Best years of my life

College life was a great experience all and all. It gave us ample opportunities and time to explore our hidden talents and of course, our own personalities. Pairing academics with extracurricular, one must have had a nice time these three years if lived to the fullest. There is just one pro tip for anyone who wants to join IHM, you might have to carry your own utensils/pans for the kitchen practicals since there is a shortage of such items.

To get into a hotel management college, one has to give the standard examination of NCHMCT JEE in which I secured a decent rank. It is held in the month of May and once the ranks are out, we can fill the forms of the colleges we want to get into. Based on the ranks, colleges are allotted as per the preference filled. There is document verification but no interview as such. It was my dream to get a job in Hotels so therefore I opted for B.Sc. in Hospitality and Hotel Administration.

The course focus not only on hotel and food but also on hospitality, service and other aspects. Practical learning is encouraged and an entire semester is dedicated to Industrial training. The students in 3rd Year have to opt for a research project of their choice and prepare a presentation for the same. When I was in my final year, I opted for how to make services better and more user-friendly and presented the research paper on the same.

The internships are offered in well-reputed hotel chains. The college offers internship drives and we can sit through the process. I took up the drive and grabbed an internship in The Oberoi, Delhi. It is a 4-star hotel and the way they teach their work is tremendous. I loved working with the Oberoi group and how supportive they were to students like us. I got a stipend of Rs. 15k.

More than 90% students get placed provided they have decent score and knowledge of how hotel management works. During my batch, we hit a 100% placement record where each and every student got placed. It was a great memory. Big hotel chains like Leela, Taj etc come for recruiting. The packages vary as per the programme for which the students are selected.

Not many fests were organised but whenever a small level event is organized, it is made sure that it is well marketed and invites are sent to colleges all across the city. The events are well managed and conducted in a smooth manner.

The fee structure is semester wise which is 50k per semester excluding the uniform, food and other overhead expenses. It is affordable for people who are well off but I come from a middle-class family so it was tough for me to pay 80k for 6 months. The cost of uniform is a one time cost if kept in proper condition, but rest all are variable.

In my 3-year college life, I did not come across such a thing, nor did any of my friends. But I guess it does offer something to the meritorious students.

We have a lot of time after college hours to participate in extra activities.There are cultural events during Republic and Independence Day. Dance, music, art and various such activities kept on going all the year around. Cooking is also an extracurricular activity which offers things other than taught in the course. I was a part of the music society so I spent my evenings doing JAM sessions and performing for juniors. It was a great time.

I did not stay at the hostel but most of my friends stayed there so I know there are double sharing rooms and it was a task to get a hostel room because of more demand and less availability. The mess food was pretty decent since we were a hotel management institute so the major focus was to provide healthy food. I used to sneak into the hostel at times when we had a one or two hour break to get some sleep for a while. The facilities are okayish. There were PG facilities available very close to the college as well.

The college used to organize some sessions with alumni working in prestigious companies holding good positions. They used to come, tell their college experiences and how they got placed, what they did in their life and other facts. It was very motivational to hear someone from your college doing so great in life. We had a chance to talk to them personally and if they were ready to share their contacts we got to stay in touch with them.

It wasn't an easy task at all since we had internal assessments on a regular basis accompanied by practicals and class tests. We had to be on our toes always, remembering things no matter the exams. It wasn't a chill culture at all.

The faculty is quite experienced and qualified. They impart practical knowledge more as compared to theoretical. They are always ready with examples and practical applications no matter what it is about. Most of the faculty is friendly and helpful. The senior members are a little strict though.