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Current Students

Tips for New Hotelies

Or, The Things We Wish We Knew Then

Sponsored by The School of Hotel Administration Ambassadors

The following list has been compiled by Hotelies for Hotelies!
Keep it by your side, as it will definitely come in handy.

  • The jokes about Hotelies don't go away, so develop a tolerance and learn to laugh.
  • Be aware of Practice Credit requirements. You will need 800 hours of work experience in the hospitality industry before your last semester at Cornell.
  • HADM 1910, Distinguished Lectures in Hospitality Management, is a one credit course in which grading is based on attendance. The speakers are prominent industry leaders who are intriguing and insightful. Don't be late, ask questions and dress for success. Your college wardrobe should include at least one business suit, some professional shirts, skirts and/or pants.
  • Start searching for summer jobs as early as possible. Trust us; you will NOT want to wait to start the internship hunt until the spring semester.
  • Networking is a MUST! When looking for a job, be sure to take advantage of the School of Hotel Administration's (SHA) extensive alumni network. Stop by the Alumni Affairs Office (174 Statler Hall) to learn more about our alumni and about the Cornell Hotel Society (CHS), our alumni organization. Build your own professional network.
  • When taking HADM 1740: Business Computing, do not wait until the last minute to complete your projects. ALWAYS save your work on a regular basis and keep a back-up.
  • Don't be intimidated by the cooking labs in HADM 2360: Food Service Management, Theory and Practice. Non-hotelies joke about it, but it is no joke. Study hard and pay attention in class. TA help is crucial to success.
  • Make sure to have black pants and a nice, plain white button down shirt for the HADM 1350 and HADM 1360 practicums in the Statler Hotel, as well as professional-looking comfortable black shoes - no stilettos or flip-flops!
  • The hospitality industry is becoming more and more global in scope, which mandates the need for multilingual individuals. Cornell offers a wide variety of language courses, so you are encouraged to continue any language study you started in high school or to pursue a new language that interests you.
  • Get involved in Hotel Ezra Cornell (HEC). You can start as a banquet server or bartender and work your way up to a function manager or board member by your junior or senior year.
  • Get your distributive electives over ASAP. It will save you a lot of stress in the long run.
  • Group projects are a key part of the SHA experience. Be flexible and work together with your partners. Carry your weight!
  • Go to Office Hours! Do not be afraid of your TAs or professors, they're all pretty cool and helpful. Your grades will thank you.
  • Plan! Create schedules. Manage your time. Set priorities. Set study hours and group meetings into your week but be FLEXIBLE!
  • Take advantage of the small size of the School. Establish close relationships with the faculty and get to know your peers.
  • Statler Hall Elevator Rules - only take it to the third floor and higher - don't even think about getting in and pressing 1 or 2!
  • There are a lot of libraries at Cornell in addition to the Nestle Library in Statler Hall. Uris library is the most popular undergraduate library - make sure to check out the Fish Bowl and the Cocktail Lounge.
  • Statler Hall has plenty of places to sit down and work. The student lounge, Mac's, the Terrace and the main room of the Nestle Library are all awesome, but don't expect to actually get anything done unless you're in the Binenkorb Computer Lab or the library's quiet room.
  • As a hotelie, once you move off campus you should have a greater proportion of Big Red Bucks (BRB) than traditional dining hall meals because the Terrace Restaurant and Mac's only accept BRB, credit cards, or cash. Try a meal plan with either 10 or 14 traditional meals and $500 of BRB per semester.
  • Be sure to visit the Hot Truck (behind the Class Halls on Stewart Ave. at the foot of West Campus) for late night snacks.
  • Buy a nice, big, sturdy umbrella, a few thick turtlenecks and a pair of hefty, waterproof boots; it rains/sleets/snows often in Ithaca.
  • Minimize when possible. Especially for people going home at some point during the year, you can rotate clothes, jackets, shoes, etc. You won't need everything all at once.
  • Talk with someone if you are feeling down! If you are having problems with school, friends, love, or yourself, there are lots of opportunities to unload, have someone listen, and if you like, get some friendly advice. Go seek the help of your RA, CAPS, EARS, your advisor at the Office of Student Services, TAs, and professors.
  • Sleep! You will have 8:40 a.m. classes sometimes!
  • Fraternities and sororities play an active part in the social scene at Cornell. At the beginning of the spring semester you will have the opportunity to participate in recruitment. This may not be for you but either way is okay!
  • The Cornell and Ithaca communities are utterly amazing and have a lot to offer! Although four years seem like a long time, it passes really quickly, so take advantage and explore what is uniquely Cornell. Among things you should do before you graduate are:
  • Be on the lookout for Cornell traditions, such as a cappella arch sings, Homecoming tailgaters, Dragon Day, and Slope Day.
  • Stay in touch with your family.