here our International Student Guide
Transcription
here our International Student Guide
2015 -2016 International Student Handbook 0 Table of Contents Welcome to Mexico Welcome to Morelos Welcome to UNINTER Message from the Rector 2 3 4 5 BEFORE ARRIVING TO MEXICO Before your trip Travelling / Migration Once in Mexico Accommodation 7 7 8 9 LIFE AT UNINTER The University Computer Labs Nurse´s Office Psychologist Library Cafeterias Culture Department Sport Teams UNINTER Bus Evaluation Academic Calendar Internationalization Club Amigo 11 11 11 12 12 12 13 13 13 14 14 15 15 LIFE IN CUERNAVACA Culture Supermarkets Daily Living Expenses Cellphone Service Providers Banks Health Emergency Telephone Numbers Recommendations Map of Cuernavaca 18 19 20 20 21 21 22 22 23 1 WELCOME TO MEXICO! Mexico is a country with a rich history, filled with colors, traditions, culture and beautiful nature. It is a hidden land full of plentiful resources that provide a way of living to many inhabitants, which use these resources for their handicrafts, art works and Mexico’s traditional and unique gastronomy. We invite you to discover and embrace Mexico. Mexico is very lucky in terms of its geographical location and one can find every type of weather. There is something for everyone, whether you love the cold or the heat. There are deserts, beaches, archeological sites and colonial architecture. In each Mexican state, there are different things you can enjoy ranging from metropolitan life to beautiful natural settings. Mexico is a country of great history and tradition, full with archaeological sites, that display the great cultures and civilizations that inhabited Mexico long ago. All of this and more is brought together in museums and historical sites, which allow us to see the marvel of Mexico’s past. Mexico has it all: caves, waterfalls, canyons, rivers, lagoons, deserts, jungles and a great diversity of flora and fauna. Studying in this country gives you a chance to take everything in, and relax in a perfect and harmonious ambience. Not to mention popular seaports like Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo, Huatulco, Veracruz and many more. 2 WELCOME TO MORELOS Morelos is a small state with beautiful places to relax or to indulge in leisure activities. It has an endless number of attractions and sites to visit, offering tourists a fun and friendly place marked by beautiful landscapes, rivers, and natural springs. Morelos is full of rich and beautiful art and craftsmanship. It´s characterized by unique styles of local artisans that can only be found in this region. Located in the central part of Mexico, Morelos lays south of Mexico City, north of Guerrero, and East of Puebla. Therefore, it is the perfect place to start many adventures to discover Mexico. Morelos is known for its warm and ideal climate, with an average temperature between 18ºC and 23ºC year round. For this reason, Cuernavaca is known as the city of eternal spring. Cuernavaca is a favorite destination for many city-dwellers thanks to its proximity to Mexico City. It is a place of relaxation and rest for almost everyone who has visited it. The city of eternal spring owes its colors and smells to the flowering of bougainvilleas, jacarandas, lilies, etc. and its main tourist attraction is the historic center. We invite you to explore and discover the activities and beautiful sites that Morelos has to offer. TEPOZTLÁN: Tepoztlán, located only 21 km from Cuernavaca, is a magical colonial village full of traditions and extraordinary natural beauty. Its main attractions are the Tepozteco Mountain and the traditional food and handicraft market. LAKE TEQUESQUITENGO: This lake is located only 45 km south from Cuernavaca and it is well known among water sports fanatics for its water skiing and jet skiing recommendation. A wide variety of sea food restaurants is also available. 3 WELCOME TO UNINTER It’s a pleasure to welcome you to Universidad Internacional, Uninter. We hope that you will enjoy your stay here at Uninter and that, when the times comes for you to return to your home country, you are satisfied with the service we offered to you. VISION STATEMENT: Universidad Internacional will be recognized for its excellence in all educational levels, as well as for its international atmosphere and the certification of personal and professional competences. MISSION STATEMENT: Our mission is to educate individuals with a deep and solid human and ethical sense, with a creative leadership attitude, as well as responsible citizens capable of interacting in all global domains. 