Is a hospitality degree the best choice for charismatic students? She’s a prime example

Sparkling hotels and restaurants. Louboutin heels tip-tapping across polished marble floors. Silver trays balancing bubbling glasses of champagne. The smile of a concierge as they hand over the keys to a luxury suite.

That’s what you probably think of when we’re talking about a hospitality degree.

But even if your dream is to manage a five-star resort, curate exclusive events, or lead global travel ventures, you’ll have to start small first, like learning how to make a bed or clean a toilet.

In fact, hospitality graduate Sonali Prakashbabu says that’ll be one of the first lessons you’ll be picking up.

Before settling on a hospitality degree, Sonali Prakashbabu considered a culinary degree, but it meant being in the kitchen most of the time, which she didn’t want. Source: Sonali Prakashbabu

Discovering what she could do with a hospitality degree 

Hailing from Coimbatore, India, Prakashbabu was 15 when she first moved to study away from home.

“I joined a boarding school in Ooty, and it was the best experience of my life,” says Prakashbabu. “It was a very diverse school, and had many expat children, so I had the opportunity to talk to people from different races and cultures from a very young age. I liked talking a lot.”

But after completing her A Levels, Prakashbabu faced a dilemma that many others her age were familiar with – she wasn’t sure which degree to pursue. 

“I knew I didn’t want to do anything academic like engineering or medicine, or whatever typical course that Asian parents would want me to do,” she says.

“But I believed that I was quite charismatic – and many people around me said the same thing – and I thought to myself, maybe I should look at industries that could show that side of myself.”

Her first option was culinary, as she was fond of cooking, and her parents always praised her skills. But after researching the industry, she realised that it meant being in the kitchen a lot, and she wouldn’t be able to meet people like she wanted.

Through that, Prakashbabu discovered hospitality and event management, which fit her requirements to a T.

“Honestly, I didn’t know much about the industry when I chose it,” she confesses. “I just knew I wouldn’t hate it.”

Switzerland, home to the oldest hospitality school in the world. Source: AFP

Like many others who want to study hospitality and event management, Prakashbabu’s first thought was a European country. After all, that’s the gold standard.

“Everyone thought of Switzerland and France – honestly, France was my first option, but it was very expensive,” she says. “To me, it just wasn’t wise to spend so much for just one year in Switzerland or France, when I could be spending the same amount of money and going to different places.”

The UK was her next choice. While it was also expensive, she knew that there was more to see, and many places to travel; plus, the UK had always been a popular study-abroad destination for Indian students like her. It was likely that she could find a welcoming community there. 

Eager to kickstart her degree, she completed her university enrollment, placed a deposit, and was ready to go – until her mother sat her down and convinced her to pivot.

“We had this conversation – she told me that she didn’t think it was wise for me to go to the UK and stay there for three years,” Prakashbabu shares. “She said I would get bored easily, and that I should look for a dynamic experience. My mother always wanted me to travel around more often, which I’m grateful for.”

So it was back to the drawing board – until she came across the Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS). The institute offered a suitable hospitality programme that would allow her to study in Singapore for two years, and then go abroad to the UK to complete her final year.

It was just what she needed.

Prakashbabu spent two years in Singapore and one year in the UK for her bachelor’s degree. Source: Sonali Prakashbabu

What’s it like studying hospitality abroad

Prakashbabu knew that studying abroad in a foreign country would open up exciting opportunities for her to meet new people and make new connections. 

What she definitely did not expect, however, was that one of her first lessons in a hospitality degree was about cleaning and room maintenance. 

“When I first went into the course, I had a lesson about room maintenance, like cleaning sheets and toilets,” she says. “I’m not kidding – I remembered thinking to myself, why was I paying so much to learn how to clean toilets? Lowkey, at that moment, I was regretting my decision.”

Thankfully, on that same day, she had another lesson that revolved around the management side of hospitality and events. Her relief was immense – “I was like, now that’s what I’m talking about!” shares Prakashbabu. 

Pursuing a hospitality degree in Singapore had other perks, too.

For one, Singapore is big on sustainability, and Prakashbabu had the opportunity to visit local hotels that put the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals into practice.

“There was also an expo where vendors and hotels from all around the world came to showcase themselves and the services they want to sell to different hotels,” she adds.

“They would come into the expo and showcase themselves to big hotel brands so that they could sign a contract with them. So I had the opportunity to go look at all that and how they sell themselves from a managerial point of view. It was super interesting and valuable.”

 

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For her six-month internship period, Prakashbabu applied for an internship at 1880 Singapore, an exclusive members’ club. She enjoyed her time there immensely.

“There were a lot of events and opportunities to network and meet new people in the club,” she says. “I had the opportunity of being in the events department, and it became clear to me that this was what I wanted to do. I genuinely enjoy bringing people together.”

Three years later, having freshly graduated with her bachelor’s at Manchester Metropolitan University, Prakashbabu is confident she made the right choice.

“I chose hospitality because it’s extremely versatile,” she says. “I had choices, and anyone taking a hospitality degree will too. For me, I’ve always been someone who wanted to start her own business and become an entrepreneur, and my hospitality degree and experience will help me with that.”

At the moment, she’s working as a receptionist at a five-star hotel, and she loves every minute of it.

“I see it as an internship, rather than a part-time job,” she says. “I’m learning a lot here, and I plan to stay on and get into the events department. Being a receptionist now is great for learning about the entire hotel because I’m handling rooms, handling people, and many other things — it’s everything I need.”

But her plans aren’t set in stone just yet. Prakashbabu is also open to the idea of going abroad again and getting a master’s in event management.

“I’m doing some research about Australia,” she says. “Tourism and events are huge things over there, so there are plenty of opportunities.”