👋🏻Hey there, welcome to my first blog, my name is Helena! I’m currently a second year student pursuing an undergraduate degree in BSc International Hospitality and Tourism Management. 

Here are some pictures of me.

😊Fun Facts About Me 

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Family	🛼Hobbies	✈️Places I’ve been to
I have a brother, who is two years younger than me	Roller Skating🛼, Horse Riding🐴 and Art🎨	Hong Kong and UK (obviously🤣) Denmark, France, Japan, Korea, China, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Spain and Czech Republic, and will be going to many more soon (hopefully><)! I’d love to visit Antarctica and Africa, they are on my bucket list!
🎵My all-time fave song	🍨Favourite food	🌸Favourite colour
“Something Just Like This” by Coldplay and The Chainsmokers	Ice cream (favourite flavour: caramel and toffee, but recently in loved with pistachio)	Pink or pastel colours

Below, I’ll introduce where I’m from, why I chose to study IHTM, and how I ended up at Surrey. 

Where I’m from

I was born and raised in Hong Kong. It has a mix of Chinese and Western cultures. We celebrate both Chinese and Western festivals, like Mid-Autumn Festival and Christmas. I spent most of my time studying/living in Hong Kong. I came to Surrey to study foundation course after I’ve finished Form 5 (equivalent to grade 11 in the UK). I always missed the foods in Hong Kong, like siu mai, fish balls and char siu. They are pricey and hard to find in the UK. 

Why I chose to study IHTM

I’ve always dreamt to be a flight attendant or a hotel manager. The main reason why I was motivated to study IHTM is because that I wanted to go down the hotel management career path. I wish to broaden my horizons and to see the world by knowing different cultures and what’s happening around this world. The feeling that you get to understand and experience everything in person is marvellous. I will also get the opportunity to meet people from all over the world and expose to new things. To me, this degree course is incredibly exciting, it is a fast-growing industry and it has a sheer diversity, which means that l’ll never be limited in job search, l can choose whatever I want, I personally thinks that this industry suits me well because I’m not the sort of person who likes to work at the same task repeatedly. Jobs which are rigid are the toughest careers to me. I like flexible schedules and creativity! I love travelling, I love meeting new people and be friends with them, and I love making a good impression on others. I will also get the chance to learn a lot of soft skills like leadership, teamwork, communication skills which are transferable and can be applied to a variety of managerial and entrepreneurial roles.

How I ended up at Surrey

SHTM at Surrey consistently ranked 1st in the UK and top 10 in the world. But what makes Surrey my top choice is what it has to offer. It ranked first in the UK for work placements and graduate employability. Surrey is a multi-cultural and multi-faith environment. It is home to a diverse student body. You’ll have the chance to make friends from all over the world. With over 170 clubs and societies, you will be able to break out of your comfort zone and find a new hobby or pursue an existing passion with like-minded people. Surrey also has a strong alumni network in the hospitality and tourism industry. This network can help you find placements, job opportunities and guidance throughout your career, and one thing to highlight is that we have lots of support on campus, from health and wellbeing, accommodation, to careers and employability. You’ll also gain a lot of hands-on experience through internships, field trips, and real world projects, preparing you for a successful career in the field. With no doubts, studying at Surrey is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. 

Thank you for reading, now I invite you to follow along as I navigate the exciting chapters of my life as an international student at Surrey. Stay tuned!! Feel free to leave a comment if you got any questions or as a support! :))

💡Get in Touch

📧 ma04013@surrey.ac.uk

👜 www.linkedin.com/in/helena-au-yeung-393854228