With her heart set on studying abroad, and having a soft spot for Scotland from a young age, Neea Nieminen looked at a few different options when it came to picking her degree. However, she picked QMU due its location and the smaller size of the university which fostered a friendly environment. In this Student Story, Neea tells us about her favourite parts of the versatile BA (Hons) International Hospitality, Tourism and Events Management course, how QMU helped her personal and academic development, and some of what she does at her exciting new job on a cruise ship in Finland!
Why did you choose to study at QMU and what attracted you to the course?
After having done a student exchange in high school, I was inspired to move abroad for University. I have always enjoyed travelling a lot, meeting people from different cultures and hearing different languages. It makes me feel at home. I did quite extensive research online in hopes of finding something affordable, and somewhere that I could see myself feeling at home.
I ran into some advertisement for studying in Scotland, and with my parents had visited there when I was young, and with one of my favourite artists being from Glasgow, I had a very beautiful mental image in my head: lots of lochs, old castles, beautiful landscapes, and wonderful people!
I started to look up different universities, but the one that made the biggest impression on me was QMU, partly because it seemed like it was not too big, and its location was ideal as it is very close to Edinburgh but not in the city centre. One of the greatest things was that I was able to read many student stories and learn about the institution through the students and graduates themselves. It was also great to see how many were international students which gave me a warm, comforting feeling. In addition, the course (IHTM) was had internship and study abroad opportunities that were very important to me in terms of choosing my university. I also have to mention the good public transportation and the ability to stay at the student halls was a big bonus.
When it comes to the course, I wasn't sure what exactly to study as I have always been interested in a variety of topics, but because I have always been very keen on travelling, languages, food and using my creativity, I found hospitality and tourism a vert interesting field of study and learn what happens "behind the scenes’’. The IHTM was a great course, as it really is versatile.
What did you enjoy most about your course?
I really enjoyed that we had a very international class, also how practical the teaching. An example of this is the cookery school, where we were given a unique opportunity to work in a real kitchen, practice cooking, and organising events. It was a great introduction to the industry.
I found my student exchange in Germany to be one of the most amazing parts of my course because, again, I learned about a new language and culture, and got to meet people from around the world that became very close friends of mine. It was great to experience a different education system too. I feel like studying was different in both countries, so in a way it helped me also to realise what kind of learner I am. I also tried new hobbies and got to travel a lot. I go to go on the exchange with my course friend from QMU, which made it even more unique, now we can reminiscence the wonderful memories we made in both countries.
Were there any particular course activities you found especially interesting?
Creating cookery school events was something I really enjoyed. We were able to use creativity and put the skills we had learned in practice. I also enjoyed a course we got to create a business. We were able to be creative but also learn about the challenges that come with starting a business. It was interesting to think what kind of business would be beneficial, in high demand, calculate different costs behind running a business, and think about ways to advertise it. We also got to design what the business would look like and how much that would cost. We looked for different materials from stores that could be used to demonstrate for example how the material would feel. It really connected different modules together, and it was fun but also challenging.
We also went on a fieldtrip to Dundee, mostly to learn about design of different places in this case a museum. To me it was one of the most memorable activities. This was during the Covid-19 pandemic, and it felt amazing to travel even a short distance, and especially to socialise with our classmates. So, I guess all practical things were very interesting to me.
How did your lecturers support your learning?
"I have highlighted the lecturers and QMU’s overall staff as one of the greatest things about QMU to all of my friends, and family."
I have studied previously in a big high school where, where I felt like I was not connected to the school, and like I didn’t belong there. At QMU, from the very first day, the staff was always kind and considerate. I feel like the lecturers made the extra effort to make sure you were on track with everything, but also to make sure YOU were doing and feeling well overall. I also got great advice on future career choices, personal learning and personal development. QMU felt like a community, and it felt like home, and that has a lot to do with staff.
What challenges did you face with the course and/or university life? How did you overcome them?
During my first year of university, I sometimes struggled with having anxiety and confidence. It really reflected on the classroom as well. We had a walking tour in our first semester, and I remember just crying after it because of the pressure of being in the spotlight, and I was terrified of public speaking. I remember one of my lecturers coming up to me afterwards saying that everything is okay and someday it will not feel as terrifying. And it made me feel so much better.
I also struggled to know what kind of learner I was, I felt like it was difficult for me to find the ‘’academic Neea’’. It took probably the first two years, a lot of reflecting, and patience to realise that what maybe conventional learning methods did not work for me.
Also, Covid-19 and remote studying was tricky, I feel like it was difficult to stay motivated because there was so much self-directed study, and I really must be present to learn. I also think that being able to socialise, have different hobbies and being present in the classroom motivates to study, but we kind of had to cut down quite a lot of the typical student activities outside of classroom, because of the Covid.
On the other hand when we returned to campus, it felt extra special and I feel like I appreciated it so much more.
Especially in the last year of University, I knew there would be many "speaking tests’’ so I sought help from Student Services to help with my fear of public speaking. Additionally, I always tried to raise my hand in class when questions were asked, or tried to talk more during group projects and presentation to slowly get over my fear. Funny enough, the last examinations I did at QMU involved public speaking and those were my favourite during my four years of University.
"Public speaking is now often part of my work, so I am very happy that I got support for that at QMU"
Do you have any advice for students who might be interested in this course?
If you are taking part in IHTM (which I highly recommend) know that it is a very broad industry and it can open doors for you in many places. Take advantage of the wonderful practical parts of the course and participate in the classroom. Trust me I know it can be intimidating, but you can have many interesting, and memorable conversations in the classroom, that really help you with the course work. Get to know your classmates, and study together. I found it helpful to have study dates with classmates, and work in different places such as cafes and the campus.
Which university services did you use to support you through your university journey and how did they help you?
I had help from one of the career advisers, as I had a lot of questions about where to study, and where to go after University. I found it very helpful, even though I am from Finland she was able to help me with questions related to our school system as well.
I also found the Wellbeing Service very helpful.
What’s your ‘top tip’ for making the most of being a student?
Be open minded, try different hobbies, get to know people, and travel around Scotland. Get to know your flatmates in halls. I had flatmates from different countries, and we had such a wonderful time together. Enjoy the events at QMU. Induction Week was a great way to start university life as there were so many activities, and again it is a great opportunity to meet new people. QMU also had other wonderful events like clothes swaps, TGI Fridays, career fairs, movie nights and parties at Maggie’s. If I were to start studying there now, I would take part in some societies. Even watching the QMU societies like football and basketball was always super fun, as we got to cheer for our QMU team!
Enjoy the journey, it goes so much faster than you think, and suddenly you realise you are reflecting on the amazing experiences you made and the self-development journey!
What was the most valuable lesson that you learned at university?
To trust myself. I think I was quite harsh on myself regarding grades, and whether I was learning quickly enough. But I realised that doing my best and trusting myself a bit more made me much more calm and confident.
Can you tell us about your life post-graduation?
After graduation I moved back to Finland. I started to work in a small cruise ship. I have really enjoyed working there as it connects both hospitality and tourism, so it has been great to put my degree into practice. I get to meet people from around the world and have many wonderful conversations and heard so many great stories, which I think is one of the greatest things about my work. My job is quite versatile as I work in the buffet, the conference lounge as well as the café and bar, keeping things different which I really like.
I have applied to become a student counsellor. The course would be in English as the class would be international, so I am very excited about that!
