Something that goes beyond academics

Coord. de Promoción Electrónica

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• 8th semester Business Administration student - Academic exchange at École Supérieure des Sciences Commerciales dAngers (ESSCA), France

Living abroad is one of those experiences that a person has to live in order to understand it. I started the application process for academic exchange approximately one year ago, and luckily I was assigned to my first option: France. Compared to other universities, École Supérieure des Sciences Commerciales dAngers (ESSCA) seemed like the best option for me, because I would live in Angers, a town in France with very few tourists. This would make it more difficult for me to find English- speaking people, so I would be forced to learn a third language.

It is true, an academic exchange is an extraordinary opportunity in which you learn a lot; however, the non-academic part of it is just as important, maybe even more. My personal experience was amazing. It certainly is an opportunity to travel, make friends, celebrate with them and enjoy life as young people, but a semester is longer than a vacation period. An academic exchange is about living temporarily in an unknown place. At first, the realization that you are not living in a hotel with endless resources can make you feel lost, but it is amazing how you rediscover your own reality.

I personally discovered aspects of myself that I had not seen before, and that I now hold as essential parts of my way of thinking and acting. I have also noticed differences between my family and that of other Mexicans. Cultural differences between people from different countries are food for thought and reflection. Life abroad is one of those experiences one has to live personally in order to understand it. An academic exchange cannot be measured with grades or the number of trips you made during that period; it is something that goes beyond the system and academics.