Victoria Abroad Evaluation Form
PLEASE TYPE THIS EVALUATION FORM & EMAIL IT TO VICTORIA ABROAD AS A WORD DOCUMENT
A: Student Information
VUW degree(s)
Major(s)
Exchange
Institution
VUW Tri & Year
of Exchange
M(Arch)
Architecture
University de Monterrey
Tri 2, 2015
B: Finances
Please detail your basic costs in New Zealand dollars. This will help future students plan their own budgets.
(Enter your number rounded to the nearest dollar.)
Books
$50
Accommodation
$350 /month
Return Airfare
$2600
Local
Transportation
Meals
$50 /week
Visa
$35
Health & Insurance
$600
Personal Spending
$4,000
Communications
(phone, etc.)
Other fees (specify)
$50
What unexpected
costs did you
encounter? What
items were more
or less than
expected?
University trips and parties $400
How did your financial expenses compare to what you originally expected to spend?
When I was over there I was wanting to travel every weekend and see as much as I could – All of the
additional travel I did added up to a lot more than I had initially budgeted for personal travel. Also, there
were a lot of University organized trips and parties that cost if you wanted to participate (and everyone
always did!) Apart from this, everything in Mexico is a lot cheaper than NZ and so my budgeting worked out
well.
By what means did you maintain your finances? What would you recommend? (Credit card, foreign bank
account, travelers checks, etc.)?
I just used my debit visa and would get out bulk cash and carry around small amounts of cash with me. I
also would just pay with my debit visa if I needed to but this always had an additional fee with every
transaction.
What financial advice would you give students attending the same university as you?
Save as much as you can beforehand so you can travel and make the most of your experience while you’re
over there!
What was the average cost of a can of coke or coffee in your host country?
A coffee was about $2-$4
C: Visas & Insurance *Please note this information is recommended by VUW students & current at the time of their
exchange. For all up-to-date visa information you must check with the embassy/consulate of your host university.
Did you have to apply for a visa? If so, was it difficult? What was the process, how long did it take and how
much did it cost?
You do not need a visa, this will be sorted out with the university when you arrive over there.
Do you have any advice for future students when applying for visas to your host country?
Once you get there UDEM is very very helpful with the whole visa process you need to go through – don’t
worry about it until you get there
Did your host university have a mandatory insurance? Or a particular insurance they recommended? If Yes,
what was it and how much did it cost?
UDEM required you to have personal insurance and they wanted a copy of this before you arrived – any
insurance company is fine.
What insurance company did you use and would you recommend it to future students?
I used AON as this is what my family uses – I didn’t need to use it because nothing went wrong
D: Academics at Host University
Which courses did you take while on exchange? Please rate the difficulty of each course (1-5, 1 = Very Easy
& 5 = Extremely Difficult) and leave any comments you may have.
DA3000 Architectural Design Intergral 1 (12pts) DA Architectural Analysis (6pts) DA Urban Design (6pts)
Elective (6pts)
Course Title
Language of
VUW course
VUW
Instruction
equivalent or
points/credits
elective
value
ARCI
411
Architecture
Design
Research
24
Rating (1-5)
Comments
4
The course was taught in
Spanish but everyone
could speak English also
VUW Trimester 1/YEAR
DA3000
Architectural
Design
Intergral 1
Spanish &
English
DA
Architectural
Analysis
English
ARCI 451
12
2
12
4
12
3
Architecture
History and
Theory
DA
Urban
Design
English
SARC
461
Professional
This course was
Spanish and English
in
Practice
Elective
(Spanish
course)
Spanish
Elective
VUW Trimester 2/YEAR
Course Registration/Enrolment
Please describe the registration process at your host university. What kind of help was available?
The registration process was very well organized and it was easy to understand and follow what you needed
to do. UDEM is very organized and extremely helpful with everything and anything you may need help with.
There website is very confusing to use in order to find architecture courses that you wish to take while over
there, however any questions I had about courses was quickly answered through email with the university.
How successful were you in registering/enrolling for classes you wanted? What advice would you offer to
next year's exchange students about registration at your host university?
I enjoyed all the courses I was enrolled in for architecture at UDEM. They were structured very differently to
Vic courses but this offered a different perspective and an invaluable learning experience. I would highly
recommend taking a Spanish class if you do not know any Spanish. It would have been easy to change
courses while I was over there if I had wished, as again, the international office at UDEM is extremely
helpful (of course if you were to change courses while over there, they would need to be approved by Vic.).
Do you have any advice for future students when choosing and applying for courses?
