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By Katie Smith, Rachel Bland, Patrick Gendaszek, and Morgan Getler

It’s an exciting time of year for many of the Sophomore 3s… it’s time to start getting ready for your trips! These trips are unique experiences that will stay with you for the rest of your life, where you will learn insights, and visit amazing places. It is important to remember though, while you will go to dinners, wine tastings, and have free time, this is a course just as important as your lecture or kitchen classes and it should be taken seriously.

For the culinary and pastry students, in the coming months, you will be going to France. You will be visiting various regions and towns in France. The trip is considered a class, so you will be graded, but it’s also a once in a lifetime trip to explore a foreign country. You will be going on special tours that you can’t find in any travel guide. The trip is a unique opportunity to visit a foreign country.

If you’ve never traveled to a foreign country before, there are a few things to expect: For one, it’s good to know a small amount of the language. Knowing simple phrases such as good morning, good evening, thank you, and do you speak English, can make communicating easier. For the duration of the trip, you will be stopping in towns where you will have a few hours (usually 2-4), where you can walk around and explore. During this time you shouldn’t be afraid to go and walk around the town. We suggest walking around with a few other students and just wander.

Of course, this isn’t the only way to do it! During your class before the trip, you will research and learn about points of interest. It helps to go to a town with at least a vague idea of where you’d like to go, what you’d like to see, that way you don’t miss out on great sights! It also helps to be prepared in other areas, like going to the bank for currency exchange before you go, making sure you have an adapter, and double checking that you know the meetup times every day before you go off on your own.

Management students, unite and get ready for your trip to Florida and the Bahamas! As excited as you may be to be somewhere sunny and warm, it is imperative you pack appropriately. Packing can be one of the most stressful aspects of the trip; you don’t want to over pack, you don’t want to under pack, you don’t want to bring too many casual outfits, and you don’t want to bring exclusively business clothes.

A suggestion is to coordinate with a few friends and rotate pieces (blazers, skirts, shoes, etc.) in order to mix and match outfits without anyone realizing. We suggest (example, 3 friends) you each only three full business outfits and three casual outfits, obviously your own fancy dresses and suits for Victoria and Albert’s. Use your resources! Pack reasonably and enough, but do not overdo it as you will not be able to fit everything back in your suitcase. Don’t forget to leave room for souvenirs!

So when going on your trip to Florida and the Bahamas a few things are needed; for example, shorts. One of my fellow students when packing forgot shorts. This means that when we had time to walk around the very warm island, they were in a pair of khakis and spent the first hour looking for shorts before paying $50 for a pair. Do not end up like that! Pack ahead of time and double check the night before.

The thing we feel is most needed is what Dean Morrow always tells people to bring… patience and an open mind. The open mind is for trying new foods and doing new things. Do not go and do something just because someone else is. Think of the places you want to see. Try a new dish. How many times are you going to get the chance to walk around an island you have never been to before? The patience is so that you understand from time to time there will be a line and waiting. In general, the trip is amazing and we hope you enjoy it!

–Rachel Bland, Student Leader

Culinary Arts, Graduating Class of July 2019

 

–Morgan Getler, Student Leader

Restaurant Management, Graduating Class of July 2019

 

–Patrick Gendaszek, Student Leader

Restaurant Management, Graduating Class of March 2019

 

–Katie Smith, Student Leader

Pastry Arts, Graduating Class of March 2020

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