Jun 20, 2023 | Study abroad
Blanca, an architecture student, studied for a semester in Bogota, Colombia.
When you entered Uni, did you know that there were international programs?
Yes, it was one of my main reasons for joining, the opportunity to study in another country.
At what point and why did you start thinking about applying for a scholarship and studying in another country?
In seventh semester, but because of pandemic it was complicated, so I decided to try it in my last semester.
Why did you decide to study in that country?
Colombia has a very interesting architecture and a very marked urbanist sense, they look for sustainability and proper functioning in their architectural projects.
How was the scholarship application process?
It was relatively easy, the indications are clear and always arrive in the mail, I made an effort to perform well in the race, it was a little complicated the acceptance, but that is part of the university where I did the exchange.
How did you prepare for this new experience?
I searched for as much information as possible about the university and the area where the university was located, researched about its culture and safety of the place.
How did you feel when you arrived in the new country?
It was exciting, it was different and a unique experience, an exchange (living in another country) completely changes your life and perception of where you are and you don't come back thinking the same way.
How have you been received at the university where you arrived?
Everyone was very friendly and helpful and commented that whatever we needed they were there to support us.
What do you miss the most about Mexico and UNI?
The food, the weather and the people, I feel that Mexicans are a little warmer. I missed the facilities at UNI, they are very different and we have more green and recreational areas, and my teachers.
What is the most exciting thing you have experienced so far in this experience? And the most difficult?
The most exciting thing has been getting to know Colombia and all its diversity, its changing fruits and climates, its hills and the good air quality.
The hardest part has been adapting to the food and the people in the capital, who are a bit cold and hurried.
How do you think this experience will influence you as a person and professionally?
Yes, it has definitely changed, I no longer see architecture in the same way and I understand the diversity that exists to work with and to know.
What advice would you give to those who are about to go on exchange to another country?
They should take advantage of every second, enjoy and learn as much as they can, soak up the city and its culture.
Would you recommend these opportunities offered by UNI to your colleagues?
Yes, I highly recommend it, UNI accompanies you and is always looking out for you and your stay in another country. Thank you!
Jun 20, 2023 | Study abroad
Adriana Guadalupe of Communication Sciences and Audiovisual Media completed a semester at Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana.
When you entered Uni, did you know that there were international programs?
Yes, I had a notion and that's why I also wanted to enter with more enthusiasm.
At what point and why did you start thinking about applying for a scholarship and studying in another country?
At all times, I had never left Mexico and I wanted to do it: to get to know another country.
Why did you decide to study in that country?
I have seen lectures given by Colombian people for my faculty and I was very excited to meet her.
How was the scholarship application process?
Efficient, despite filling out some paperwork, I feel I was able to resolve it well.
How did you prepare for this new experience?
I don't feel like I was prepared, I couldn't believe it yet, but I was watching videos of trips to this country and tried to soak up the culture before I arrived.
How did you feel when you arrived in the new country?
I felt very strange, but with a lot of emotion.
How have you been received at the university where you arrived?
They received me spectacularly, especially the educational quality is excellent.
What do you miss the most about Mexico and UNI?
I create the free gym at Uni.
What is the most exciting thing you have experienced so far in this experience? And the most difficult?
The hardest thing I think was missing the food in Mexico and the most exciting thing was all the didactics I had to do, it was a challenge but a lot of learning.
How do you think this experience will influence you as a person and professionally?
It complemented my professional studies in many ways, I was able to solve cultural and school problems, etc. I am more confident.
What advice would you give to those who are about to go on exchange to another country?
That they go, that they are encouraged to learn new things and experiences for their professional development.
Would you recommend these opportunities offered by UNI to your colleagues?
I have already done it and yes, 100%
Jun 20, 2023 | Study abroad
Valeria Edith is studying Global Business and obtained a scholarship to study in Medellin, Colombia (Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana).
When you entered Uni, did you know that there were international programs?
Yes
At what point and why did you start thinking about applying for a scholarship and studying in another country?
Since I entered I wanted to apply, but it was complicated by the pandemic.
Why did you decide to study in that country?
As such I did not decide, but UNI gave me that option and I accepted it, mainly because of the culture and the beautiful places in COLOMBIA.
How was the scholarship application process?
I saw the email and then I applied and a few months later I received confirmation that I had been chosen.
How did you prepare for this new experience?
I researched about the country, I did all the necessary paperwork, I saved, and I mentally got used to the idea of what it would mean to be out of the country for a semester.
How did you feel when you arrived in the new country?
I was very excited, but I felt very strange because I had never had a similar experience, at the beginning I missed my family and friends a lot, but I got used to it.
