How to Study Abroad in Mexico

Studying abroad may sound great, but traveling all the way to the other side of the world? Skip the long haul flight / stale cabin-air / terrible airline food and instead head south to Mexico! While it's true that Mexico is a fun and oft-visited break vacation destination, our 3-times-the-size-of-Texas neighbor offers WAY more than just sandy beaches with pristine blue waters.

Choosing a program

Mexico is a history buff's dream study abroad destination—consider Mexico's ancient civilizations such as the Mayans and Aztecs alone! With more than 50 indigenous groups comprising nearly a quarter of the population, the many layers of Mexico's identity may surprise you more than you think. In fact, did you know that Mexico is home to 25 UNESCO World Heritage sites?! That's enough to keep even the most keen study abroader busy for a semester!

1) Language: With a population of over 110 million people, and home to the world’s largest population of Spanish speakers, Mexico is an excellent location to further develop your Spanish language skills. For direct enrollment into a Mexican university, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) and Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM) should be your #1 choices. Both consistently ranking in the top 500 of the QS World University Rankings.

2) Housing: Before embarking on your study abroad adventure, consider all of our options for housing. Many programs will allow you to live independently, in a dormitory, or with a homestay family.

For language acquisition, a homestay will provide you with ample opportunities to regularly utilizing your language skills. While there might be a steep learning curve, by the end of your semester in Mexico you may find that you're cracking jokes and dreaming in Spanish!

Many study abroad companies believe so strongly in the benefits of homestays (including CIS Abroad, BCA Abroad, and World Endeavours) that they only provide this type of accommodation for their students to live in!

3) Immersion and cultural activities: Program fees may or may not include added cultural activities or small excursions. Some students prefer programs who organize these activities for them, trusting the knowledge of the organization to take them to all of the best sights. For other students, the thrill of pulling out the guide book and creating their own adventure is more exciting.

These extra activities can come in a variety of packages. Proworld includes multiple excursions at the beginning of the program during the adjustment period, and then gives students free time to "choose their own adventure" as they are more settled in. Past trips have included hikes through Zapotec villages, visits to artisan villages, or trips to pre-historic archaeological sights. Sure beats added hours in a classroom!

City or college town?

Though Mexico City may be the obvious choice for someone embarking on a study abroad experience, others may find the smaller cities of Cuernavaca, Oaxaca, Tijuana, or Monterray to be a better fit. Research the different locations to determine which would make the best fit for your ideal study abroad experience.

Regardless of where you call "home" for the semester, be sure to check out all of Mexico's exciting states. The best way to travel around Mexico is via bus—perfect for a student budget!

MEXICO CITY: Ciudad de Mexico is the world's third largest city. Set in a plateau over 2000m above sea level, Mexico City is the best place to see some of the country's most historic sights. With more museums than any other city in the world (some 3000+), students find that this urban environment is a dynamic and interesting combination of Spanish culture and native Mexican cultures.

Mexico City is located in the southern part of the country, and its distance from the northern border has helped preserve some of the more traditional cultures. Spend your weekends snapping photos of the nearby Aztec ruins or the Basilica of Our Lady Guadalupe.

GUADALAJARA: Guadalajara's local university is known to have one of the best (and most popular!) Spanish language and Latin American culture programs in all of Mexico. Though a political and economic domestic powerhouse on its own two feet (nicknamed the "Silicon Valley" of Mexico), Guadalajara is better known as being the birthplace of mariachi and tequila!

Located just northwest of Mexico City, a semester in Guadalajara will open many opportunities for travel to Puerto Vallarto, Acapulco, and other nearby coastal gems.

The people of Guadalajara not only take pride in their distinguished architecture, savory foods, and enchanting folklore, but also celebrate a legendary nightlife. Whether enjoying a fútbol game among friends or strolling along the streets of an open-air artisan market, Guadalajara offers a truly unique Global Student Experience.

Scholarships

Even though the US dollar works in our favor against the Mexican peso, those travel costs can surely add up quickly. If you are looking for a way to lessen the financial burden of your study abroad experience, high tail it over to these websites and try your luck on some scholarship money.

• Scholarships available from the Center for Global Education specifically for historically underrepresented groups in study abroad - applicable for their program in Mexico!
• CIS Abroad not only has four different scholarships for its program participants, but if you apply early, you get an extra discount!
  
• API offers a variety of scholarships for those participating in their programs - including a few great options (even a medically-themed one) in Mexico!

Language and Customs

To all of our burrito-loving tummies' delight, eating is a very important element of Mexico's culture—and even if beans aren't your thing, you can still find an ample variety of foods. Do the words enchiladas, salsa, guacamola, fajitas, and tacos come to mind?! Excuse me while I order some take out...

