Dissertation Done!

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Ann-Katrin

Hello everyone,

Now the time has come where the Dissertation is due!

On the 10th April 2012, we handed in our final piece of work and couldn’t realize that it is really over now!

The past 8 weeks were very intense and stressful for everyone; however, we still need some time to realize the great achievement we all did. Since August 2011, the Dissertation was always on our schedule. In some weeks more than in others, but we always had the workload of the Dissertation in our mind. Now, reflecting on the past months, everyone can be really proud to have successfully achieved this project. It is a life-changing experience!
The dissertation gave us all the opportunity to grow and to overcome our limits, but also to present ourselves as the best we could be.

As we already have the last week of studies at LRG now, we have only 1 week of school left. Projects are all done. This week we have 4 final exams and at the latest on May 11th, our last semester is over. All students of the LRG class of 2012.1 are released of the Dissertation and can enjoy the last month together.

The organization of our first LRG Graduation, and the planning of some special events to raise money for our graduation dinner, are on the class’ agenda throughout the next month.

I will keep you updated about the final happenings within days of school here in Bulle. In the meantime, I wish you all the best.

Greetings, Ann-katrin

DISSERTATION Countdown!

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Ann-Katrin

Hello everyone,

How are you?

My class, LRG Bsc 6, and myself are enjoying our last months together here in Bulle. Now, it is already mid March and we only have 8 weeks of school left. This semester is so short, but also very tight. In the last weeks, we started to work on our group projects in Human Capital where we have to develop our own training program for managers working in a company to improve their skills and competencies. Furthermore, we developed a group presentation in Corporate Governance introducing two of the most significant failures within the governance of multinational corporations throughout the past years.

Within the next two weeks, we do have general education courses, where each student can choose one of the proposed classes such as transactional analysis, orienteering or music history.

Moreover, we have only 4 weeks left until our final dissertation hand-in. Therefore, the class has a tight schedule, but everyone needs to apply discipline in time management to finish off the personal dissertation work.

From my side, I can already say now, that it was a great experience to have such a big project going on over two semesters. I have learned a lot in new research areas, because of my chosen topic; however, it puts a lot of pressure on us to continue to work and be highly motivated until the hand- in date in April.

Otherwise, as we are the first LRG class graduating, we are all enjoying the remaining time together with special graduation events that are organized by our own LRG Graduation Committee. Just yesterday, we did a Beer- Pong Party in Bulle, which was great fun.

Next week, some of my colleagues and I will prepare freshly made Sushi and deliver it to students. These extra- curricular events create the memorable moments with friends and colleagues we have studied with for over 4 years now.

I will keep you updated soon about the happenings of the next upcoming weeks. Wish you all the best and enjoy the springlike sunny days!

Greetings, Ann-katrin

Starting Final Semester in LRG

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Ann-Katrin

Hello everybody,

how are you?
My class mates and I are now back to Bulle and we started 10 days ago with our classes.
In the 1st week we had a special opportunity to attend the Direction Plus coaching seminars.

It was very exciting, because each student had the opportunity to have an individual interview and to learn how to improve and perform better during an interview. Direction Plus is an external training and coaching company who created a special program over one week for the LRG students. We got a personal report telling us our strengths, weaknesses and personal management styles. It is essential for future interviews with employers to present a clear view about your own personality. If you are interested to get to know more about this company, I have attached the link to the DirectionPlus website.

www.directionplus.ch

Moreover, in the 2nd week we started our normal classes to meet the new teachers we have in our subjects. In the last LRG semester, we focus on four different subjects. Primarily, we have Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility. This course focuses on the relationship between the managers, the directors and the shareholders of a company and how they can successfully establish long term goals in their company.
Furthermore, we do have Environmental Management, which will focus on global environmental and sustainability programs. The other two subjects within this semester are Human Capital 2, which concentrates on the development and training of employees in multinational companies, and Marketing 3, which focuses on Branding and consumer behavior.

Some of you might wonder that we only have four subjects during this semester. However, we have to progress in our final bachelor dissertation within the next three months, which will also provide us with enough work in addition to the four subjects.

Our class is very much looking forward to enjoy and create memorable moments in our last 4 months here in Bulle. We will also try to have some private “Get togethers” to enjoy each other’s company. Recently, we just organized a Sunday Brunch in one of the apartments of our classmates. It was fantastic, because we could share the experience of everybody during the winter break, but also talk about future plans.