How have you been received at the university where you arrived?
Very kind everyone
What do you miss the most about Mexico and UNI?
The food, the people, the schedules because I had classes starting at 6am.
What is the most exciting thing you have experienced so far in this experience? And the most difficult?
The most exciting thing was having the opportunity to meet amazing places and people and realizing my personal change, and the hardest thing was learning to live far away, with no one you trust close to you, but in the end I was adapting.
How do you think this experience will influence you as a person and professionally?
As a person I am practically different, I learned a lot and I got to know myself better, it also opens your mind about new opportunities and I saw that traveling is not impossible, and in the professional field, I have more contacts in another part of the world, I learned new things in classes where you learn very different from your comfort zone.
What advice would you give to those who are about to go on exchange to another country?
- Do it! This way you learn to value every part and every person in your life, people are stages and focus on you, try to know as much as you can, but don't get frustrated if you can't do everything, remember that you are mainly going to study, you can have a balance without neglecting any of the two parts.
Would you recommend these opportunities offered by UNI to your colleagues?
100% yes, Thank you UNI for this wonderful experience.
Jun 20, 2023 | Study abroad
Brenda Patricia Gómez Vázquez of Industrial Engineering made an internship at the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana
When you entered Uni, did you know that there were international programs?
The international programs were one of the main reasons why I wanted to join the University of Celaya.
At what point and why did you start thinking about applying for a scholarship and studying in another country?
I started applying in my 4th semester and I wanted to make the decision to apply for a scholarship because I knew it would help me in my personal and professional life in the future.
Why did you decide to study in that country?
Because I had references about the country and the university and its academic level about my area of study.
How was the scholarship application process?
It was very agile and easy and I had the support of all my professors and the internationalization area for any questions.
How did you prepare for this new experience?
As any change is difficult, but I started to research about the place where I would go to study, the culture, the university, and I had the support of a friend who had already gone to study there.
How did you feel when you arrived in the new country?
I felt very nervous, but at the same time very happy, I was about to discover something new, something that would make me grow as a person.
How have you been received at the university where you arrived?
The people were very nice, they gave me support in everything, the professors were very supportive in terms of the study method and the new educational system.
What do you miss the most about Mexico and UNI?
What I missed the most was the food and my family/friends, and my boyfriend, and as for UNI it was living the week of ingerías and living together.
What is the most exciting thing you have experienced so far in this experience? And the most difficult?
The most exciting thing was the industrial visits I had in Colombia, as well as the intersemester activities and joining an engineering club. The most difficult thing I think was the study method or system, but I always had the support of my professors and classmates.
How do you think this experience will influence you as a person and professionally?
I think it has a strong influence, my ideas, my way of thinking have changed and I feel that this is of great support for the professional field because now I can analyze different perspectives.
What advice would you give to those who are about to go on exchange to another country?
That they take advantage of the opportunities, the activities offered by each area in addition to the university, that they get to know a lot, that they learn and that all this helps them to grow and see things differently.
Would you recommend these opportunities offered by UNI to your colleagues?
I would highly recommend it, it's a great opportunity that the university offers, thank you UNI!
Mar 17, 2023 | Study abroad
Michelle Gonzalez of the Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition obtained the international scholarship to study at the Universidad Mayor de Chile.
When you entered Uni, did you know there were international programs?
Yes, since I entered high school I knew that there were many opportunities for international programs for both high school and undergraduate students, this fact was one of the main reasons why I decided to continue my career at Uni.
At what point and why did you start thinking about applying for a scholarship and studying in another country?
Honestly it was not my intention to apply for the scholarship, all my life I had wanted to see the world and travel but I never thought of doing it while continuing my studies, much less in a country in my own continent but I decided to do it because I wanted to expand my horizons and get out of my comfort zone. I must admit that it took me by surprise and I was in shock for several months because I applied only once to the call and I won the opportunity to study in another country, I felt very lucky and happy.
Have you ever lived or studied outside of Mexico before?
I had never been outside of Mexico in my life, this was the first time I left the country and the first time I traveled alone, it really makes you get to know yourself a lot as a person, the whole process of studying and living outside of your country.
What prompted or motivated you to study in another country?
I have always loved learning about different cultures around the world and was excited about the idea of living with people from different countries, I had friendships with people of other nationalities before but had never really met anyone in person so this exchange helped me a lot to connect with different personalities and ways of thinking.
Why did you decide to study in that country?
I have always liked Chile and have felt an enormous closeness to the country, many of my favorite artists or musicians are from there, I liked the climate and its variety of ecosystems.
Besides seeing in videos the perception of Chilean people about Mexico and how they express themselves about us, that seemed to me a very nice reaction that I had to experience on my own.