4 MESSAGE FROM THE RECTOR Dear Exchange Student, As Rector of Universidad Internacional, it is a pleasure to welcome you on behalf of our entire faculty and staff members. The fact of receiving you as an exchange student and incorporating you in our student body is, for us, a highly valued acknowledgment of the education level all our students receive and because of which, our graduate students aim to achieve international labor experience. Since 1980, our institution is committed to offer quality education to help people accomplish their educational and personal goals. We want you to be part of the thousands of foreign students that have come to Universidad Internacional as an exchange student or to our Spanish School and that now are capable of reaching their dreams and professional aspirations. We hope that during your stay at Universidad Internacional, you get the possibility to discover Cuernavaca, the City of Eternal Spring, and the different cultural aspects Mexico has to offer you. May this experience allow you to see the world form another point of view. We invite you to participate in the different events and activities that UNINTER offers, which are a great opportunity for your personal development. And we wish you to take full advantage of being part of our community since this very moment. Ing. Fco. Javier Espinosa Romero Rector of Universidad Internacional 5 BEFORE ARRIVING TO MEXICO 6 BEFORE YOUR TRIP 1. Make sure that your university has a student exchange 3. You will need to consult the Mexican Consulate agreement with Universidad International and knows that in order to know if you need to apply for a you are coming to Uninter. These are the documents you student visa or if you need to fill out any other need to send to the Internationalization Office in order to important travel documents. Visit the Mexican apply as an exchange student: Consulate site to find out what forms or travel Application Form documents you need for the visa application. Learning Agreement 4. Upon being accepted, students have to send Letter of motivation the following documents: Copy of your passport Digital photo 2. Once you are accepted into our program, the Copy of international health insurance Copy of student visa (if applicable) Flight itinerary Internationalization Office will send a letter of acceptance to its counterpart at your university. TRAVELLING / MIGRATION Make sure that you meet all the requirements in order to participate in our program. Check, which objects you are not allowed to take on the plane and the number of luggage and its weight you are permitted to check in. Get a good night’s sleep before your trip and wear comfortable clothes. Drink as much water as you can to stay hydrated, We recommend arriving to Cuernavaca a week before the semester start so you can begin to look for a suitable accommodation. If applicable: Once you have arrived to Mexico, you will need to exchange your 30 day tourist visa for a student permit. For this, you will need to go to the National Migration Office located in Cuernavaca; the stretch whenever you can and walk during your address is Av. Vicente Guerrero No. 107 Col. flight. Lomas de Cortés, Cuernavaca, Morelos. If travelling very early / late to Mexico, we recommend you to change your currency to Mexican pesos before your trip. But it´s also Don’t forget to always carry a copy of your passport and cash with you. Currency exchange: There could be some possible to change at the airport. Please be restrictions regarding the amount of money discreet. you can bring in and out of certain countries. Do not forget to change your watch to Standard Time (UTC/GMT -6). Consider a difference in power outlets, in case you are planning on bringing electrical devices, standard voltage is 110V. Make sure to know where and how you can exchange your money for the right currency. 