24 reviews
4.34 / 5 based on 24 reviews
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1
Sonja S
Languages
Language of instruction: Spanish
Was learning Spanish a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my Spanish
How much did you improve your Spanish?
My level before: At ease in most situations
My level after: No problems in any areas (including slang)
Language difficulties
Administrative / Institutional
Personal comments
All foreign students at the UADY have to take a Spanish course before they start regular classes. I already spoke Spanish pretty fluently, and I was put in a class with other students of my level of Spanish, but we wound up doing basic grammar excercises for 6 weeks and learning nothing new. The University is for some reason, not equipped or prepared for students who already have an advanced level of Spanish. It was only 2 hours a day though, and I made a lot of foreign friends, so it wasnt a total waste of time! The regular courses were all in Spanish, which is what I was looking for.
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1
Sonja S
Expenses
Main source of funding:
Family
Other sources of funding:
Personal savings
Work opportunities:
I worked, but it was illegal/cash in hand work
Personal spending habits
Food is generally very cheap in Mexico. The telephone is VERY expensive- a cell phone call is about 40 US cents a minute, but everyone just uses text messaging, which is about 7 US cents per message. My host families cost about 450 USD per month, food included. My apartment was about 150 USD a month plus electricity (about 20 USD per month). In general things are cheaper than at home.
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Telephone:
was more expensive than at home.
Travel, Nightlife, Food, Overall, Housing:
was less expensive than at home.
Accessibility of student needs
Second-hand household items
Personal comments
The UADY doesnt use text books, rather students make copies of readings they are supposed to read and buy them little by little as needed. There are no second-hand furniture stores that I ever saw, but there is always a foreign student moving or going home who is giving away their things- i wound up with a whole kitchen set that way! There are also lots of cheap furniture stores. There are internet cafes everywhere, ATMs are common (in the cities!!!), Banks close at 4pm, and lots of businesses close from 2-4pm every day. Private hospitals are about 20 USD a visit, and though they look dark and scary, the UADY is a very good medical school, so the doctors ARE well-trained!
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Useful |
3
Sonja S
Overall
I wish I had known...
To the female students- be prepared; Mexican women tend to be anything but friendly, after 10 months in Merida, i did not have a single female friend from here. Merida is known throughout Mexico for being relatively closed-minded in its ways; if you want to have local friends, I suggest you go to the central or northern part of the country. The main advantage of Merida is the ability to travel to lots of different places- ruins, mountains, beaches, resorts, Central America, the Caribbean, etc...
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In my opinion:
Most people loved it.
Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important
Personal recommendation
I reccomend the UADY; it has its problems but all-in-all Merida is a fun place to live for a semester or year.
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During my experience abroad, I ...
(1) Never – (4) A lot
Became familiar with another culture
Met people from other countries
Experienced a change in life
Advanced my studies & career
Final comments
Bring extra cash to travel the most you can; its ok to miss class if you are foreign (the professors generally go VERY easy on you!), and take advantage of Merida's location to visit Chiapas, the Mayan Riviera, the Caribbean, Central America, etc...
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1
Sonja S
Academic
Course recommendations
It depends which faculty you are in- I was in Economics, and the only foreigner, so i had a total immersion. The majority of foreign students go to Anthropology, where they make up about 20 percent of the faculty, and they have little interaction with Mexican students. I would suggest going to any faculty other than Anthropology if you want immersion. The quality of the courses is not very good; i did about the same amount of work at the UADY as I did in middle school.
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My academic experiences
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with international students
Interaction with local students
Personal comments
The Mexican education system is very different from the American system in its philosophy. Professors with doctorates see themselves as deities, and tend to throw an incredibly hard exam at the end of the semester, without any warning as to what will be on the exam. Several of them seemed to enjoy failing the entire class and giving a second, or even third exam before anyone passed it.
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My opinion of the university assessment
Exams throughout the course
Essays and/or projects at the end of course
Essays and/or projects throughout the course
Useful |
1
Sonja S
Housing
Type of housing: With a family
Arranged by: Home university
If returning, I would choose: Apartment/House
Why?
The host family is good at first, but I ended up moving out of two host families' houses, and switching to an apartment, as Mexican men (including my host fathers and host brothers) tend to have a certain idea of American and European women. On the other hand, other students had great host family experiences. I'd say to start out with a host family to get settled, but later move to an apartment once you have become more adept and independent at living in Merida.
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Personal comments
The housing department at the UADY was great, when I told them i wanted to move to another host family, and later to another apartment, they asked no questions at all and gave me no trouble. I had a new host family the next day. The second time I moved they also had no problem. They are very helpful and open.
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Useful |
1
Sonja S
Student life
Describe host city:
Students interact with the local community without much university involvement
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Travel, Activities, Nightlife: Takes place mostly outside the university/student environment
Personal social experience
Personal comments
The discos are always fun- Tequila, Amarantus, Mambo Cafe... The Zocalo is also fun when you first arrive. Merida is growing very very quickly, and new restaurants are cropping up every month. One thing we did do a lot of was sneak into the Hyatt Hotel swimming pool for free. The hotel never said anything. The UADY Faculties always arrange lots of parties throughout the year, most are keg parties, but they can be fun.
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