Jan 23, 2019 | Study abroad
Daniela Alarcón, Marketing student, was one of the winners of the Uni International Scholarship at Guangdong University - South China Business College.
When you entered Uni did you know there were international programs?
I did know that you have the opportunity to participate in international programs, however I was not aware of all the countries to which you have access.
Did you think you would go to live and study abroad?
I had always wanted to do it, but I never thought I would dare to do it.
Have you ever lived or studied outside of Mexico before?
I had never lived abroad.
What prompted or motivated you to study in another country?
Being able to learn about another culture and see the differences and similarities that exist between my country and an Asian country, in addition to having the facility to travel within this continent.
Why did you decide to study in that country?
A year ago I had the opportunity to travel to Asia, so I could realize in a real way how different our cultures are, which made me want to continue to know Asia and really live this culture shock.
How did you feel when you arrived in the new country?
I was nervous, since I chose to live in a country far away from Mexico and therefore from my family, and also because I had never lived a similar experience, I did not know how I was going to react, on the other hand, I did not know what to expect from this experience because of the different opinions that the exchange students of last semester had.
How have you been received at the university where you arrived?
I was very well received, arriving in China they picked us up at the airport and since this semester some Chinese were given the opportunity to live with foreigners, so during the whole semester we had the help of native people.
What will you miss most about Mexico?
Honestly, it was such a pleasant experience from day one that I didn't miss a hundred percent of anything, it's true that I missed my family, the food, and even being able to speak in my language all the time, but all of this was tolerable.
What about the Uni?
Mainly to my colleagues.
What is the most exciting thing you have experienced so far in this experience?
The most exciting thing has been to be able to live the experience of being in a Chinese wedding, as they are really very different from the weddings that take place in Mexico, so it was very interesting to see the different ways of celebrating these events.
And the hardest part?
Spending Christmas and New Year's in a country where these holidays are not celebrated and being away from my family.
What do you expect as a person and as a professional from this program?
As a person, it was a very big step for me, as I had never lived away from home before, and being able to get out of my comfort zone and live with people I didn't really know has helped me to be more tolerant and empathetic.
As a professional, being able to live with people from different countries, having an optimal communication and learning to work as a team with them, are skills that I am grateful to have been able to acquire, besides improving my English level and learning some Mandarin Chinese.
Do you recommend these opportunities provided by Uni to your colleagues?
I recommend 100% this experience, it is very enriching in different ways, since you have the opportunity to live with people from different countries and learn from them, besides being able to teach them and tell them about your country, on the other hand to know how different other people think, to know about their dreams and goals, make you open your mind and motivate you to think differently and be tolerant.
Living in a country with different customs, food, traditions, etc., allows you to learn about them, but also to know yourself, because sometimes we think we know how we will react to live different experiences, but you really do not know until you live it, you surprise yourself. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity!
Jan 23, 2019 | Study abroad
Montserrat Graniel from the Bachelor's Degree in Gastronomy obtained the Beca Uni to study at South China Business College.
When you entered Uni did you know there were international programs?
Yes, the main reason I chose this university.
Did you think you would go to live and study abroad?
Well, it was one of my goals and I just waited for the right time to apply.
Have you ever lived or studied outside of Mexico before?
No
What prompted or motivated you to study in another country?
Traveling and living alone in another country.
Why did you decide to study in that country?
I consider China to be a fascinating and contrasting country, I never imagined having the opportunity to study here. At first I only thought about "exotic" China and all the taboos, but when I arrived and experienced its traditions, visited some of its cities, etc., etc., etc.
I can say that all in all it is an impressive country.
How did you feel when you arrived in the new country?
Anxious, I just wanted to get out and meet.
How have you been received at the university where you arrived?
The people are very kind and attentive.
What will you miss most about Mexico?
My family and boyfriend
What about the Uni?
Subjects and teaching style.
What is the most exciting thing you have experienced so far in this experience?
I can say that knowing English did not always help me, trying to communicate with the local people was complicated, we opted to make signs and that managed to get a laugh or two, but in the end we managed to understand each other. In spite of the language barrier, people tried to help and that gave me peace of mind. The exciting part came when I put my imagination to the test to make myself understood, an eternal game of signs and gestures.
And of course traveling to one of the most breathtaking places in China, Hunan province, certainly has landscapes that take your breath away.
And the hardest part?
Getting used to food and smells
What do you expect as a person and as a professional from this program?
