In this article, below, I am attaching a picture drawn by my 7-year-old brother, Arseny. We have always been very close and spent a lot of time together. Having a 12-year age difference, I adored my little brother since his birth. In return, he also took a fancy to me and used to wait for me every single day after my school classes.
As he grew up, he started repeating some of my words, actions, and habits that I used to have: In such a way, I became an example for him and a person whom he respected, trusted and wanted to be similar to. When I finished school in Russia and it was time to leave my native city and further my studies abroad in Marbella, it was a very difficult decision for my whole family and especially for my little brother.
These last three years we have only seen each other on holidays or we talk on Skype. While he is sharing his new exciting experiences about his school (he is a second-year student now) and his sports activities, I am always talking to him about my studies at university, free time with my friends and my life in Spain in general.
Recently we talked to each other again, and I asked him to help me with “a very important and responsible homework task”. My request was to paint a picture of my university and student life in Spain as he sees it from his point of view. I did not give him any guidelines or ideas and asked him to do everything on his own. My mum said he took it very serious, didn’t let anyone enter the room and spent several days creating the picture you can see below.
By asking him to do me this favor, I wanted to conduct an experiment of what my brother thinks my university looks like. As we studied in our psychology classes, children are typically the most sincere and naïve. Therefore, I truly believe this experiment is very objective and reliable.
As you can see, Arseny decided to divide his picture into different sections – areas of my student life here in Spain. It may seem that we are always having fun rather than really studying, but this is only partially true. I can hardly remember a school day when I felt bored or sleepy in class. Indeed, every day is interesting. Even if our lecturers are teaching us theory, it is always supported by relevant videos, teamwork activities, discussions and corresponding exercises that make it interactive and interesting.
What is more, all of the subjects we study are connected with the hospitality industry – a profession that I have chosen for my future adult life and one that I have grown to be very passionate about. Thus, the topics we cover in class are fascinating. It is a real pleasure to study for the exams since you learn exactly what you are interested in. It is also encouraging to know that the knowledge will be useful and applied in future real-world situations.
What I find very special about Les Roches is the availability of practical classes. I think it is much more significant when you learn by doing rather than simply memorizing terms and definitions. While in the first semester you learn to walk in a waiter’s shoes, the second year allows you to feel like a professional and well-known chef of a Michelin Star restaurant. Then, when you enter the third year of studies, you start developing your managerial skills while being given some authority to monitor and help younger students.
Having studied all the aforementioned concepts, I was completely ready to put everything gained at Les Roches into practice. Thanks to our in-training department, I had a chance to enjoy both of my internships in absolutely different destinations and in two distinct areas of a hotel’s operations. My first internship was in Rooms Division (Front-of-House) at the Four Seasons Resort in Mauritius and my second internship was in Sales & Marketing (Back-of-House) at Sheraton La Cala Resort in Tenerife (Canary Islands).
At the time of my first internship, I could never have imagined that after just 5 months of studying at Les Roches, I would be able to do my job well and take responsibility for all the day-to-day hotel operations of dealing with guests and collaborating with colleagues from all over the world. What I mean by this is that I have never been as mature as I feel now and this is due in large part to my internship experiences. But of course, there are still so many things to learn and I am looking forward to continuing my BBA studies.
However, as my brother demonstrated in his picture, Les Roches Marbella is not only about studying hard (by the way, I really love his depiction of those students-chefs in their funny hats! ☺), but also about belonging to a group, to a team…to a FAMILY! I really enjoy the opportunity of taking part in events like the Welcome dinner, Sports Day and Cultural Night. I enjoy being a member of the LRM Houses, helping with Open Days and special visits by people from around the world. Also, I thoroughly enjoy being a part of the school’s Cocktail and Wine Clubs. In my opinion, student life must be intensive, eventful and bright. By taking this approach you don’t miss the best moments of your life.
Last but not least, in the picture you can also see some very nice episodes of how LRM students spend their free time. His depiction is accurate as I really do enjoy my life as a student here in Spain. Its culture, climate, people, cuisine, history and language are just amazing! Having lived here for the last three years, I have had the opportunity to visit beautiful and historical cities and towns such as Granada, Tarifa, Ronda, Torremolinos, Estepona, Fuengirola, Mijas and Malaga. I have experienced traditional Spanish food and drinks like jamon serrano, queso curado, tapas, paella, tortilla, turrón, sangria, vino tinto , and so much more. I have had the opportunity to swim in its warm and clear Mediterranean Sea, climb its numerous mountains (Istán) and make many new real friends!
Today, my brother is now learning English and dreams of studying somewhere abroad as well. I have become a motivator for him and now he wants to study hard, learn languages and be creative by taking part in performances and sport competitions. As you can see, even my little brother is aware of how LRM student life is both interesting and beneficial, not to mention my relatives and friends see this too.
