Urmilaa always arrives at campus 10 to 15 minutes earlier than required to ensure she has time to catch up with her friends. “There’s a little spot called Results Cafe, where we love to quickly check in on each other’s assignments and discuss what the rest of the day will entail,” she says.

A class day typically begins with a theory-based class, such as Management Concepts, which explains the various approaches to leadership through practical examples drawn from hospitality sectors.

Break time is for quick stretches and a coffee; however, on some days, Urmilaa is content with staying in class and chatting with her peers while snacking on fruit.

When class resumes, it’s usually time for a switch-up from theory lessons to a tutorial. “The teacher would throw us a question, and we would discuss it as a class,” Urmilaa says. “It’s way more interesting than having a teacher explain something from a PowerPoint presentation while we take notes. Here, we get invested.”

During lunchtime, Urmilaa and her friends choose between walking across the street to a favoured Vietnamese spot or heading to Results Cafe to see what the culinary students have whipped up for the day. The latter sparks a sense of nostalgia for Urmilaa, who vividly remembers delivering her own freshly-made desserts to the cafe as a certificate student.

After lunch, Urmilaa heads to her second class, which is often dedicated to hands-on application. “This is what we all get excited about,” she says. “We’ve taken on bar, coffee and F&B service so far, which meant understanding what it took to deliver silver service quality. I’m proud to say that thanks to such exposure, I now know how to make the food, serve the food and run the business.”