7 ONCE IN MEXICO Upon your arrival at Mexico City airport follow the If you are planning on staying in a hotel or hostel “Transporte Foraneo“-sign to the Pullman de Morelos make sure to make a reservation ahead of time. We bus station located inside the airport near the fast food recommend the below mentioned hotels. area. There you can take a direct bus to Cuernavaca (Casino de la Selva). Once you get to Cuernavaca you can take a cab directly to your destination. However, before you get in The buses run from 7:15 am until Midnight, every the cab ask how much the taxi ride to your hostel or 40 minutes, and cost 215 pesos. hotel is. It should be 55 pesos or less. In case of heavy You could also arrange to have someone from Uninter rain or if it is late at night it may be a bit more. pick you up from the airport. However, the cost varies When you have settled in your hotel or hostel, it is by the amount of people that is being picked up. important that you come to the Internationalization office at Uninter, where we can help you to find 1 person is $100 USD 2-3 people is $110 USD 4-6 people is $140 USD suitable accommodation, sign up for your classes and give you your student ID. We recommend that on your way to and from the HOSTEL EXPERIENCIA Leyva 200, Col. Las Palmas Tel. +52 (777) 312 65 79 info@experienciaspanish.com Aprox. 170$ MEX per night. POSADA MORELOS Clavijero no26 Col. Centro Tel. +52( 777) 314 60 11 hostelposadamorelos@hotmail.com Aprox. 200$ MEX per night. university you only use the streets overlooked by our security guards. Routes overlooked by our security guards. Monday – Friday from 06:00 to 22:00hrs. Saturday from 06:30 to 18:00hrs. UNINTERBUS route, Monday – Friday from 06:30 to 22:00hrs. Saturday from 07:30 to UNINTERBUS stop 15:00hrs. 8 ACCOMODATION What type of housing is offered? We strongly recommend that you begin searching You can choose one of the following: accommodation after arriving to Cuernavaca rather than from your home country. By doing so you will be able to choose what best suits your needs. We offer following options: 1. – Families: You have the possibility to live with a Mexican Host family, which is a great way to be A) weekly cleaning service and no meals. The minimum stay is one semester. B) Single or Double room: bathroom, weekly cleaning service and two meals (5 days a week). integrated in the Mexican culture. Your host family will make your stay as comfortable as possible. The host families homes are maximum a 20 minute walk from the university. The families have to follow a set Single or Double room: bathroom and C) Apartment, house or bungalow: two-three rooms, bathroom(s), living room, dining room and kitchen. The Foreign Student department will assist you when of rules and are periodically supervised. choosing where to live. If you have any inquiries, email 2. – Apartments, bungalows and houses: Uninter will places to live you can go to the Internationalization provide you a list of apartments or rooms that count with kitchen, living room, dining room and bathrooms. You will have to sign a contract and pay one month´s worth of deposit. foraneo@uninter.edu.mx. If you want a listing of office. NOTE: Sheets, Pillows and Comforters are generally not included when renting a place. We recommend you to bring your own bedding. Page 19 will give you references of where to go in terms of buying your own bedding. 9 LIFE AT UNINTER 10 THE UNIVERSITY Uninter has buildings designed to make your learning experience as comfortable as possible. Each classroom has the necessary equipment to aid the teacher and the student in their daily task. Conference rooms are equipped with projectors, computers, televisions and screens. In the following we shortly enlist the facilities of our university as well as the services at your disposition. Don´t hesitate to contact the person in charge of any of the services or activities that you are interested in. LOCATION: Buildings 3, 9, 10, 12 & 16 HOURS OF OPERATION: Monday - Friday 7h – 20h Saturday 8h – 15h COMPUTER LABS: We offer our students access to multiple computer labs for navigating the web, as well as completing homework or other school projects. You can also print by presenting your voucher which you can buy in the building 2-103. The vouchers cost either 5 or 10 pesos (5 or 10 prints). If you want to bring a laptop, you are more than welcome to do so, but you will need to register your computer in building 3 in order to use the internet. It is very easy to set up your laptop; all you need to do is bring your student ID. LOCATION: Building 3 HOURS OF OPERATION: Monday - Friday 8h – 20h Saturday 8h – 15h NURSES OFFICE: Our