Additionally to all the school activities, we also have to start researching and applying for potential job positions where we would like to work after the studies here in Bulle. Within the next months a variety of companies and hotel chains will visit our campus, which enables a direct access to the people that are recruiting students for management trainee programs or direct entry positions.

I will keep you updated about this.

Snowy greetings from Switzerland,

Ann-katrin

Farewell and Happy Holidays!

Posted on November 25, 2011 by Sebastian

Hey Everyone,

It is done!!! Finals are over!!! All went very well. I am very Haaapppyyy and it’s finally time for a break and a bit of relaxation.

This will be one of my last Blog Posts I will send to you. I am giving/leaving my position as E-Ambassador and giving the opportunity to another person, who will for sure report and up-date you with the latest information. As my final semester is coming up, the workload in regards to the Dissertation is quite heavy. Wanting to write as much as possible and to keep you up-dated makes it difficult for me to deliver constant and thorough Blog-Posts. However, I am very sure that whoever will be replacing my position will do a fantastic job!

It feels very good to have accomplished the final weeks. The build up of stress, tension and anxiety made us all tired. Now it is time to “re-charge” our batteries and take it “easy” for a bit of time.

I am wishing you a very merry Christmas to come. Enjoy it with your loved ones and I am very much looking forward reading further Blog-Posts from the LRG and Glion Team. I hope you have enjoyed the last 6 months with me. I hope you were able to get an insight of how our student life is. Should you have any further questions – I am always reachable. Please do not hesitate to contact me anytime.

OF COURSE I am wishing you all a great new start in 2012. All the best of luck! Have a great one and enjoy to the fullest!

Sebastian

Projets

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Lizzie

Bonjour tout le monde !

Nous voici en pleine période de travail assidu. Dans les deux prochaines semaines nous devrons remettre trois projets : l’un concernant l’événementiel, l’autre correspondant à notre proposition de dissertation et finalement un projet de groupe, se référant plus précisément à la réalisation d’un business plan.

Afin de vous donner une petite idée du programme, voici les sujets sur lesquels je travaille en ce moment :

Evénementiel
Nous devions choisir un événement culturel et trouver le maximum d’informations concernant son organisation; et aller plus en profondeur en recherchant les critiques faites et les problèmes rencontrés au cours de la réalisation de l’événement étudié.

Comme dans la plupart de nos projets, nous nous devons de proposer des solutions ou des recommandations lorsque l’on annonce un problème lié à la gestion ou au management en général.

Ainsi, ayant la liberté de choisir un événement, je me suis concentrée sur la gay parade de Tel-Aviv de 2010. Le projet répond aux questions suivantes :

Comment la Gay Pride est-elle devenue un événement culturel en Israël?
Quelles sont les raisons et les objectifs de cet événement ?
A quels risques la gay parade est- elle exposée dans la ville de Tel-Aviv ?
Comment les organisateurs ont-ils pu assurer la sécurité et la sûreté des participants ?

La réponse à ces questions peut sembler évidente, annoncée de cette façon là, mais il se trouve en réalité que plus j’avance dans mes recherches, plus je me rends compte de la complexité et la sophistication de ces réponses.

Dissertation Proposal
La dissertation proposal consiste à faire la rédaction d’une « mini » dissertation, annonçant les grandes lignes de notre sujet : quel problème nous allons traiter, quelles théories et model allons nous utiliser, de quelle façon nous allons mener nos recherches et quels sont nos objectifs.

Il s’agit d’une étape importante car c’est notre proposal qui permettra a notre tuteur de décider si le sujet peut être approuve ou pas et nous indiquer si nous sommes sur la bonne voie. Mon sujet de dissertation se porte sur le comportement des palaces à Paris et la façon dont ils réagissent face a l’arrivée de nouveaux hôtels luxueux au sein de la capitale. Mon étude se concentre uniquement sur la fixation des prix des chambres et la valeur que la clientèle leurs accordent.
Business Game
Le Business Game est un projet passionnant qui demande beaucoup d’organisation. Le but du jeu est de reprendre un hôtel dans un très mauvais état et de le remettre sur pied. Le budget imparti est très limite. Nous devons en premier lieu faire un business plan contenant nos plans et nos projections dans le futur dans différents départements : Ressources Humaines, marketing, restauration, finance…

Dans un second temps, nous serons confrontés à une simulation de la vie réelle. En effet, nous allons devoir travailler sur un logiciel, nommé HOTs, qui selon notre activité et l’activité de la compétition (les autres groupes), nous enverra plus ou moins de demande.

