IHM Mumbai, My journey

I was particularly interested in culinary at the beginning but I wanted to also go and serve in the front of the house. The student-to-faculty ratio at the time when I was there it was 1:10. Most of the faculties were master's degree holders but some held bachelor's degrees. The exams were as per schedule and they were of medium difficulty.

We had an industrial trainee period where it was mandatory for everyone to go for a 17-week-long training journey in any hotel. All the big brands came with opportunities and took students with them. The training was very operational and very rigorous in nature. Even though there was a lot that was learnt, there was a certain degree of exploitation that happened.

The course definitely makes you employable in the industry. You get to bag in all sorts of skills. The final placements start in the third year with big brands coming in. Every major hotel chain like IHCL, EIH, ITC etc visited the campus and took students. Companies like jubilant foods and others also came for placements. Mostly all the students who want to get placed, get placed. I had a different plan after pursuing my degree which was to go for an MBA.

At my time there was no hike but I am not sure about this time. I was not awarded any scholarship during my time there. I got a Management Trainee position at a French hotel company in BKC, Mumbai. My CTC was 3.5 lpa.

Campus life really transforms you in ways unimaginable. We used to have our annual food fest Cornucopia in the month of Feb and our annual inter collage event Kulture Kurry. The classrooms were equipped with basic facilities but the labs and kitchens were equipped with industry-standard equipment. As a part of extracurricular activities, you get to experience being at the heart of the city which gives you the opportunity to explore art and culture. The college assists you with it.

The boys hostel was on the 6th,7th adn 8th floor with a nice view. The amenities were basic. Boys in the first year were not given a hostel and from the second year onwards, you could take the accomodation based on the attendance.

You had to apply for a national exam called NCHMCT and score a rank of less than 500. You can find the form on the official website or you can just make a Google search. In my days, the instruction orientation was absent but I believe that they have started it now.