nurse’s office provides services to international and Mexican students. Besides, they provide you with contact information of trustworthy specialists to attend all your needs. CONTACT: 317-10-87 /ext. 119 11 PSYCHOLOGIST: The psychologist offers help to those, which need to adjust to LOCATION: Uninter and the Mexican life. Some students experience Office 3-105 cultural shock or depression when arriving to an unfamiliar HOURS OF OPERATION: environment and our psychologist can give helpful information to overcome this situation. In order to see the psychologist you should make an appointment ahead of time. Monday – Friday 9h – 20h CONTACT: Psychologist Ayushi Hernández 317-10-87/ ext. 224 LIBRARY: The library´s goal is to provide access to different sources of LOCATION: information for the student body. In order to check out Building 11 books, you have to register with your student ID. If you return the library books late, you will have to pay a fee. HOURS OF OPERATION: Monday – Friday 9h – 20h CONTACT: Librarian Mary Cruz Quenel 317-10-87/ ext. 111 CAFETERIAS: FACEBOOK: Biblioteca Uninter The cafeterias provide a variety of meals, including salads, LOCATION: fruits, vegetables, pastries, drinks and refreshments. The Buildings 9, 10, 11, 12 menu changes daily to ensure a balanced diet. The cafeteria owners are very strict with sanitary regulations. You can find cafeterias in each campus, and they count with free Wi-Fi. HOURS OF OPERATION: Monday - Friday 8h – 19h Saturday 8h – 15h Based on what you order, the prices will change. However, we have full-course meals that cost 40 pesos, which include: soup, main dish, dessert and a glass of water. 12 CULTURE DEPARTMENT: The Uninter Culture Department offers our students and the public in general the possibility to join any of these cultural or artistic workshops. Come and join our international community through culture and arts! Circus Arts Choir Zumba Break Dance & Hip Hop Philharmonic Contemporary Art Cheer Dance SIU Rock and Roll Photography Cheer Dance Arab Dance (Belly Dance) Competitions Cheerleading Coordinación de Difusión Cultural y Programas Representativos (Building 12) Lic. Luz Elena Gálvez Quiroz difusioncultural@uninter.edu.mx Monday – Friday 8h – 16h 311 86 50 Saturday 10h – 14h SPORT TEAMS: The sports area is in charge of our students’ physical and mental preparation for regional, state, national, and international competitions. All of this supervised and guided by specialized trainers. The sports area has agreements with different sports centers for better training conditions. The sports offered are: Football Aero Step Tennis Women’s Soccer Women’s Volleyball Women’s Basketball Men’s Soccer Tae Kwon Do Bowling Swimming Contact Information D.T. Wagner Rocha Francisco wrocha@uninter.edu.mx Monday – Friday 8h – 16h 317 10 87 ext. 217 Saturday 10h – 14h UNINTER BUS: The University offers bus service to its students. The route HOURS OF OPERATION: starts at the main building on the right hand side and goes to Departure every 30 minutes buildings 11, 12 and 10. It is important that you provide your Monday - Friday 6:30 - 21:30 student ID when accessing. You can find the map of the bus Saturday 7:30 – 14h route on page 8. CONTACT: plantafisica@uninter.edu.mx 13 EVALUATION Uninter is registered in the Ministry of Public Education known in Spanish as SEP and works under the credit system: 1 credit for each 15-20 hours in class with a grading system from is 1-10. ATTENTION - THE MINIMUM PASSING GRADE IS 7. - IN ORDER TO HAVE THE RIGHT TO PRESENT YOUR FINAL TEST, YOU MUST ATTEND MINIMUM 90% On the first day of class, the teacher will hand you a OF THE CLASSES, ATTENDANCE IS VERY syllabus with an outline of the themes you will see over IMPORTANT. the course of the semester. Likewise, your teacher will inform you of the evaluation system that will determine your grades. During your semester at Uninter, you will take three partial exams (one per month) and one final exam. ACADEMIC CALENDAR FALL SEMESTER 2015 SPRING SEMESTER 2016 Beginning / Ending: August 17th - December 18th Beginning / Ending: January 18th - May 27th Final Exams: December 11th - 17th Final Exams: May 23th - 27th Winter Break: December 21st - January 15th Spring Break: March 21th - April 1st Days off: September 16 , November 2nd and 16th Summer Break: May 30th - August 19th th Days off: February 