Degree programme at FH Aachen: Mechanical Engineering, Faculty 8
Start and end of stay abroad: 28.07.16 - 12.01.17
The semester abroad took place in: 5th subject-specific semester
Assessments:
Quality of the programme content: 2,0
Study conditions / facilities at the host university: 1.7
On-site support and assistance: 1.0
Campus: 1.3
Transport links to the campus: 1.7
Food on campus (dining hall (Mensa), etc.): 1,3
Sports facilities: 1.3
Leisure activities: 1.3
Bars / discos / nightlife: 1.7
Quality / cost of living: 1.7
Contact with locals: 1.0
Preparations
When did you start your preparations? About six months before the start of the stay abroad.
How does the application process work and what documents are required? You get support from the International Office at FH Aachen. Among other things, you have to write a short letter of motivation (in the language in which you will be studying).
Does the host university require a language test? An English level was required, which had to be confirmed by a language test. Unfortunately, I'm not sure whether this was actually set by the university in Mexico or by the UAS.
Useful tips or further information on preparation: It is best to speak to the International Office at FH Aachen early enough (approx. 2 to 3 months before the application deadline) so that you are not too late for any language tests or other documents required for the application.
Formalities
Do I have to pay fees at the host university? No. Partner university.
Did you receive a scholarship to finance your stay abroad? Yes. I have received the "Promos" scholarship from FH Aachen.
Which way of travelling to the host university is recommended? There is a free bus service run by Tec that follows a certain route. The "Uber" app is also very helpful if you live a little further away. Super cheap and safe.
Did you have to take out additional health insurance? You definitely need additional health insurance abroad. I used the option offered by Envivas. There you pay one price per day.
Is further insurance necessary? No.
On site
What formalities have to be completed after arrival? - Creating an ID for the campus. However, you will receive sufficient support with this. - Course selection. You have to indicate your favourite subjects in advance. In my case, two subjects changed, which is quite normal. So you should look at the timetable and then have the opportunity to change times or courses.
Where is the best place to live and what are the average housing costs? It is more relaxed if you live near the university because you can walk to the campus. Tec offers a host family programme, which I took part in. That was a really nice experience. Others were also unlucky and quickly left the host family. I, however, was really happy. I paid around 270 euros per month there. This included 3 meals. My host mum also cooked, washed and cleaned for me. I always wanted to help her, but she denied it. Quite a luxury life.
What was it like looking for accommodation? The Tec sends you information in good time. There is a website with flats that are conveniently located to the university, you get contact addresses for halls of residence that are on campus and contact addresses for the host family programme. Some of my friends also stayed in houses run by local "travel agencies". "Intégrate" and "Conexión". There are mixed opinions about these organisations, but the houses were nice.
What is the average cost of living? Generell ist es günstiger als in Deutschland, aber nicht so billig wie in Asien. Some products are also more expensive.
What is cheap/expensive? Soft drinks are cheap. Sun cream is expensive.
What are the shopping facilities like? There is a huge supermarket directly behind the university. "Soriana". You can get everything you need there. Außerdem ist auf dem Campus ein kleiner Supermarkt bzw. Kiosk für Getränke und Snacks („Oxxo“).
About the host university
Briefly describe the host university! Very large campus with lots of sports facilities. Tennis, football, basketball, boxing, crossfit, dance rooms, football and much more. Also music rooms.
How was the quality of the courses? The courses and lectures were interesting and helpful. However, the system is rather school-like. Compulsory courses, homework, etc. However, this means that the learning time for written examinations is limited. One day was usually enough. The level was already lower than at the FH. At least in the courses I chose.
How are the facilities at the host university? The facilities are great. There are lots of books, PCs and laboratories. Everything you need.
What are the opening hours on campus, how are the libraries, are there lecture notes? I'm not sure, but there are lectures from 7am and some until 10pm, so these are at least the opening hours. With the Campus ID you can enter the campus at any time. Lecture notes are available in the form of lecture slides. There are plenty of books available.
How many hours per week did you have on average? Lectures were - I think - 13 to 15 lecture hours for 30 credits per semester. Unfortunately, I'm not quite sure anymore. ECZS is also stated on the Tec homepage. So you don't have any problems with that. In addition to the lectures, I also had boxing, dancing and drums. So you get a lot under one roof.
Did the professors prepare you well for exams? Did they also help you outside of the lectures? The courses are also like at school with up to 30 participants. You can ask individual questions for the whole lesson, because the lessons are also organised like at school. With exercises and illustrative examples. The professors also have office hours and are very helpful.
Are there special introductory courses for visiting students? The Tec's international office is very well organised. There is always a welcome event with important information and there are also other events such as a welcome dinner with Mexican food and mariachis.
What should I bear in mind when the certificate is issued at the foreign university? The certificate will be forwarded to the German university by post and, if requested, a copy will be sent to the student upon completion of the degree.
Who was the contact person at the foreign university? There were several contact persons in the international office. I had the most frequent contact with Elizabeth Amador García and Claudia Ugalde Osornio.
