Central College Abroad - Study & Intern in Mexico

I have and will continue to suggest students who are able to go participate in an abroad program to go for 6 weeks during the summer like I did when I studied in Merida. Not only was I provided with the opportunity to visit beautiful Mexico but I was able to obtain a rich understanding about the people and the culture. Val my program director was nothing less than awesome. I had difficulty adjusting the first couple of weeks(I got home sick)and almost had a 6 hour layover in Mexico City by myself (which freaked me out). Valerie helped me immensely in both situations. I never felt unsafe and was encouraged to step outside of my comfort zone to explore the country around me for help was never more than a phone call away. Thank you Central College for allowing me to have an experience I otherwise would have never been able to afford.

I was ecstatic to finally meet the other 15 students at the Houston airport to begin our 5 months together in Merida, Mexico! Everyone was wired, exhausted, and eager to bond with one another within seconds of meeting one another. We were all happy go lucky, excited to be in a new place with all new faces, when I realized I was actually holding back the tears with every ounce of energy I had. I was as homesick as they come within 24 hours of arriving in Mexico. I knew I wanted to experience this, and I knew I would love it if I did, but it was the hardest thing I have ever done. All I could think about was the closest familiar face was thousands of miles away and I wouldn't be seeing anyone I knew for 108 days. Within 10 days, I was completely over being homesick and ready to take on any and every adventure with full energy. I absolutely flourished and never wanted to leave.

The entire semester was a blast! We went on some amazing trips--the most memorable were the Cenotes (bodies of underground water that are crystal clear and beautiful!) and the mayan ruins sites. We also had a great time in the city of Merida. We loved going down to El Centro and walking around and shopping and just enjoying the city. The night life was great (although I wasn't super into that), but there was a lot to offer everyone! The city is VERY safe--I never felt like I was ever in any danger. Everything is very cheap in Mexico (food, activities, trips, etc) so it's definitely the place to go if you don't have a huge budget. Classes were great--in some I was challenged and not so much in others (but who's complaining on that one??). Overall it was an incredible experience and I would LOOOOVE to go back!

between the cenotes, ruin sites, the ocean, the eco reserves, the wild life, the beautiful colonial cities of Merida and Villadolide there is more then enough to fill your time with places to go and things to see... O and eat every type of food you are offered.... you won't be let down.

The Merida Program was a lot of fun. We did a lot of group activities like going to Chichen Itza and going on a five day trip to Chiapas. While we did these things, we learned a lot about the different aspects of Mexican culture and history. I really enjoyed doing all of these things. Besides that, Merida is a large city full of great things to do and being half an hour from the beach was fantastic. Every weekend my friends and I would at least spend one day at Progreso. It was a great time

Even though it was a lot of fun, I did not really get much academically from this program. The classes were ridiculously easy and there wasn't a lot of support from the director to push yourself. I felt like when we had problems with what we were learning, we just had to deal with it and suffer from boredom.

In order for my Spanish to improve, I had to make friends with local Mexicans, outside of the program. When you're with other Americans the whole time you slip into English. Ordering things at restaurants is not enough Spanish practice to leave the country with much improvement. My Spanish would not improve if I had not found friends outside the program. Plus, it's a great way to learn the local culture and figure out the places to go for fun! I recommend this program almost solely based on the fact that Merida, Mexico is one of the most wonderful places I have ever been and I would gladly live there for the rest of my life. But like I said for your Spanish to improve, you really need to make an effort. I know many students who left with no improvement in their Spanish whatsoever. It's all up to you.

Going to school in Mexico for a semester is definitely far from the worst thing you could do with your life. The people are very nice and welcoming and there's a lot to do and experience. There is some beautiful architecture in the area and the program goes on many excursions to various historic sites, including haciendas and a good variety of ruins. It's pretty fascinating to be able to apply the history that you're learning in the classroom to its real-life counterpart. That, and climbing thousand year-old ruins is actually pretty sweet.

I get to help out in a local elementary school. It was a great experience because I want to be a teacher. Mexico itself was perfect for me and allowed me to develop better spanish speaking skills. Not to mention the beach is not far away, there is so much sun and tons of good food here!