Yuk Yi Yum Pang (Yumi) from Hong Kong completed the Foundation in tourism and hospitality management at Kings Bournemouth before winning a place to study at the prestigious University of Surrey - currently ranked third in the UK for the subject area. We met up with her to find out about her experience so far.

Hi Yumi. What degree are you studying for here at Surrey?
I’m studying International Hospitality and Tourism Management.

How are you finding university life so far?
I think university is a very special time in our life. There are some incredible opportunities for personal growth, you can discover new things and find yourself even more through joining societies, and develop your communication skills at the same time.

What course did you do at Kings, and what do you think was the most useful part of the programme?
I did the CTH hospitality and tourism foundation program in Kings. I think referencing is the most useful thing that I learnt from the program. I did practice in the past and now I don't have any worries on doing it. This is really useful for doing my assignments.

Why did you decide to apply to Surrey University, and did you have help with making your decision?
Surrey is the number one university for studying hospitality and tourism in the UK and has linked to many big business company and universities by providing better placement and exchange. The environment here is really good for studying — Surrey has lots of resources and they have their own restaurant and coffee shop run by tourism and hospitality students which I think it's really useful.

Teachers at Kings helped me a lot before I made my decisions, they gave me advice and guided me to applying through UCAS.

I had a great time at Kings.  Most of the teachers are really caring. I remember one time when I was really upset and Anne really cared for me. If I had assignments that I didn’t know how to do she always stayed late at school to help me.  We could also ask questions online, which she always answered, and she took a lot of time to check our assignments. I miss them a lot.

Do you have an idea of what career you might like to pursue after you graduate?
I’m not sure yet, but one of the reasons I chose hospitality is that it can take you anywhere (in the world) – I love to travel.