Both interesting and valuable: 3 of my favorite Hotel School classes
By Lynette Ban ’19
By: Katelyn Godoy
Becoming a Hotelie is an honor—and not everyone can call themselves a Hotelie. As a transfer student from Purdue University, I wanted to be more academically challenged. The Hotel School has given me more practical skills than I could ever ask for. This is thanks to the curriculum, which offers more practical courses rather than purely theoretical ones. As a junior now, I have taken quite a few of the core curriculum classes, and I must say there are some that I enjoy more than others. Nonetheless, I have taken a lesson with me from every single one of them.
Here are some of my favorite classes:
HADM 1740: Business Computing
Now, this class has a reputation of being difficult, but I personally think it is the most practical class I have ever taken in my life. In this class, you’ll learn how to become a master of Microsoft Office Suite and also gain a better understanding of how the internet works. This course will require time and effort, but it is 100 percent worth it. I worked at IBM over the summer—needless to say, I put my PowerPoint and Excel skills to use constantly. Not only is the class extremely useful for your future, but Professor McCarthy is a wonderful man to know. He is a funny and well-connected professor that you should get to know well. Basically, the key takeaway from this class is that you will use this information whether you like it or not. So basically, get into the “I like this class” mindset!
As a person who is concentrating in corporate finance, I cannot ignore the fact that I loved this class. I took away two key things: 1) time value of money, and 2) the greater the risk, the greater the reward. This may not interest you, but I genuinely enjoyed the fact that Professor Mao made us read the Wall Street Journal before every class and somehow relate what we learned to the article. This just proves that what we learn is very applicable to the real world. Professor Mao is also a super sweet professor who just wants to share her knowledge and passion for finance.
HADM 2360: Food Service Management, Theory and Practice
As more of a finance person and someone who has never cooked in her life until now—mainly because I live in an apartment and have no choice—this class has been very interesting and useful. Even for someone like me, I know I can use the skills and knowledge from this class every single day. Every week there are labs and lecture. In lecture, we learn about the theory and then we apply the knowledge in labs. For example, the first thing we made in lab were chocolate chip cookies. Needless to say, how can you not love a class that gives you delicious food to eat after you put in the energy to make it! Although I do not think I will be the next MasterChef, I’m able to make my own meals now more edible and enjoyable than they were before.
Overall, no matter what field you want to end up in, from operations to finance, all the classes you take can be used in both your professional career and personal lives. The choices at the Hotel School are endless and there are classes for everyone with all interests. I know my classes have been not only interesting, but also incredibly valuable.
About Lynette Ban ’19
Lynette Ban is from Austin, Texas and is currently a junior at the Hotel School. She is concentrating in finance and minoring in real estate. On campus, she is an ambassador for the Hotel School, assistant director of sales for HEC 93, vice president of finance for Cornell Blockchain, and social chair for Cornell Hedge Fund. In her free time, she loves to hang out with friends on Libe Slope (on a good day) and go to the gym to destress! She also loves eating good food that her Hotelie friends make—a perk of being in the Hotel School (especially if cooking isn’t your forte).
