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.