Studying in Mexico – Going local in Querétaro

At the beginning of August 2017, I left to go studying in Mexico for a semester. I spent 5 months there. An amazing host family welcomed me in Querétaro and I went to TEC de Monterrey University. I would go back in a heart beat, it was the time of my life! Go Borregos!

Host family

The host family I stayed with was super welcoming. I wasn’t alone, they hosted multiple students in their house. It was my first time staying with a host family. It’s nice to have a Mexican person to ask questions. You learn what life in Mexico is really like. It’s amazing to celebrate birthdays, baptisms or weddings together and have an intercultural exchange. They gave us a lot of privacy, which I find important.

I got 3 meals every day. Every morning I had the most amazing breakfast with fresh fruit, tortillas, eggs, and salsa. I still miss those breakfasts, especially fresh tortillas. On the mornings that I had to get up super early, the host dad would make me pancakes, delicious! The dinner was rather simple, just some meat with rice or pasta and some cooked veggies. Not something we were excited about. We did ask her to make some more traditional Mexican food and she even made another student’s favorite dish from home. They washed your clothes, cleaned the room and I had my own bathroom. I was practically living in a very homey hotel close to the city center. I loved it!

TEC de Monterrey University

I didn’t have any expectations going to Mexico. It was like an American high school experience. There were great sports facilities for free and delicious lunch options. I chose 4 courses, being Spanish, Spanish skills, Mexican culture and biology and sustainability. Mexican culture was my favorite. The themes varied from music to history and politics. Very interesting and interactive. We also took a trip to Mexico City for that class.

What I won’t forget about the campus, was the earthquake. There was an earthquake near Puebla and we felt the aftershock at our school. We were on the 3rd floor and I thought someone was hitting my chair from behind. But looking around the classroom, I saw everyone else looking around too. That’s when we realized it was an earthquake. Luckily, it wasn’t heavy, we barely felt it.

There was often a lot of time in between classes, since we only had 4 and a day could start at 7am and end at 10pm. Luckily, we never had those late classes, but twice a week I would have an early class. We spent that time in between going to the free gym, that was very well equipped. We chatted with other international students in the courtyard, ate food. There was even an OXXO store with snacks and drinks on campus! There are chairs everywhere on the court yards to lounge in until the next class starts. After an early class I would find a sofa in the huge library to watch some series before my friends arrived. I really felt at home on the campus! I even went to the free doctor on campus once and although speaking in Spanish he did diagnose and treat me well!

Time off and going out

On the weekends we went on trips. I made separate videos about them. Some were organized by the school. The organization of the school was great, especially for the international students. In Querétaro there are also other organizations that invite international students on trips or to parties. One of the trips was for Día De Muertos, a famous Mexican tradition. I recommend taking a trip then to be immersed in the tradition. It’s a trip that’s very time bound. A less time-bound trip is to Puerto Vallarta and Sayulita. It’s like paradise with pelicans, palm trees and the most beautiful beaches. Guanajuato is a gorgeous city, with lots of colourful houses. There we celebrated Independence Day, which was next level. If you think the American celebrate the 4th of July next level, go to Mexico around the 15th of September.

On days off me and my friends loved going to a café around the corner of our house, the big shopping mall (mostly to eat) or the cozy city center. To go out, we had a couple of places we would regularly go. Pepe el Toro was our favorite, Bambaata played mostly hip-hop. There are different clubs for different genres of music. Every now and then there would be theme parties, which were always lots of fun!

Mexican Food

Let’s not forget about the Mexican food. I still miss the tortillas. Delicious even just with some fresh salsa and salt. Mexican food is so varied. There are tacos and burritos obviously, but try some tostadas or gorditas as well. They put chili in everything. On fruit, in beer, in candy, … Great to discover! Aside from Mexican food Querétaro had amazing other cuisines to offer.

Safety

Querétaro is a very safe place, I never felt unsafe. As a woman, you do notice men staring. You also get used to cat calling. But that’s all, they won’t hurt you. I lived in the city center and could easily go out after dark. Especially on Sundays it’s the place to be. Then people gather on the main square for a big dance party. I never felt unsafe. You can safely take an Uber or the public transport to get around. I also highly recommend the long-distance busses to go on trips, they are so comfy!

More to explore

I hope you liked this article about studying in Mexico. In THIS VIDEO you can catch a glimpse of the campus and the host family. It’s a Q&A I filmed in Dutch with English subtitles.

I wrote the following articles about my trips inside of Mexico:

• Trips North of Mexico City – Trips from Querétaro
• Celebrate Día de Muertos in Mexico
• Waterfalls and Mayan ruins in Oaxaca
• Mexico City and Mayan Pyramids
• Mexican Independence Day in Guanajuato