What did you like / dislike about the campus? Good: Size, sports facilities, outdoor learning areas Bad: There was nothing really wrong with the campus.
What are the transport links like? What needs to be considered? There is a bus line right outside the entrance and, as I said, Uber is recommended. Super cheap and safe. There is also the campus's own bus system with a fixed route.
Other: The semester is divided into three sections. So you also write three exams. Partial 1, 2 and final. The final was a final project for four subjects. Three exams per subject sounds like a lot, but it was fine, as one day of studying before the exam was usually enough.
About the courses and lectures attended at the Tec de Monterrey
Course attended: Español Básico 2 Instructor: Nadia Course duration & scope, form of instruction: 4 * 1.5h, classes Keywords for course description: Relaxed language learning. Form of assessment: Exams, homework. Is the course recommended? Yes
Course attended: Integrated Manufacturing Systems Instructor: --- Course duration & scope, teaching format: 2 * 1.5h, classes Course description keywords: Programming CNC machines (turning, milling). Simple programming of industrial robots. Form of assessment: exams, homework, small final project. Is the course recommended? Yes, but not at a high level.
Course attended: Microcontrollers Lecturer: --- Course duration & scope, teaching form: 1 * 3h, classes Keywords for course description: Programming microcontrollers e.g. to play music or to test water levels. Form of assessment: exams, homework, final project. Is the course recommended? Yes, because you also get an MC to do practical things.
Course attended: Design and Analysis of Experiments Lecturer: --- Course duration & scope, teaching form: 2 * 1.5h, classes Keywords for the course description: Analysing and statistically meaningful design of experiments with Excel and Minitab. Form of assessment: exams, homework, final project. Is the course recommended? Yes.
Course attended: Computer Graphics Lecturer: --- Course duration & scope, teaching format: 1 * 3h, classes Keywords for the course description: My final project was a 2D game. Form of assessment: exams, homework, final project Is the course recommended? The professor was new, so it was still quite disorganised. It was fun, but the organisation was lacking.
Leisure activities
What are the sports facilities on campus like? As described above, there are lots of sports facilities directly on campus. There are also numerous courses with all kinds of sports and cultural courses (dancing, music) on offer.
Do Ihave to pay for the sports programmes? No.
What leisure sports opportunities does the university offer? Unfortunately, there are no options.
What sights are there locally? A historic city centre, a small pyramid, a viaduct.
What tourist attractions does the surrounding area have to offer? There are many excursion destinations within a 4-hour radius. Huasteca, Grutas de Tolantongo, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Peña de Bernal, Sierra Gorda....
Are there organised (possibly subsidised) excursions for visiting students? The university itself organises excursions to beautiful places in Mexico and there are the above-mentioned "travel agencies" that travel to a number of destinations in Mexico.
Are there many good restaurants and bars nearby? What is recommended? Directly opposite is the "Terrazita". It serves a very tasty lunch for 75 pesos. Otherwise there are bars in the Jurica district or in the city centre. Both are about 20 minutes by taxi from the campus. No problem.
Are there any special features of the local cuisine? A lot of meat is eaten. Everything, even fruit, is served with chilli. But you can also leave out the spiciness. That's not a big problem.
Where do you go in the evening (pubs, bars, discos, cinemas)? There are also a few options. I can't think of all the names at the moment. But on Thursdays, rock music fans can go to "La Encrucijada", an incredibly good live band that covers rock classics. I can't think of the names of the clubs at the moment, but there are a few.
Are there any special customs/customs among the locals and what is an absolute taboo? There is actually less of an absolute taboo. Women are greeted with a kiss on the cheek, even if you don't know each other. Apart from that, Mexicans are very nice, open, helpful people who love to dance and with whom I enjoyed spending time.
Final considerations - Conclusion
How would you rate your stay abroad overall? I am completely satisfied with my choice. I learnt Spanish, saw an incredible number of beautiful places and met great people. I also really liked the fact that, as an exchange student, I had a lot to do with the Mexican students.
Did you choose the right time for your semester abroad? As I chose the 5th semester as a regular semester, it was a good time. The weather in Mexico is also good in winter. It's always hot on the coasts anyway and it didn't rain much inland, although it did get as cold as 8 degrees at night.
What were the high and low points of your stay? Highlight: Climbing the highest mountain in Mexico, making friends for life
What will remain unforgotten? The above.
What advice would you like to give to other students on your degree programme who decide to spend a semester abroad at this foreign university? It doesn't hurt to study Spanish beforehand. If you want to learn Spanish really well and you have a starting level, it's certainly great if you can choose courses in Spanish. Otherwise, I would definitely look for a "hermano mayor". This is also offered by the university and is comparable to the language tandem programme in Germany. I'm really good friends with my hermano. It was a really good fit and quickly led to contact with Mexicans, which I particularly liked.
Any criticism or suggestions? At first, the compulsory events and homework bothered me because I thought I wouldn't be able to travel at all. But this is definitely possible at weekends. It doesn't restrict you that much. Apart from that, you can expect a lot of organisational help from the UAS and the Tec. That was really great.
