Shortly before the end of the fourth semester, I decided to spend a semester abroad at relatively short notice, when the application deadline for my university (University of Cologne) had already expired. I’ve heard of MicroEDU from fellow students. I took a quick look around the homepage and then asked for advice over the phone. I was always given a quick and detailed answer and I was already in contact with the Universidad Regiomontana. I was able to handle the application process quickly during the exam phase and it involved filling out a few documents.

After that I was in direct contact with the international office of the university. The German head of the office organized a transfer from the airport and gave me tips for looking for an apartment. She was also always available for other questions during the semester and tried very hard to ensure that the international students had a good time.

The search for an apartment turned out to be very easy. For the first five days I rented a hostel, the owner of which I am still friends with:). From there I made viewing appointments over the Internet. There are many students in Monterrey looking for temporary roommates. In the end, I found my apartment through an agency. They picked me up at the hostel and showed me some apartments. I was able to quickly choose a flat share in which I celebrated the Tetramester with a lot of parties on the roof terrace.

According to answerresume, the UR is a private university in the center of Monterrey. You can get here very easily by bus or taxi (very cheap!!!). The lessons cannot be compared to that of a German university. It is more reminiscent of a school with small classes, a lot of reporting and homework. In addition, the level of teaching is very low compared to German universities. The positive thing about it is that you have more time to get to know the varied nightlife of Monterrey and to explore the country (Mexico is beautiful!!!!!). In addition, the lessons are more interactive and less theoretical:). Don’t be surprised if the teacher is 15 minutes late for class. Everything according to the motto: ‘No hay prisa. ‘

You can find out more about the courses on the Internet and choose them freely. I decided on the business administration subjects ‘Team Work’, ‘Special Topics in Marketing ‘ and ‘ Entrepreneurship ‘. A free Spanish course and Mexican history were also offered.

I have heard all the courses in English because I traveled to Mexico without any knowledge of Spanish and the first exams (of a total of 3 per subject) were already written after a few weeks. The teachers switched between Spanish and English frequently during class, which helped me improve my newly acquired Spanish and still understand everything well. In retrospect, I would have chosen the courses in Spanish, as the teachers would certainly have helped you translate during the exam and I could also have built up a business Spanish vocabulary.

I got to know a lot of people at UR, in Monterrey and in the rest of Mexico, which was certainly due to my origins. The Mexis are very open towards Europeans and very hospitable. So open that it can rarely get annoying – but in the end I got to know a lot of nice people who showed me many beautiful sides of their country.

Monterrey is reminiscent of a US city in many ways, which means that the culture shock that one can experience more in southern Mexico is not there. There are many museums, a beautiful old town, large malls and a great nightlife;).

In the evening you can freely choose the night clubs, because as a European you can get in everywhere or even don’t even have to queue – even if that was sometimes rather unpleasant for me. Cocktails are available in 1 liter cups and are well below German prices even in the fanciest clubs.

As far as security is concerned, more caution is of course required than in a major German city. But I often drove the bus with my laptop and I-Pod and was never mugged. You just have to keep your eyes open and not run at night, but always take a taxi or have friends pick you up. . .

All in all, I had a blast in Monterrey! I would recommend everyone to spend their semester abroad there. You are really well looked after at the university, the city has a lot to offer for everyone and even close friendships remain afterwards, which you can build up with great people there. In this sense: Viva Monterrey! Viva Mexico!!!!

Conclusion

I really enjoyed it there. I would have liked to have stayed there a trimester longer, but I finished my bachelor’s degree with the courses from Monterrey and I couldn’t choose master’s courses for organizational reasons. I got to know a lot of people and made a lot of good friends. The experiences I made there shaped me and I learned a lot there, be it inside or outside the university. In any case, take your time to visit Mexico, it is one of the most diverse and beautiful countries that I have visited so far, I was very amazed and impressed. I hope with this experience report to convince one or the other to go to Monterrey, you will not regret it.