Around one corner students can see traditional Mexican dress, folk art, and dance, while around the next corner see remnants of the Spanish colonization. Witness this ever-changing aggregation as Mexico continues to absorb its volatile past and move forward into the 21st century.

Mexico is a colorful and fiesta-filled nation filled with warmth and comfort. Expose yourself to Latin American culture and let the Spanish-infused cultures enrich your learning experiences. Besides, Dora the Explorer and Speedy Gonzales can only teach us so much!

Contributed by Megan Lee

A Day in the Life of Alison Neevel, Central College Abroad Student in Merida, Mexico

Alison Neevel studied abroad with Central College Abroad in Merida, Mexico during the Spring of 2012. She is a sophomore originally from Holland, Michigan but attending school at Central College in Pella, Iowa. She is studying elementary education along with mathematics. Some of her hobbies include sports, hanging out with friends, singing, hiking, doing anything outside and helping others.

Morning: The breakfast bell would ring around 8 am and we would all go down to the breakfast table. After a meal complete with fresh fruit, students would head to their different classes (all in the house we stay in). My classes consisted of Spanish, then History. After class it was usually homework time or time to explore the city.

Afternoon: Lunch took place at 1:15, something that took me a while to get use too. After lunch, almost everyone takes a siesta in their hammocks because it is too hot to do anything else. If not a siesta people go to the beach, walk around town, go enjoy ice cream or go sit in the air conditioned coffee shop across the street. One day of the week I even got to teach English in a local elementary school.

Evening: A typical evening involved dinner at 6:30, then taking the bus to el centro to enjoy some sort of concert. Every night there was a different group preforming, dancers or singers in the park. It is fun to people watch, listen the the performance and enjoy fresh sorbet. There are also plenty of options for hitting the discos too! Some nights we had class (but dont worry they were worth it), the best one being Latin American dance class!

Highlights: The highlight of my trip here in Mexico was the week long trip we took as a group to the state of Chiapas. This state had beautiful waterfalls we went swimming in, cooler weather (around 70 degrees), great coffee/hot chocolate to enjoy and cheap shopping! We also got to see many more ruins! The highlight of my overall experience was getting to know a different culture and language. I knew some Spanish coming down, but it had been a while since I used it. I will admit it was a challenge at first, but as the weeks went on I became so much more confident talking to people. I loved understanding the cultural differences and even living like them for a weekend (we spent the weekend with host families in a local Mayan village!) Overall, it was a great experience.

Read more about the Central College Abroad Program in Merida, Mexico

A Day in the Life of Kaitlan Larson, Central College Abroad Student in Merida, Mexico

Kaitlan Larson studied abroad with Central College Abroad in Merida, Mexico in the Spring of 2011. She is 22, from Dubuque, Iowa, and goes to school at Clarke University.

Morning: Monday through Thursday I would usually get up at 7 and then eat at 8ish. Since I lived at the Central House we always had a full breakfast provided to us with fresh fruit and everything. Then, I had 2-3 hours of class in the morning about the Spanish language and Mexican culture. On the weekends if we didn't have a group excursion to various ruins like Chichen Itza, cenotes, or other things, we would usually hit the beach or go down to the Centro (downtown) at 10am before it got too hot.

Afternoon: Usually after lunch on the weekdays I would siesta it up. Nothing is better than taking a quick nap to power through the rest of the day, especially when it was super hot. Then I would do the little bit of homework I had. It would usually take half an hour to an hour depending on the day. At least once a week a friend and I would go catch a matinee movie for 30 pesos or we would go to the Starbucks across the street from the Central House to enjoy some air conditioning.

Evening: Evenings were probably the best parts of the day. Depending on the day, I had service learning at the English Academy one day a week to converse with people learning English. Tuesdays and Wednesdays I had class, one of which was a Latin dance class that was kind of like Zumba. On the weekends my friends and I would usually go out to eat, to a club, or bar. Other times we would go down to the Centro to participate in the different things the city would put on like Noche Mexicana or Trova Yucateca, among other things. These two events happened every week and included traditional Mexican music and culture.

Highlights: I'd have to say that my whole experience was the highlight of my trip. The best thing was probably just getting out there and seeing the world. There is so much to experience, that even in the four months I was in Merida, I still felt like there was more to discover. It was a great way to genuinely get to know a different country and meet new friends.

The best part of my study abroad experience was probably going to Chiapas. Even though it was a long, bumpy trip, it was cool to see how there is so many differences between the different part of Mexico. Going to Chiapas was like going to a whole different country. I especially enjoyed the open-air market. You could get everything there, from keychains to shirts to wooden toys to jewelry and much much more. Everything was extremely cheap, and it was fun trying to haggle with the stall owners to get a lower price.

Read more about the Central College Abroad Program in Merida, Mexico