1st 14 INTERNATIONALIZATION Uninter promotes intercultural exchange through the internationalization office. This office creates and organizes activities to make the interaction between Mexican and foreign students and teachers easier. Its team is here to help and guide you through your entire stay at Uninter, please don´t hesitate to contact them for any further information you might need. CLUB AMIGO: The Club Amigo program has been designed to make contact between Mexican and foreign students easier in order to improve their intercultural skills, make friends and have lots of fun. Club Amigo offers different activities during the semester where Mexicans and foreigners can interact and learn from each other. Some of the offered activities are: Round tables for discussion Excursions Cultural events Social coffee Activities outside of Uninter HOURS OF OPERATION: Monday - Friday 8h – 17h CONTACT INFORMATION: Director Mtro. StéphaneThys sthys@uninter.edu.mx Phone: +52 (777) 317 10 87 ext. 210 Europe and Latin America Exchange Coordinator: Stefanie Reiser sreiser@uninter.edu.mx Asia and North America Exchange and Club Amigo Coordinator: Regula Rehli rrehli@uninter.edu.mx Assistant: Javier Noriega practicante.internac@uninter. edu.mx FACEBOOK: Internacionalización Uninter 15 LIFE IN CUERNAVACA 16 17 CULTURE Mexico is a country with a huge cultural diversity full of traditions and customs, which you should take into account if you want to live in Mexico for a period of time. Always remember: “When in Rome do as the Romans” Mexicans have the habit of greeting someone by shaking hands. If you greet a woman, you should also give a little kiss on her cheek and if you greet a man, shake hands or give them a small hug. Mexicans are very hygienic. They use to bathe daily, some even several times; always have clean hands, as they wash hands before and after meals and after using the bathroom; use deodorant and perfume to always smell good because for them, it is part of their appearance and they expect the same from others. Mexicans are very good at preparing and serving appetizing meals. Some of the most delicious foods are tacos, tortas, tamales, atole, pozole, enchiladas, pambazos, sopes, mole, and nopales. Do not hesitate to try them all but take your precautions as some of them can be heavy on your stomach, especially if you are not accustomed to the Mexican cuisine. Mexicans tend to eat a lot of spicy food, and they put hot sauce or simply spicy pepper on almost every meal. If you’re not used to eating spicy food it´s better to start with small portions. Mexicans are very funny and can be considered jokesters. They joke around all the time, no matter the situation or the moment, so please do not be shocked if you are joked with. Mexicans tend to run late on some occasions; if they say they will arrive in one hour, they will most likely arrive 5 to 15 minutes later. So do not be surprised if they come a little late. In Mexico, there are always festivities consisting of different traditions, many of them religious. They are celebrated with parties in different parts of the country. Try to attend a carnival or a fair during your time in Mexico. 18 SUPERMARKETS The city provides many different options when shopping for everyday needs. Downtown is where most of the people do their shopping. You can find food and other items at a reasonable price. There are also many restaurants and bars. If you want to find everything at the same place, Superama: Manuel Ávila Camacho, Colonia La Pradera Comercial Mexicana: Vicente Guerrero 205, Lomas de La Selva. Sams: Vicente Guerrero 760, Lomas de La Selva including renowned brands, and enjoy a nice atmosphere then Plaza Cuernavaca and Galerías Cuernavaca are your options. If you want to prepare your own food, you can go to Walmart, Costco, Chedraui, Superama, Comercial Mexicana, SAMS and Soriana, where you can find everything to cover your needs. NOTE: Only members can buy in SAMS and Costco. One-year memberships cost around 500 pesos. You can also find the municipal market “Adolfo Lopez Mateos” in Walmart: Sucursal Domingo Diez, Av. Domingo Diez No. 727, Domingo Diez downtown Cuernavaca, which is Costco: Av. Vicente Guerrero 205, Lomas de La Selva Furthermore, if you need to do Chedraui: Blvd. Cuauhnahuac Km 1.5, Colonia Flores Magón offer products such as beverages well known for selling flowers, fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, shoes and clothing at a very accessible price. shopping at night, the convenient stores “OXXO” are open 24/7, and and snacks. 