Email the university directly with any queries about courses etc. they are very efficient at replying and very
helpful in answering your questions.
Academic Experience
How did your academic experience differ from your time spend at Victoria? Did the academic experience
meet your expectations?
It was an incredibly different academic experience learning in a Spanish environment. They also had a lot to
offer students including a vast range of co-curricular opportunities. Overall, learning architecture at this
foreign university made me truly appreciate the quality and high level of learning that we are exposed to
here at Victoria.
How did the style of teaching at your host university compare with that at VUW? How did the workload
compare to what you would expect at VUW?
The course structure at UDEM was very different to Vic. It was not lecture based and there were a lot more
classes to attend to. In saying that, it was easy to keep up with the work load and have an enjoyable time
while being able to experience a new perspective towards architecture and gaining a wider view and
education.
What would you recommend as an appropriate course load for other VUW students visiting your partner
university? What specific courses would you recommend to visiting VUW students? Why?
I would definitely recommend taking the ‘introductory to Spanish’ paper if one doesn’t know Spanish.
Needing Spanish is fairly vital if wishing to travel around Mexico.
The courses I took would be a recommendable work load to future VUW student attending UDEM however
once over there you can additionally enroll in a wide range of elective courses they offer – if you wish to do
this in parallel to the courses required and approved of by Vic.
What advice would you give VUW students about succeeding academically at your host university?
Turn up to classes and complete the work. Also, become known to your professor and direct any and all
your question to them – they were always more than willing to help and accommodate your needs. The
exchange office also offered and amazing support system if it was ever needed. Talk to your fellow class
mates and exchange knowledge and learning experiences with them – this will help you to succeed
academically in the new environment.
What was your impression of the computer facilities, library, and internet access at your host university?
The computer facilities were numerous however the software they offered was limited and thus limiting,
i.e. they didn’t have full Revit versions for students to use. This was one major frustration I had while I was
there. The library and internet access was great and the library was massive with a wide range of both
English and Spanish resources
If you went to a country where English is not the native language, how did you prepare for this? Were there
any intensive language courses provided by the host university?
There was a Spanish class that I took as my elective while I was at UDEM because I did not know any
Spanish before I went. I am very glad I took this and am looking to continue learning Spanish now that im
back because it is an amazing skill to be able to understand another language.
E: Accommodation
What form of accommodation did you stay in?
I flatted with a fellow friend from Vic who I went over with. The university helped us to find this
accommodation on arrival.
What were the pros and cons of this form of accommodation?
It was very cheap, close to the university, and in a safe area of the city.
What accommodation would you recommend to future students?
The university will help you find accommodation when you arrive – I would recommend flatting, it was
awesome!
How early can you move into accommodation?
The day you arrive you will stay in a hotel, and the following day a student from the university helped us to
find a flat to live in and we moved in immediately – it was a super easy process
What options were available for meal plans or cooking facilities? How satisfied were you with the food?
My flat was equipped with a kitchen and any cooking facilities one would need. I cooked for myself with
ingredients from a very close supermarket – similar to what I do while NZ flatting
If you lived in off-campus housing, how easy was it to find? What should future VUW exchange students
know about living off-campus?
See above
Do you have any tips of advice for future students when applying for accommodation?
See above
F: Personal & Cultural Connections
What was it like making friends? How successful were you at making friends with local (i.e., not
international) students?
It was extremely easy to make new friends, especially with fellow international students as we were all in
the same boat. It was also very easy to make friends with the locals, mainly through my courses and the
time I spent in the classroom with the local students.
What was it like to adjust to the culture of your exchange country/university?
The culture in Mexico is very different to that of NZ however it was easy to adjust to and I thoroughly
enjoyed the challenge of fully embracing the Mexican lifestyle and culture. Making friends with the local
students was a great way to immerse myself and appreciate the Mexican and Universities culture.
What, if any, cultural differences did you find particularly challenging? How would you recommend
students to prepare for these differences?
The language difference was particularly challenging for me as I didn’t know any Spanish before I arrived in
Mexico. I recommend trying to learn some/any Spanish before arriving or take the Spanish course that the
university offers. It also took some time to adjust to the fact that Mexicans are always late – that is, of
course a generalization but it is something that the locals will tell you when you arrive and it is even
something that UDEM puts in there handbook for international student. Once I became aware of this
cultural difference, it was very easy to adjust to. I also found the food very difficult to adjust to and became
very ill twice, however this may just be personal as my fellow exchange student from NZ didn’t get sick
once.
What parts of the culture did you most appreciate?