I believe that traveling transforms people, this trip is part of my formation and growth as a person.
It is the first time I have traveled alone and it was not exactly a challenge, as it gave me the opportunity to blend in with the environment and to discover certain things about myself.
Do you recommend these opportunities provided by Uni to your colleagues?
Sure, it's something you should experience at least once in your life.
Thank you for the opportunity
Jan 23, 2019 | Study abroad
When you entered Uni did you know there were international programs?
Yes
Did you think you would go to live and study abroad?
The truth is not
Have you ever lived or studied outside of Mexico before?
No
What prompted or motivated you to study in another country?
To get out of my comfort zone and get to know other cultures, challenge myself as a person and change my perspective of other countries.
Why did you decide to study in that country?
To grow as a person and learn more about business.
How did you feel when you arrived in the new country?
At first fear and some nostalgia for my family.
How have you been received at the university where you arrived?
Very good, they put us with people who helped us a lot and were always attentive to us.
What will you miss most about Mexico?
The food, and my family
What about the Uni?
Teachers and class schedules
What is the most exciting thing you have experienced so far in this experience?
There are quite a few things:
-Having ridden an extreme roller coaster (I had never ridden one in my life).
-Being stranded on a mountain alone without any idea how to get out of the mountain, without a map and without speaking Mandarin.
-Traveling in an uncomfortable train for more than 15 hours
-Watch a Kung Fu demonstration.
And the hardest part?
-SpendingChristmas without my family was undoubtedly one of the most difficult things about this trip.
-Learn the language in a short time.
-Adapting to Chinese food.
-Having to say goodbye to my friends I made in college.
What do you expect as a person and as a professional from this program?
-To be able todevelop more as a person and be more adaptable to change.
-Do you recommend these opportunities provided by Uni to your colleagues?
-Of course, so that they have the opportunity to get to know themselves.
Jan 7, 2019 | Study abroad
Astrid was awarded the Uni scholarship to study a semester of her Bachelor's degree in International Business at South China Business College.
When you entered Uni did you know there were international programs?
Yes, I noticed it since I was in UNI high school.
Did you think you would go to live and study abroad?
No, although it was one of my goals, I saw it as a long way off.
Have you ever lived or studied outside of Mexico before?
No, I had only been to summer school in the United States as a child.
What prompted or motivated you to study in another country?
Getting to know other cultures, as well as living with people of different ideologies.
Why did you decide to study in that country?
Because China is a huge country, it has all climates, it is advancing rapidly in technology and has great possibilities for economic growth, and it is opening up more and more to the world every day.
How did you feel when you arrived in the new country?
Uncertainty, a bit of fear, excitement and at the same time questions about my adaptation in that country.
How have you been received at the university where you arrived?
Very well, we were welcomed at the airport by the university, so we didn't struggle to get there. When we had any doubts we could go to the internationalization department and they tried to help us.
What will you miss most about Mexico?
To my family, sleeping in my bed, the stability that being a daughter of a family gives me.
What about the Uni?
To my friends, teachers, to UNI and to the system they use, since here there are no midterms but final exams.
What is the most exciting thing you have experienced so far in this experience?
- First of all, the size of the university is enormous.
- To have tried new and very tasty things.
- Meeting Russian, Chinese, Korean friends and building a closer relationship with my fellow travelers who eventually became like family to me.
- Travel to the capital and other cities.
- Attend a Chinese wedding with all its traditions.
And the hardest part?
Getting sick and not knowing who to turn to, but my friends helped me every step of the way.
What do you expect as a person and as a professional from this program?
To be a better person, to value what we have and we don't realize it until we are far away. As a professional, to learn more every day wherever we are.
Do you recommend these opportunities provided by Uni to your colleagues?
Of course, it is a unique experience that is worth knowing and living, but it will never be the same if we are told about it as if we were living it.
Thank you very much for this unforgettable experience!
Jan 7, 2019 | Study abroad
Luis Jorge estudia Ingeniería Industrial en la Uni y durante el 2018 obtuvo la beca Uni para estudiar en South China Business College.
When you entered Uni did you know there were international programs?
No lo sabía.
Did you think you would go to live and study abroad?
Siempre tuve en mente salir algún semestre de la universidad a estudiar a otro país.
Have you ever lived or studied outside of Mexico before?
Ya, un año en Alemania.
What prompted or motivated you to study in another country?