19 DAILY LIVING EXPENSES Eating at school: USD MXN EUR Basic food basket: Meal Sandwich 2.70 1.70 40 25 2.15 1.35 4.75 4.75 70 70 3.75 3.75 0.45 2.70 6.50 40 0.35 2.15 7.50 13.75 110 202 5.95 10.90 Milk 1 lt Bread Beef 1 kg Cooking oil 1 lt Sugar 1 kg Butter 250 gr Eggs 12 pieces Salt 1 kg Coffee 1 kg Bananas 1 kg Tortillas 1 kg Water 1 lt Entertainment: Cinema ticket Night Life Public transport: Rutas (Local Bus) Cab Bus: To Mexico City To International Airport (Mexico City) USD 1 1.75 4.75 2.05 2.05 3.65 2.45 1 4 0.90 0.95 0.90 MXN EUR 15 26 70 30 30 54 36 15 60 13 14 13 0.80 1.40 3.75 1.60 1.60 2.90 1.95 0.80 3.25 0.70 0.75 0.70 CELLPHONE SERVICE PROVIDERS If you need a cellphone or a cellphone number while you are living in Mexico, you can choose from different companies offering mobile services: Telcel: Pericón, 114, Lomas de La Selva, Phone: 314 45 34 Iusacell: Av. Vicente Guerrero, Lomas de la Selva Unefón: Plaza La Cascada, Av. Plan de Ayala Movistar: Av. Mariano Matamoros (no number), City Center Nextel (Radio Walkie-Talkie): Av. Río Mayo, Vista Hermosa Another option is going to an OXXO convenience store, where you can find cellphones at low prices. Contact your phone company if you decide to use your home country phone-number in Mexico as the rates can increase significantly. 20 BANKS Ask if your home bank exists in Mexico Banorte: Av. Plan de Ayala 901, Cuauhnahuac, and if your cards will work here. Don’t Phone: 512 64 15 forget to inform your bank that you are Banamex: Av. Emiliano Zapata 823, Buenavista traveling to Mexico in order to avoid any problem when using your credit or debit BBVA Bancomer: Plaza Laurel, Av. Manuel Ávila cards. Camacho, La Pradera In case you need to open an account, HSBC: Plaza Laurel, Av. Manuel Ávila Camacho, make sure the bank you choose is an La Pradera international bank. Santander: Plaza Laurel, Av. Manuel Ávila These are the banks available in Camacho, La Pradera Cuernavaca: HEALTH Besides Cuernavaca’s general hospital, Dr. Here the directions of the Pharmacies in the José G. Parres, there are different pharmacies city center: that offer you medical services and consultations at a low cost. Farmacias Similares - Degollado (no number) offers you City Center medical Phone: 01 800 711 22 22 consultation at 35 pesos and it is open from Monday through Sunday. The opening hours depend on the branch. Most of the Farmacias del Ahorro branches Farmacias del Ahorro are open - Av. Morelos 174 24/7, City Center consultations are free of charge, and they provide delivery service. If you need further information, ask at the nurse’s office, to get a list of hospitals and specialist, to cover your needs. Farmacias Guadalajara Phone: 314 35 58 - Farmacias Similares Rayón 2 City Center Phone: 312 02 65 21 EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBERS Emergency – 060 Police - 080 Firefighters - 317 14 89 Car accident – 318 51 78 Hospitals: General Hospital - 311 22 09 Childrens Hospital - 311 73 32 Hospital Henry Durant - 316 04 89 Red Cross - 317 35 05 Others: Electricity Company (CFE): 318 68 52 and 329 41 99 Water Company (to report leakings): 312 84 28 Animal Control: 312 28 37 Gas Company: 312 19 29 PROFECO (Federal Attorney’s Office to Consumer): 311 52 00 Hospital INOVAMED - 311 24 82 to 86 RECOMENDATIONS We highly recommend you taking one of our intensive Spanish courses offered to our international students at a special price. They will help you to follow classes and indulge in conversations with Mexicans. You have the option to study during 2 weeks before the beginning of the semester during the complete day, or you can take 2 hours daily in the morning during the semester. Remember: Assistance and taking your evaluation is very important. Be on time to all of your classes. 22 MAP OF CUERNAVACA UNINTER Pullman de Morelos Bus station Zócalo de Cuernavaca (Main Square) 23 Mtro. StéphaneThys Director of Internationalization sthys@uninter.edu.mx internacionalizacion@uninter.edu.mx Tel.: +52 (777) 317 1087 ext. 210 www.uninter.edu.mx The Internationalization office gives you a warm welcome and we hope you have an unforgettable experience. Enjoy your stay at Uninter! 24