How was the scholarship application process?
Through the institutional mail we are informed every semester of the calls open to undergraduate students, you can approach the Department of Internationalization or send an email if you require more detailed information or how to apply, for all this we fill out a form and in a couple of weeks we let know the winners of the scholarships.
How did you prepare for this new experience?
It is a very personal process because you have to prepare yourself to live alone in a new country, fill yourself with a lot of courage and desire to learn and discover the world. Although you have to do a great variety of paperwork and movements to go to the destination country, I feel that this was not as big as preparing yourself as a person to get ahead and enjoy this opportunity.
How did you feel when you arrived in the new country?
I was very scared and anxious, I had never faced such a situation before. Everything was new and different: the way of speaking, the weather, the people, the food. Fortunately my family was always there for me and they helped me to cope with the situation and encouraged me to get through it.
How have you been received at the university where you arrived?
Everyone was more than kind, they were always attentive to each one of the students and tried to take care of any situation or inconvenience that arose, I am very grateful to the entire internationalization team because they really made us feel safe and solved our doubts.
What did you miss most about Mexico and UNI?
I really believe that what you miss the most when you leave your country is the food, your family and your friends.
What is the most exciting thing you have experienced so far in this experience?
I had the opportunity to see many amazing places that I never thought I would see in my life, I was able to travel to Argentina and Peru, I saw snow for the first time and I got to know the cold beaches of central Chile. I also met many new people and made friends who are now my family.
And the hardest part?
Learning to live with almost 40 students because I lived in a dorm, taking me alone to my headquarters which was almost 1:30 hours away by Metro and bus, and not being able to see my family or spend my birthday with them.
How do you think this experience will influence you as a person and professionally?
I learned how I can work in my field in another country, I got to know a different educational system and I got out of my comfort zone in a way that helped me to know myself better and recognize all that I can achieve.
What advice would you give to those who are about to go on exchange to another country?
Enjoy every moment of your stay from the day you arrive, do not be afraid of what may happen on the other side of the world, go out and learn because this experience will always be yours and the lessons you will learn will last a lifetime. Lots of encouragement and success!
Would you recommend these opportunities offered by UNI to your colleagues?
I highly recommend this experience, if you have the possibility to go on exchange, do not think twice. It is the best decision and a unique experience that our university offers us.
Feb 28, 2023 | Study abroad
Jimena Guerrero, a student of the Bachelor's Degree in Systemic Psychology, obtained an international scholarship to study at the Universidad Mayor in Santiago, Chile.
When you entered UNI, did you know there were international programs?
Yes, I already knew about these programs and had researched the requirements to meet them.
When you entered your career, did you think you would go to live and study abroad?
I had known for a long time before my career that living abroad was something I wanted to do and I made it my goal to have this experience at some point in my career, even though because of the pandemic I thought it would not be possible.
What prompted or motivated you to study in another country?
To be able to surround myself with people from other countries, to learn about cultural differences and how they affect the way we relate to each other. To have this international experience for my CV. Besides living this experience alone and knowing the personal growth it was going to be for me.
Why did you decide to study in that country?
It was a totally different country from what I had always thought and from which I could learn a lot since I knew almost nothing.
How did you feel when you arrived in the new country?
There were a lot of emotions together, uncertainty, pride, happiness, nostalgia, etc. But I knew how hard I had worked to get there and what an enriching experience it was going to be for me, and that filled me with excitement.
How have you been received at the university where you arrived?
People in this country can be very closed and sometimes very difficult to approach, but as everywhere, there are all kinds of people and many of them also made me feel very welcome and loved.
What will you miss most about Mexico and UNI?
From Mexico to my family, friends, the food definitely and from UNI to my classmates and teachers.
What is the most exciting thing you have experienced so far in this experience?
Getting to know myself more and more in different aspects, learning to be with me 24/7 and enjoy my own company, starting friendships from scratch and in another language, getting to know beautiful places, and feeling an unparalleled freedom in many aspects.
And the hardest part?
Being away from all my comforts, having to adapt to another culture and even though we speak the same language, it was difficult to communicate with Chileans because of the way they speak.
What do you expect as a person and as a professional from this experience?
As a person I hope that this experience will be one of many more in which I learn and get to know myself much better and in different aspects in which I could not do it staying in my comfort zone. Professionally, I hope that this experience will give me the necessary tools to broaden my knowledge and generate a more open mind.
Do you recommend these opportunities provided by UNI to your colleagues?
Totally, it is something that everyone should try to live since it gives you a totally different way of looking at life and gives you very valuable friendships.
Thank you UNI for this great opportunity!
