On Reflection

 On Reflection 

Though initially very enthusiastic about my topic selection for this project as I got further into my research I found it hard to think of the hospitality industry in an academic way. When something is so close to home it’s hard to take a step back and analysis it. 

I feel a real breakthrough came for me after presenting to the class with my update after the initial topic pitch. This is because having to compile what I was working on into a concise and easily explainable manner really helped me organise my thoughts and prioritise my ideas. Before that, the work had been doing felt somewhat disjointed and lacking in direction. 

It was also helpful to have feedback, not just from Mark but after that presentation a few classmates asked me about my topic and expressed interest in certain elements. This really made me feel better, rather than like I was just rehashing common knowledge. It reminded me that just because me and the people around me are fully immersed in the hospitality environment it doesn’t mean that the general public don’t find these topics interesting and want to find out more. Also the elements that my classmates expressed interest in were the more personal touches, the guest stories and my personal options and experiences, This surprised me as this wasn’t previously my focus as I believed it was too niche. However, this feedback helped me narrow the work I was producing to something that I felt fit the topic, was true to myself and engaging for an audience. 

A further block I came across during this process was my interaction with technology. I like to think of myself as very technologically literate because I consume online content almost constantly but it turns out creating online contact is a lot harder. I found the podcasting element particularly challenging as I have only every edited music before and cutting between words was a far fiddlier and harder task. It’s also hard to listen to your own voice on repeat. I’m somewhat of a perfectionist and I didn’t like having to listen back and pick out mis spoken words or stumbled over questions that couldn’t now be altered or fixed because recording was completed. I feel like I have learnt from the experience of having to make the most of the work I have already produced. 

One element of this process I have really enjoyed is the ability to write freely about my topic without the strict guidelines of most university essays. I used to really enjoy writing and I feel like my enjoyment has been snuffed by narrow topics and word limits. But having the freedom to writing in my natural style about a topic I am deeply interested in has been really liberating. 

Overall my experience over this process has been deeply educational and enjoyable, I have expanded my own understanding of things I thought I was well versed in and it has encouraged me to continue to do so.