Les profs sont les maîtres du jeu et peuvent à tout moment changer l’environnement économique de la ville dans laquelle notre hôtel se trouve.

Voila, j’espère avoir réussi à vous donner une idée de ce a quoi ressemble le programme LRG. Si vous avez des questions concernant les matières ou les projets, n’hésitez pas à les poser !

A très bientôt !

Lizzie

Dissertation

Posted on September 5, 2011 by Sebastian

Hey Everyone,

After having four weeks of brainstorming, researching and exploring – it is finally done – the Dissertation Proposal hand-in was due last week. What a relief! It was difficult at first to find an area of interest, knowing exactly what topic you would like to focus on (as you will have to actively research about your dissertation topic for the next two full semesters). Furthermore, it is important to note if the research and data collection methods are feasible and realistic, to successfully accomplish your final, most valuable project. During the four-week preparation we had numerous seminars conducted by the research team from Glion to provide us with valuable tips, “tricks” and suggestions.

It was fundamental to hear how professionals conduct their research strategies and which methods are the best and most successful to use. Moreover, it was interesting to get an overview of different opinions from various research divisions such as Marketing, Hospitality or Finance. The seminars gave us the occasion to widen our spectrum of interest concerning the final selection of our dissertation topic.

For the moment, classes have started and the usual rhythm has “kicked-in”. Projects are building up, group meetings are being planned and coffee is being drunk throughout . Even though some nights end very late – it is a great feeling to work hard for something you really want to succeed in.

Starting to write our dissertation made a lot of us realize that were reaching very soon our last semester – the final stretch and goal.

It is absolutely unreal to imagine that I started Glion mid-2008.

Time flies so fast…

Dissertation et activités

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Lizzie

Deux semaines sont passées et mon projet de dissertation n’avance pas aussi vite que je l’aurais espéré. Je commence à vraiment comprendre l’importance du «Time-Management» : un point que l’on nous inculque avec beaucoup d’insistance dans le programme LRG.

Ainsi comme il est recommandé, je me suis fixé des tâches à remplir avec des dates limites, tout cela bien organisé dans un diagramme de Gantt. Il est presque vital de créer son propre diagramme lorsque l’on s’engage dans un tel projet afin de pouvoir s’y retrouver et se motiver.

Il est tellement facile de se perdre dans ses idées qu’il faut savoir évaluer ce qui peut être réalisé et ce qui demande plus de temps et d’efforts.

Lorsque l’on rentre dans le programme LRG, la dissertation est plus ou moins imposée. C’est-à-dire que nous n’avons pas le choix entre l’IRS et la dissertation. Mais il s’agit en fait d’un avantage car ainsi nous avons avec la possibilité d’interagir directement avec le monde extérieur et nous n’avons donc pas à nous restreindre uniquement aux données secondaires que l’on peut trouver dans les sources littéraires.

Bien sûr ma vie étudiante ne tourne pas autour de ma dissertation uniquement, bien qu’il s’agisse d’une tâche importante. L’école organise beaucoup d’excursions pour les étudiants les week-ends et propose toujours un large nombre d’activités sportives pour les étudiants de LRG et de Glion. Je me suis donc engagée dans l’équipe féminine de rugby, j’essaie aussi de m’initier au squash et me suis convaincue de courir dans la forêt et d’aller à la piscine de temps en temps. De toute évidence, je nourris cette motivation grâce à un groupe d’amis très encourageants.

Ce qui est rassurant, c’est que tout est mis en place pour nous faire sentir comme chez nous malgré le fait que nous en sommes loin. Ca n’a pas été facile de quitter le cocon familial mais on apprend vite à s’adapter et à développer une solidarité entre étudiants de Glion et de LRG.

A bientôt !

Lizzie

Back to Bulle, back to reality !!

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Ann-Katrin

Hello everyone,

How are you?

It has now already been two weeks since we started our new semester in Bulle. The first week was crazy. After some of our classmates have been in exchange last semester at different universities around the world, some of us haven’t seen each other over one year.

This was because we primarily had to do our second internship from July 2010 to December 2010 and then a group of students from our class spent six months abroad for their exchange semester. Now, the first LRG class that is graduating in Spring 2012 is reunited.

