Manor, one of the best resorts in the world.

Practical and industrial-based Classes

The learning system at SCHM is to apply industry-based learning and this is exactly what made me fall in love with Shannon College. Life Skill, Kitchen, Restaurant Services, Accommodation Services, and Information Technology are the five practical classes that the first

semester student must take. one practical class will take six days in a row, and only then will it continue with the next class. for example, in the first week of class Beaujolais will be in the kitchen for six days in a row, while Chablis will be in Restaurant Service at the same time and so on. During these six days, students will learn and experience real hospitality firsthand. The best practice class to use as an example is kitchen and restaurant service. while Beaujolais cooks preparing food in the kitchen, Chablis will be in the restaurant and prepare the restaurant to be a place that can be used according to the standards of fine dining in a five-star hotel. at one in the afternoon, when it is time for lunch, the students will start to get busy serving guests who come from other students, staff, teachers and lecturers, campus guests, and alumni. By only

paying 5 euros, these guests can experience a complete fine dining experience starting from starter, main course, and dessert. Likewise with other practical classes. housekeeping classes are held at the airport hotel, Park In, while Information Technology and Life Skills are held in classrooms and computer labs.

Indonesian Night 2023

Indonesian Night 2023 is one of the events that we, awardees, are holding with the aim of introducing Indonesian culture in Ireland, especially at Shannon College. The name Indonesian Night is inspired by the name “Pasar Malam” which refers to a festival or carnival where there are usually children’s games and some classic snacks and local traditional food. In accordance with this explanation, at this event, we were proud to bring and introduce several goods and foods that are typical of Indonesia.

During the preparation time, we divided the job desk according to each person’s abilities at the home university. For example, awardees from the event management department are responsible for planning the entire event starting from the rundown and decorations, some are tasked with being talents in charge of performing typical Indonesian dances and songs, and so on. I myself work in the Food & Beverage section according to my expertise. A few days before the event, I spent some of my time sorting out the menu and looking for recipes that could be cooked with the tools and ingredients available there. After searching, finally everyone agreed to cook Terang Bulan, Rendang, and Cimol based on my recommendation. With the help of other friends, I started cooking these three foods one day before the event because our event was held on Monday evening after a full day of classes. Surprisingly, everyone liked my cooking and Rendang was the main star that night.

Apart from the food station, there are also several other stations such as traditional clothing stations, games, photobooths. What’s even more exciting is that we also invite everyone to do Maumere dance and take a quiz with questions about Indonesia at the end of the event.

Visit Adare Manor

Adare Manor is located on the banks of the River Maigue in the village of Adare, County Limerick, Ireland. Built in the early 19th century, Adare Manor was once a royal residence but has now been adapted to become a five-star luxury hotel and resort. In fact, currently Adare Manor has been named the number 1 Resort in Europe by Condé Nast Traveler 2023, awarded a five-star rating by Forbes Travel Guide 2023, and number one Resort in the World by Condé Nast Traveler 2022.

On November 23 we had the opportunity to visit and get a direct tour from the staff who are also SCHM alumni. When I first entered the hotel door to the meeting room, I was stunned by the luxury of the decoration in the hotel. All the furniture and decorations seem to have been carefully chosen so as to give a luxurious impression to anyone who sees them. The first tour starts from their signature room. The rooms are extraordinarily luxurious and comfortable equipped with complete facilities and advanced technology. Everything looked very neat and orderly, truly reflecting the standards of a world-class five-star hotel. From the room windows, guests can enjoy views of the

expansive golf course or the fast-flowing river depending on their choice. The buildings and alleys look very antique, giving a unique impression to a hotel.

After seeing the rooms, the tour continues with a walk to see the facilities available in the hotel. We walked through the halls to the Great Hall, the Drawing Room, the Library, the Oak Room as well as its terrace, and also the gallery. Walking past the colonnade, we came to the boutique, then to the cinema, spa or relaxation room, and swimming pool. Next, we were also invited to take a walk

outside the hotel and see other facility buildings that were separate from the main hotel building. The view outside is no less good than inside the hotel. With a green and spacious golf course and a calm atmosphere. As someone who has an interest in the world of hospitality, I saw and learned many things regarding service standards and sops at Adare Manor. I am sure this visit will be very beneficial for my future hospitality career.

LESSON LEARNED

Collaboration

The experience of living with twelve people who have different backgrounds and abilities made me develop my collaboration skills. Before iisma, i was a person who believed that i should be able to do everything myself. However, after living, studying, working, and surviving with them, i became aware that each individual has a role according to their respective abilities. For example, during indonesian night, everyone has their own role to make the event a success. In essence, I learned to be able to trust and rely on other people who are experts in their fields to create great collaborations.

Confidence

There is no doubt that IISMA has helped me increase my self-confidence. morevore, Shannon College of Hotel Management provides a learning environment that helps the development of each student through comments and feedbacks from lecturers both in class and on assignments that have been given. As a result, I can now know my strengths and weaknesses well and have a positive view of myself.

CONCLUSION

I first offer my gratitude to Allah SWT. it is all because of His goodness that I was able to reach this point. secondly, let me appreciate myself for successfully going through all the obstacles and challenges that existed from start to finish. Furthermore, thank you also to my family and friends who have always been there and supported all my activities throughout the IISMA program. I would also like to thank the Sriwijaya State Polytechnic lecturers who have helped and provided adequate facilities for me and my friends to achieve their dream of becoming IISMA 2023 awardees. My highest appreciation to Shannon College of Hotel Management for helping and facilitating me and friends who had studied there for three months or more. lastly and most importantly, I wholeheartedly express my deepest thanks to the Indonesian Embassy, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, the IISMA team and staff; Thank you because it was only with your help that I able to achieve my dream of studying abroad.

Being able to be one of the IISMA awardees at the Shannon College of Hotel Management was a very valuable experience for me. I managed to use the short three months to study hospitality in more depth through practical classes, going on fun trips, and holding memorable events for me

and my friends. morevore, I can also reap many beneficial life values from my fellow awardees, as well as the friends and lecturers at SCHM. I really hope that the IISMA Program will continue to exist in the following years and that there will be many other host universities that can collaborate with IISMA. Lastly, I also hope that there will be more students who will have the opportunity to become the next IISMA awardees.