Fatima is studying International Business at Uni, and during this semester she obtained a scholarship for a semester stay at Guangdong University in China.
When you entered Uni did you know there were international programs?
Yes.
In your first semester, did you think you would go to live and study abroad?
Yes, it was a future plan that I always had in mind since I started my career.
Have you ever lived or studied outside of Mexico before?
Not as long as this time.
What prompted or motivated you to study in another country?
The experiences you gain, growing as a person, learning a new way of life and
culture and learning about a different lifestyle from the one you are used to.
used to.
Why did you decide to study in that country?
China is a first world country and currently a world power.
economic, related to my career is the best option; it is very
interesting to see the big changes that occur when you are in a country
different from ours, especially to see the way in which they
think and see things from a different perspective than we do.
us in Mexico.
How did you feel when you arrived in the new country?
It was a mixture of fear, excitement, and uncertainty, where you had to
and realize that you were already literally on the other side of the
world.
How have you been received at the university where you arrived?
Very good, everyone has been very kind, they have been very attentive to
We, especially the Chinese teachers we had to deal with, have been great.
very nice people and they have helped us a lot since we arrived to
Guangzhou.
What did you miss most about Mexico?
Obviously being able to be close to my family and the food.
What about the Uni?
The environment, since it is different from here and, obviously, from my own.
colleagues and teachers.
What is the most exciting thing you have experienced so far in this experience?
From the moment you arrive, you start to experience a thousand things by the simple fact of
to be in a country different from our own, from the landscapes we see,
the challenge of learning the language, the teaching methods, another meal.
And the hardest part?
The language is something that sometimes gets complicated as you go out into the world.
and not all people speak English, they can't understand you when you're on the street.
When communicating with them in their language, you have to
and the food, you crave for a thousand different things.
things that are only found in Mexico.
What do you expect as a person and as a professional from this program?
After having this experience, I learned a lot, in the field of
professional I was able to understand from my own experience the way in which
Chinese culture thinks when it comes to business and what are their
priorities in the work environment, which will help me in the future.
Mexico is having a good commercial relationship with the United States.
with China and personally it is an experience that you will never forget.
helps you to grow a lot, to see things from a different perspective than you did before.
that you're used to, it makes you think and want to do something
to improve, even if missing certain things makes you value what you know and what you
has, however minimal it may be.
Do you recommend these opportunities provided by Uni to your colleagues?
Of course, these are opportunities which make you grow and learn a lot and
leave you with a good experience.