ခုိင္မြန္ေက်ာ္ရဲ႕ စကၤာပူပညာေရးခရီးအေတြ႔အႀကံဳ

arrived in Singapore when I enrolled for the Diploma in Hospitality and Tourism Business with The Tourism Academy @ Sentosa in May 2005.

The first thing I realized was that the teaching methods used at The Tourism Academy were different from Myanmar. Adjusting to the new methods was difficult at first. However, our lecturers were helpful and provided guidance to encourage independent learning and instilled confidence in us.

At The Tourism Academy, we were also encouraged to learn and work in small groups through group projects. As group members come from different countries like China, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia, we speak English with different accents and also understand certain terms differently. So in our first term, effective communication on academic subjects was often a challenge. Over time, I developed communication skills that helped to overcome the challenges.

Studying and living in Singapore has been very good. As the tourism facilities and services in Singapore are more developed than those in my country, I have had opportunities I would not otherwise have had to pick up practical knowledge and skills. Public transportation is safe and convenient. The variety of food available is numerous and I can find my favourite Myanmar dishes at ‘Little Myanmar’ near City Hall MRT station. As my family is in Singapore, I do not have to think about grocery shopping, laundry and cleaning the house or paying utility bills which most of my classmates have to think about too. They tell me they have become much, much more independent as a result.

I graduated on 21st of May 2007. When I look back, I realized I have been exposed to challenges at The Tourism Academy that allowed me to cultivate confidence in my own abilities and develop skills to prepare me for the industry. I plan to work for at least a couple of years before pursuing a degree. I am proud of what I have achieved and look to my future with confidence.