Aprender un nuevo idioma y conocer culturas diferentes siempre me ha emocionado, hay momentos en los que necesitas un descanso o cambio de aires para después regresar con motivación y una mentalidad renovada.
Why did you decide to study in that country?
Siempre pensé en vivir por un tiempo en algún país de Asia Oriental, teniendo en mente las diferencias extremas tanto sociales como culturales, para salir de mi zona de confort y presenciar situaciones incómodas en aspectos tan simples que de cierta forma en tu zona son tan sencillos y a veces imperceptibles de tan acostumbrados que llegamos a estar a lo cotidiano.
How did you feel when you arrived in the new country?
Los primeros días los pasé en la capital, Beijing y debo aceptar que el choque cultural fue algo fuerte al principio, más por la idea de que estaría aquí por un tiempo, tal cosa no hubiera sentido si solo viniera de paso o estuviera viajando solamente.
How have you been received at the university where you arrived?
Desde el momento en que llegamos a la universidad nuestros roomies y los chinos que ya habían estado en México nos ayudaron en todo.
What will you miss most about Mexico?
Sin duda, la comida.
What about the Uni?
A todos mis amigos.
What is the most exciting thing you have experienced so far in this experience?
Creo que con la experiencia que me quedo, es que, a las dos semanas de haber llegado a China, hicimos un viaje improvisado a una ciudad al otro extremo del país, tomando un tren rural de casi 20 horas de viaje, compartiendo un vagón pequeño con alrededor de 100 personas, recargados hombro con hombro y gente durmiendo en el piso. Resultó ser uno de mis mejores viajes.
And the hardest part?
Aprender mandarín fue lo más difícil. A decir verdad, llegué con la idea de que el chino era imposible de aprender, y ahora, después de las clases que hemos tomado, he aprendido bastante y me doy cuenta que es como cualquier otro idioma, aprender a hablarlo puede ser relativamente rápido, en tan solo 4 meses puedo comunicarme y mantener una conversación básica, cosa que jamás esperé.
What do you expect as a person and as a professional from this program?
Las experiencias de este tipo pueden llegar a cambiar e incluso definir tu carácter como persona y como profesional, logran que tu visión y tu futuro sean más claros y además desarrollar inconscientemente competencias aplicables en tu vida profesional.
Do you recommend these opportunities provided by Uni to your colleagues?
Las recomiendo totalmente, no dejen de prestar atención a todas estas oportunidades que la Uni ofrece.
Jan 7, 2019 | Study abroad
Florencia Ávila – Diseño Digital – Beca Uni en Hallym University, Corea del Sur.
Una de las razones por las que decidí elegir a la Universidad de Celaya fue por su programa de intercambio al extranjero pero jamás creí que podría llegar a ser parte de éste.
Desde que fui elegida me sentí muy agradecida, ya que sería la primera vez que viviría la experiencia de estudiar en el extranjero, y no sólo eso, también una oportunidad para crecer profesional y personalmente. Corea del Sur siempre había sido la opción, ya que es un país con una historia, cultura e idioma completamente diferente al de México.
Hallym nos recibió, a mis compañeros y a mí, con los brazos abiertos incluso desde antes de que llegáramos, nuestros “Buddies” se pusieron en contacto para todo lo que necesitáramos. Era como si no hubiera salido de México, la atención que nos han brindado te hace sentir como en casa.
Obviamente hay cosas que se extrañan de México y lo que más extrañé es la facilidad con la que te puedes comunicar con las personas, y no sólo me refiero al idioma, sino a la manera de expresarte varía de cultura a cultura. Y en cuanto a la universidad, las materias definitivamente.
Creo que esta experiencia, como un todo ha sido emocionante, así que no podría elegir una sola. Cada día aprendí algo nuevo, no sólo de Corea del Sur, sino de todos los estudiantes de intercambio, que como yo, comparten acerca de su cultura en la convivencia diaria. Pensé que lo más difícil sería hacer amigos pero estoy segura que será decirles adiós a todas esas personas con las que compartí estos meses y que influyeron de gran manera a mi crecimiento personal.
En cuanto a lo profesional, enriquecerme de otra cultura logró inspirarme en el área de diseño y crear contactos profesionales que en un futuro te brinden apoyo y viceversa.
Recomiendo totalmente a mis compañeros aprovechar este tipo de oportunidades que la Universidad de Celaya ofrece.
