Studying, Learning, and Living in Mexico City - a bit of info on planning to study abroad.

Mexico City is a fantastic option for people of all countries to travel to, visit, and yes, even study abroad there. Mexico City has a multitude of options when it comes to education and if you are not a current student at a University that offers foreign exchange options you need not worry. There are still abundant opportunities to travel to and study in Mexico City. I myself am a full time student, but my school does not offer a study abroad or exchange program with Mexico. Despite that (and due to a budget) I searched out on my own alternate educational opportunities to learn the Spanish language.

The program of study that I eventually settled upon was with Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). UNAM is one of the largest public schools in Mexico City, having just celebrated it's 100 Year Anniversary (2010) and offering a wide range of programs and catering to almost 300,000 students. Through UNAM they offer a program for international and foreign students to receive a specialization in Spanish Language and Culture. The program is called CEPE, or Centro de Enseñanza para Extranjeros,. Located conveniently on the UNAM campus a student is able to find abundant transportation (taxi, autobus, and metro), activities (museums, performances, libraries) as well as just enjoy the environment of living and studying in Mexico City.

CEPE offers quality education, programs, activities and even housing assistance for potential students at an extremely reasonable price. Upon my interest in attending the school I submitted an email requesting basic information. I received a reply in a matter of days and was able to begin a conversation that provided and answered all of the questions a traveler, a student, and a woman visiting Mexico alone could have.

Once you arrive in Mexico City you'll need to have your own transportation from the airport to your initial housing choice. You can choose from a hotel or one of the many hostel options. I ended up choosing to stay at hostel, Hostal Cuija Coyoacan ($15.19 USD/night), which I booked with www.hostels.com. From the hostel I was able to catch a near by metro or a taxi to the school. After you register, which is a relatively streamlined process considering they have hundreds of students with varying levels of Spanish from all over the globe you're given a class schedule and expected to show up on your first day of class.

CEPE offers students, who request the information from the office, a list (mine was 11 pages long) of housing options. I want to take a moment here and point out, based on my own personal experience, the people you will be housing will very likely only speak Spanish! Make certain you know what you want to ask, where you are going, and exactly what you need to know from them before you arrive. I suggest arriving with a good Spanish Dictionary, as well as a map (or use your own internet upon arrival) to navigate where you plan to go and any questions you might have.

After you get everything you can possibly think of taken care of in a matter of days you are finally able to sit back, relax and take a deep breath. Once you've done that you are allowed to celebrate or panic, depending on your outlook the fact that you are now living in a foreign country to learn another language. Congratulations!! If you've made it this far in the travel process I suggest making friends with your classmates, your housemates (if you have them) and just get out and start exploring the city. There are hundreds of museums, monuments, musical, theatrical, and artistic venues, open spaces and markets.

I wish you a wonderful time exploring Mexico City, or where ever you decide to explore. If you have any questions, tips, or experiences to share please feel free to add them in the comment section or contact me with them. We may travel alone, but by doing so we forge a path for others to explore.

_{I'm certain many people have heard the current events in Mexico and as a female, single, U.S. citizen living close to the border I am very aware of them. I understand the dangers and the concerns both my family and many other people had for me. Despite that, I felt that if I took extra precautions and common sense I would be fine. Having traveled to Mexico and back, I can attest to the fact that common sense is really the biggest factor to take with you. Safety should always be your number one concern in planning every trip, and as such talk to your government consulate and embassies to ensure your travel to Mexico will go as smooth as possible.}