In Mexico, a child doesn’t leave home until they are married. This means that all my fellow students at
UDEM still lived at home and held great value for families and family traditions. It was very interesting
coming from a flatting lifestyle to this different lifestyle but I loved how much emphasis was put on family
in Mexico.
I also loved the passion and romance that is such an obvious part of Mexican culture. They are very good at
expressing their feelings.
How were you treated by local people? By university staff and faculty? By students?
The local Mexicans are some of the kindest people I have ever meet, along with the university
staff/faculty/and students. Everyone, no matter who you went to, was willing to help and would always be
wanting to make sure my experience was the best it could possibly be. (And I’m not even exaggerating –
they were amazing!)
As far as you could tell, how easy would it be for students with disabilities to study at your partner
university? For students who are visible minorities in your host country? For students who are gay, lesbian,
bisexual or transgendered?
Mexico itself, is not equipped with great services for people with disabilities. A person in a wheel chair
would not enjoy living in Mexico as the infrastructure is very poor and there are no building codes to
enforce disability regulations. Mexico is also largely a religious country however I wasn’t aware of any
racism or segregation towards gays, lesbians etc.
Did you face any issues regarding discrimination in your host country? What were they, and what advice
would you give to future students?
No.
G: Extra-curricular/Social Activities
What organized activities (clubs, sports, etc.) were available to students? What extra-curricular activities
would you recommend to future exchange students?
So many! From soccer to salsa, acting to painting, they had everything to offer. I would highly recommend
getting amongst these as they are all great opportunities and a further way to make awesome new friends!
What do you recommend other visiting students see or do on their weekends or holidays?
There are almost always organized events every weekend, whether it be a party or a trip to a bordering
town/city – get amongst these! Monterrey also has many local attractions and I would recommend visiting
these. A great way to do this is to become friends with one of the locals and they were always more than
willing to show off their beautiful city  Also, Monterrey is surrounded by beautiful mountains – explore
these and go on the hikes that UDEM organizes in the weekends for students, its well worth it!
What opportunities were there for students to work on-campus? Off-campus?
I didn’t try to find work, so I’m not too sure however I’m sure UDEM would be able to better advise one if
they were wanting to find work somewhere and they would be able to help you find a job. There is an ISE
group which is run by students (including many international students) which is a group that organizes
events and trips for international students. I’m not exactly sure of the logistics but they do hire students to
work for them.
What volunteer or internship opportunities were there for students?
There were many volunteer opportunities available to help organize events and trips.
5 things to take to your host country or region
1
2
3
4
5
Warm clothes (we thought it would only be hot in Mexico but it got very cold too!)
Souvenirs from NZ (great gifts to give to all the amazing friends you make and people you will want
to thank)
An open mind – it will not be exactly what you were expecting no matter how well you prepare
yourself
Sturdy shoes (I went through 3 pairs of shoes while over there!)
A camera
5 pieces of useful advice would tell a VUW student going to your host university
1
2
3
4
5
Your iBuddy will contact you before you arrive – direct any questions/concerns to them because
they are awesome and amazingly helpful!
You will get used to the new type of food (real Mexican, not NZ impression of Mexican food)
however it can be very upsetting on your stomach at first …
Make the most of all opportunities UDEM has to offer (and there are many) they are a great way to
make new friends and become comfortable with your new home environment
Learn Spanish
Travel as much as you can and at any opportunity you get, Mexico is a beautiful and amazing
country!
Top 5 Things to do
What are your ‘Top 5 Things To Do’ future VUW students at your host university or city/country?
1 Spend at least a week in Mexico city exploring and experiencing all of the amazing architecture
2
3
4
5
Go to ‘Real de Cartorce’ for a weekend trip
Try as much Mexican street food as you can – however, beware the hot food is HOT
Go to Guanajuato. It is BEAUTIFUL!
Take part in the ILink events that UDEM puts on for the students
H: Personal Experience
Please write one paragraph about your exchange experience. Plus, don’t forget to submit some photos to
the exchange office!!
It is hard to put into words how incredible my exchange experience was. I had an incredible time while in
Mexico and one thing I know for sure is that it has widened my perspective on pretty much everything. I
learnt so much about new aspects of architecture, different cultures, the importance of communication
and so so many more things about myself and about the world. And I also learnt Spanish! I would advise
absolutely everybody to go on an exchange. It is an invaluable experience in terms of education,
broadening knowledge and growing as a person. From my exchange I am now more excited and passionate
than ever to follow, and thrive, in my chosen career of architecture and it has also helped me realize the
direction within this field that I hope to pursue. I made so many fantastic friends and I would repeat whole
experience over a million times if it was possible!