Interview with Ambar Paola Pesquera, Industrial Engineering exchange student at Universidad Mayor de Chile.
When you entered Uni did you know there were international programs?
Yes, it was one of the many reasons I decided to study there.
Did you think you would go live and study abroad in your first semester?
Not in my first semester, I knew I would have to meet certain requirements before I could apply for the scholarship and I decided to work on that so that when I wanted to go on exchange things would come on their own.
Have you ever lived or studied outside of Mexico before?
No, not at all.
What prompted or motivated you to study in another country?
Getting out of your comfort zone was what motivated me to apply for the scholarship, test my knowledge and acquire a lot more.
Why did you decide to study in that country?
Because of the level of education in Chile, I was very interested in testing myself in a country where education is so different that it requires a complete change of mentality.
How did you feel when you arrived in the new country?
At first it was a culture shock, although it is a Latin American country Chile has many European touches both in culture and society, I arrived with an open mind and willing to adapt, it was when I learned to understand the people and from the first day I enjoyed my exchange.
How have you been received at the university where you arrived?
Extremely well, the people are very intelligent, educated and attentive to everyone who comes on exchange. If you have doubts or problems you will always find people who want to help you, the university creates a safe environment where you don't feel so far from home.
What will you miss most about Mexico?
Many will say the food, but what you resent the most is the family and friends, it is a clash of emotions because you are so happy to be in another country meeting new people that you don't want to leave but at the same time you miss your friends and family in Mexico.
What about the Uni?
They are not only my classmates, they became my friends and it is not the same to go to the classroom and not see them all there.
What is the most exciting thing you have experienced so far in this experience?
Traveling, I have known the entire Chilean territory, as well as Peru and Argentina, for me traveling has been changing my mentality and realizing the beauty of the world and its people.
And the hardest part?
I had to change the habits I had from Mexico, I had to change my way of studying and more than learning the concepts by heart I had to understand what I was doing because the exams in Chile are more applied to real life.
What do you expect as a person and as a professional from this program?
I hope that the training I am having will have a positive impact on my life, I have acquired knowledge from my subjects that I would never have thought of and that I have been applying in my work, I have met new people that I will continue to meet in the future and above all I hope that this is not the last exchange experience and that many more will come.
Do you recommend these opportunities provided by Uni to your colleagues?
Widely, I really believe that everyone should go on an exchange at least once in their life, it strengthens your character and makes you more independent as a person, plus you really enjoy the process.
Thanks to UNI for this great opportunity!