A typical day at IHTTI starts early, especially for first-year students. In addition to theoretical classes, they do practical training in the kitchen or restaurant. Since the institute is based in a working hotel, they are periodically entrusted with serving real guests. That is why those assigned to the breakfast duty have to get up at around six in the morning.
At the same time, the uniform must be perfectly ironed, and the young men's faces clean-shaven. For girls, the mandatory requirement is no bright makeup or jewelry. If you violate one of the established rules or are late for your shift, you may simply be sent back and marked as absent. Absences add up, and once a student reaches 30 hours of absences, they can be expelled (naturally, without a refund). In this way, students are made to understand that they must take their studies seriously.
Generally, first-year students are the busiest at the institute. It is not uncommon for classes and practical sessions to take up the entire day, from early morning until eight or nine in the evening. And there is still homework to prepare, clothes to iron or wash, and simply time to talk with friends and discuss the latest news.
In the second and third years, studying becomes easier. More time is devoted to independent study, although, of course, the level of assignments increases significantly. In the final year, the focus is on disciplines such as financial management, strategic planning, and consumer behavior analysis. You have to wade through a large amount of literature. The Internet helps find the necessary information; fortunately, the institute has three computer labs open 24 hours a day.
Our teachers deserve special mention. Most of them are British, with many years of experience in the hotel business and solid teaching backgrounds. What is most striking is their extraordinary openness and desire to be as close as possible to students and their problems. Having a mug of beer in the school bar on a Friday evening while discussing a football match broadcast with your dean is an absolutely normal occurrence at IHTTI.
However, complete objectivity in exams is guaranteed. This is achieved in a simple way: each student invents a pseudonym, so the teacher does not know the student's real name when grading written work (and most exams are written).
There are many exams to take: over three years of study (for a bachelor's degree), students master a variety of disciplines related to the hotel and tourism business. I particularly remember the course on the basics of winemaking theory, which included tastings of different wines from famous wine-producing regions.
Of course, studying is not all there is. For example, almost every Friday there are parties organized jointly by students and teachers. Only here can you see the school director dressed as a Mediterranean pirate or the financial management teacher dressed as... Mrs. Doubtfire! At the same time, decorating the hall, selling alcoholic drinks, and running contests and shows are entirely in the hands of the students. While having fun, students simultaneously gain skills in organizing such events, combining business with pleasure.
If you get tired of school parties, you can relax in the many bars and discos of Neuchâtel or go to a nearby cinema. For those who prefer more extreme recreation, the entire Swiss Alps are at your disposal. In short, there are plenty of opportunities to relax; the main thing is not to overdo it, because tomorrow a new day begins at IHTTI and you will have to get up early again...