Katie (Sem 2, 2023)

My Exchange at Tecnológico de Monterrey

Since high school, I have wanted to go on a University exchange. Mexico was at the top of my list of choices, as my sister also went on an exchange to Tec de Monterrey and loved her time there. I was thus ecstatic when I was given the opportunity to have my own semester abroad in Mexico City.

When I first arrived in Mexico City, I was amazed at how large and busy it was – something is always happening! Mexico is more vibrant than any other place I have visited – everything is colourful, there is delicious street food on every corner, and the people are some of the friendliest in the world. My University campus was also beautiful, extremely modern and filled with trees and lovely outdoor spots to sit.

Myself and Maria, the other Kiwi on exchange in Mexico City, organised to live together in accommodation that was recommended to us by our host University. We lived in the home of a lovely woman named Doña Maria with ten other students – 6 exchange students from France, Romania and Finland and 4 Mexican students. Our home was an authentic Mexican house with a rooftop terrace (where I loved to watch the sunset!), a spacious kitchen, a cute little backyard and a dog named Mica. We thought of Doña Maria as our host Grandma, and the location was great as it was only a 15-minute walk away from our campus. As we didn’t live in the city’s centre, we got to learn how to get around with public transport, which is exceptionally cheap in Mexico City – only 3 cents for a train ride!

On that note, Mexico City – although one of the more expensive cities in Mexico – was much cheaper than living in Auckland. Our rent was approximately $150 NZ a week and included power, water, wifi – and yummy Mexican food our host Grandma would sometimes make for us to try! Street food was also super cheap, and although it can take some getting used to eating from tents and grills set up on the roadside, this food was some of the best I had in Mexico. 5 tacos will usually cost around $6 NZ, and our favourite café served tortas – which are sandwiches – for $3.50 NZ! Café de olla, the spiced coffee served in most cafes in Mexico, was also never more than $2 NZ for a cup. It is going to be a shock when I return to the University of Auckland and can’t eat a massive lunch for only a few dollars.

The teaching at my host university differed significantly from that at the University of Auckland. Rather than having lectures, our courses were taught in classrooms with individual desks and thus were structured like tutorials. Students are expected to contribute to discussions in every class, which I found super awesome as it encouraged us to think about the content critically and have an opinion about what we were learning. Unfortunately, two of my classes were taught over Zoom in the evening. However, the lecturers managed to keep the content engaging, and it allowed me a lot more flexibility as I could do these classes from home.

Tec de Monterrey also offers a range of ‘LIFE’ courses, which are optional extracurricular classes in various areas – including dance, sport, art and music. I love Latin dance and have done it since I was a kid, so I took a bachata course throughout the semester. This was a great way to meet more Mexican students and practice my Spanish while learning a new dance style. The course involved learning the basics of bachata and then choreography, which we performed at the University Culture Week. This was super fun, and it was fantastic to show my friends the dance I had learnt.

It is hard to narrow down the highlights of my exchange, but overall, living and studying in a completely new country is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I met so many incredible people from all over the world who I travelled to amazing places with and had a huge amount of fun. I’ll have these friends for life, and it is so cool to know that I now have people to visit worldwide. The travel we undertook during our exchange – particularly during our holiday periods – was also a highlight. Spending my spare time travelling, practising Spanish, eating amazing food and getting to know myself in so many new ways was incredible for my personal growth and is something I am so grateful for.

Of course, there were challenges. For example, I found it particularly challenging in the first month of the exchange as I tried to solidify new friendships and acclimatise to a completely different way of life while also missing home. However, I promise you that this will pass! Everyone is going through the same thing, and although it can feel impossible, the friendships will come, and you will end up feeling like the city is your home.

Overall, for anyone considering an exchange programme, all I can say is – DO IT! You will have some of the best times of your life, see incredible things, and experience a new culture, all while ticking off a semester of your degree. Although it might seem scary, I promise it will be worth it – and you should definitely consider going to Mexico!


Q&A

What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?

Some of the highlights included learning about sustainable development from a Mexican perspective – that is, from the perspective of a country still in need of development due to significant societal inequality. This equity focus is something I hadn’t learn much about before, so it was extremely valuable.

Another highlight of the academic experience included when I got 100% on my two final assignments for my international relations course about Asia. I had worked hard on the assignments, so it was awesome to have that acknowledged.

Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?

I would recommend trying Latin dance! Latin music – particularly reggaeton – is played everywhere in Mexico, so learning to dance is an excellent way to engage with the culture while also being a lot of fun. Tec de Monterrey offers free classes in all kinds of dance – including salsa, bachata and cumbia – and you can practice what you learn at one of the many salsa clubs throughout the city. Our favourite was Mama Rumba, a Cuban salsa bar with an amazing live band and a dance floor for people of all levels!

What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?

1. Practice your Spanish before coming – but don’t get stressed about it if you aren’t fluent! Not many people speak English in Mexico, so it is very helpful to have a grasp of the language before coming. However, if you’re like me and don’t study too much beforehand, you’ll be okay! Tec offers classes in English, and most Tec students and other exchange students speak English too.

2. Get ready to try a whole lot of different food – and be open-minded about where you buy it from! In New Zealand, street food isn’t common. But some of the best food in Mexico is sold from tiny stands on random street corners. The more people surrounding the stand, the better the food will be.

3. Be ready to travel – ADO buses will be your best friend! Mexico is huge and has many different places to visit – whether it be beaches, volcanos, mountains or other towns. We travelled every second weekend or so and had two weeks of holidays (aka travel time) throughout the semester. Utilise this time to get out and about and see more than just your host city.

How much did you budget for your exchange? Was this enough? Were there any lessons learned that would help future students budget for their own exchange?

I was fortunate enough to receive the Prime Minister’s Scholarship to Latin America, which covered my flights and rent for the entire exchange. I had also worked full-time for two summers prior to coming to Mexico and had savings from that, so I didn’t have to worry about budgeting too much – especially as Mexico is cheaper than New Zealand.

I would encourage any students who want to go to Latin America or Asia to apply for the individual Prime Minister Scholarship the year before they want to go on exchange! It was extremely helpful and made my experience much less stressful by removing money worries.

What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?

The most significant takeaway from my experience abroad is that, despite the many cultural differences between New Zealand and the rest of the world, at the heart of it all, people are integrally the same. Wherever you go and whoever you meet, there will be similarities to connect you to that place or person. These connections are what make travelling and living abroad so special!


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Tags: 2023, Global Studies, Report