During the first days, all students were excited to meet each other and to talk about their experiences. In the first week, we had different presentations about the upcoming dissertation proposal. Fortunately, the academic schedule provides only a few mandatory dissertation workshops we have to attend. Therefore, everyone can concentrate on finding his/ her research topic in order to start researching in the next 3 weeks.

For many students this is the most difficult part of starting a dissertation and its proposal. Deciding which topic is the most appropriate, and which stimulates personal interest over a period of about 8 months, is quite hard.

On the one hand, we are all happy to start with our final piece of work to receive the well-deserved undergraduate degree. On the other hand, it means a lot of hours and days on the online databases and in the library reading books, journals, and magazines to deeply research the chosen topic.

I will keep you updated how the dissertation process will continue and how we all manage to work it out.

Until then I wish you a successful time!

Ann-Katrin

Back to School

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Sebastian

Hello everyone!

I am finally back to Bulle after two great months of vacation. After a visit to my parents in Singapore and a week with my friends in Dusseldorf, I spent some time in Italy visiting Rome and sailing around the Amalfi Coast. I had an amazing time discovering one of Europe’s most famous capitals and enjoying the food and atmosphere of the city.

While sailing, I had the opportunity to stop by many Italian villages and islands, experiencing local food and wines, participating in regattas and meeting interesting people. After Italy, I spent one week in Germany with my family and drove to Switzerland. After two months, it was almost strange to come back to peaceful Bulle. As I rent my own apartment, I had very few things to unpack so I had time to go to the Coop (a Swiss supermarket) for some last-minute food shopping and to enjoy a dinner with my parents at the Museum Restaurant in Montreux.

I was very happy returning to school for check in, as I could meet all my friends that I did not see during the summer as well as the students returning from the exchange semester. We had a welcome meeting and the school organized a welcome drink for everyone at a local bar, Memphis, the same evening. We all had a lot to talk about.

The first day of class was interesting, as we attended a seminar on research methods and got to know in detail the timeline for our final undergraduate dissertation. In the month to come, we will have very little classroom time, as we are supposed to work on our dissertation proposal.

By the end of the month, the proposal should be fully written, and approved by our tutor. It will be my first dissertation and I am quite excited to get started. I am still investigating the different topics that I am interested in. I will keep you updated very soon!

Sebastian

Retour à Bulle et projets à venir

Posted on August 2, 2011 by Lizzie

Bonjour tout le monde,

Je m’excuse pour ce long silence. Cela fait maintenant une semaine que je suis de retour à Bulle. Je n’ai pas eu beaucoup de temps libre car j’ai du m’installer dans mon appartement (je n’ai pas pris de logement avec l’école…).

Je peux vous garantir qu’emménager dans un appartement non meublé prend un temps inconsidérable ; donc un conseil : veillez à venir une bonne semaine avant le début du semestre si vous décidiez de prendre un logement externe.

Enfin ce premier mois s’annonce riche en pendaison de crémaillères et en soirées de retrouvailles. Néanmoins, nous commençons notre travail de recherche pour la dissertation. Nous disposons d’un mois pour nous concentrer uniquement sur la dissertation avant de commencer nos cours de marketing, revenue management et d’événementiel. C’est donc à nous de gérer au mieux notre temps.

Je dois dire que ce projet est assez effrayant car nous ne bénéficions pas de véritables directions comme dans les autres projets. Nous devons trouver notre propre problématique, fixer nos objectifs et partir en quête d’information aussi bien dans des sources littéraires que dans nos propres interactions avec le monde extérieur.

A la fin de l’année, nous serons tous censés avoir acquis des connaissances plus approfondies que les autres étudiants sur le sujet choisis pour notre dissertation. Selon moi, il s’agit entre autre d’un processus de différentiation des divers profils de la classe. Il me semble donc important de trouver un sujet capable de nous ouvrir des portes dans notre future carrière.

J’ai ainsi le sentiment de devoir choisir une direction encore plus orientée. Cependant, c’est une opportunité afin de nous inciter à trouver ce que l’on veut vraiment faire dans un futur proche et il est important, je pense, d’y être préparé avant la fin de nos études.
Encore une fois, si vous avez des questions concernant le programme ou la vie étudiante en générale au sein de l’école, n’hésitez pas à m’en faire part.

A très bientôt.

Lizzie