37. I studied a semester in Michigan.

Introducing Luis and His Passionate English Learning Journey Snackable, A few minute podcast from Self Access Center and VR Lab campus. Wemix Ekatapec Have you ever wondered how many times you open the bridge today hoping to find something tasty and quick to it? Picture how your English will be if you edit in bytes. Keep it simple, keep it short, keep it snackable. A place where broken English is welcome. Hello community, where Mexico the big how's it going? Welcome to another episode of snackable today in the show. We have such a great talented smart. I don't know how to describe this student, but it well, let me tell you something. This is the second time that he is here with us. He has participated in in another episodes in other episodes, but today, this episode is completely dedicated to him. So let's welcome him. Luis. Hello, welcome to Snackable. How are you? Speaker 2 I'm fine. Thank you so much and thank you for the invitation. I'm very grateful for this opportunity to to talk quickly. Speaker 1 It is my pleasure, Lucito. I am going to call you Lucito because because this this kind of admiration that I have for you. All right, So guys, as I was saying, this guy is super talented and you are about to find out why. What is the reason that I am thinking this or, or the reason that I have this ideas about him? All right, so let's get to know him. So Lucito, could you please introduce yourself like your name, your age and your degree? Speaker 2 With pleasure teacher. Hello everyone, my name is Luis Antonio, I'm studying computer engineering in Wyomingatepec. I am actually 22 years old and I am actually in the 10th semester of the career. Speaker 1 So you are about to be free about your degree. Speaker 2 Yeah, finally. But at the same time I I feel a bit a little bit sad because it is almost ending so. Speaker 1 Yeah, I know. I I I get you. But I think that's a great opportunity to to receive life, you know, to live what is coming. Yeah. Yes. So I think that you are about to enter to another such great stage in your life. All right, So, Luisito, please, can you please tell us your story with English? When did you start studying? Where? How? Speaker 2 Thank you so much for that question. I started studying English since I was like, I don't know, 14-15 years old. And I started here in Wayne and there was like a special course for kids and teenagers here in Wyomix. And I learned a lot from special teachers. And I remember many names such as teacher Ruby, teacher Abdala, teacher Jose Luis Acosta, so many names that I can't teacher normal. So many names that I'm very grateful with them for, for teaching me everything that I know and everything that I, I love about the language because I found, I found out that this language is very rich food, you know? Speaker 1 Yes, of course. Speaker 2 Yeah, and I started to get in love in the language because of their their learnings, their enthusiasm to teach. And I want to show the people that enthusiasm to to learn too. Speaker 1 OK, that's great. So you were studying at SEC Yes, Yes. When you were a child or a young teenager. Yes, yes. So and also at seller, right? Speaker 2 At seller, that's right. I started as you said in SEC one year and then I started in selling, Yeah. And I finished the degree at level 1001. Speaker 1 Thousand, that is, I mean, as I was saying, when you started or when you have started since you were a child, a teenager, and I'm pretty sure that you are going to continue to learn English. So despite the fact that you have reached the highest level that we have here, you are going to continue this because when you are so immersed in the language, when you like it, when you are passionate about it, there's no way that you are going to cut your studies. There's no way that you stop it. I agree. Speaker 2 With you, teacher. Because English is everywhere, you know, I find it in TV series, video games and in real life. It's very common to see it, you know? Yeah, as a computer engineer, I found it in programming, you know? Exactly. Yeah. Everything related to technology, I found it there. Speaker 1 Exactly. Yes, you just mention it and that's completely correct. How Luis Secured His Study Abroad Scholarship All right. OK, Louis. So I am interested in knowing this experience that you live abroad. Let me let me give some context. All right, So guys, listeners, Lewis study abroad as a master, right? Speaker 2 Yes. Speaker 1 And I think that English has to do with this. Speaker 2 Yes. Speaker 1 So please tell us, tell us something about that, that experience that you that you just have left. So what time of scholarship did you apply for or how, how, how is it that you? Yeah, this is scholarship. Speaker 2 That's a very good story about the scholarship. I received the invitation from my coordinator, the teacher, Martin, two years ago. This was the first invitation. I accepted it and I took an interview in English. I sent some documents and a lot of paperwork, you know? Speaker 1 Yeah. And tape, yes. Speaker 2 And I did the interview. They asked me about my life, my parents and what I like to do. And I answered with naturally, you know, Yeah. And I became another person when I speak in English. And then I found out that I got accepted to go to the United States. Yes. Yes. And that was two years ago. Three years ago I I unfortunately had another. Speaker 1 Projects. Speaker 2 Well, I hadn't come in with my family, yes, and I had to refuse that opportunity. But a year later, that opportunity came back to me. Yeah. And I was very grateful to that. And I, I did the same process over again and I got accepted again. So I was very happy because I I knew that everything that I learned all those years were some were something that was successful to me. Speaker 1 Yeah, it was your destiny, Yes. To live it, I mean, not once, but twice, yes. So you, you get, you got this opportunity and well, you leave it and that is amazing. Speaker 2 Yes. Speaker 1 How did you feel when you find out that you have been awarded? I mean, the second time it was like, come on, yeah. Speaker 2 Yeah, the first time I was like the first time shot. Yeah, because. And I found out that I was at first place in the, in the first time that I took the interview, the principal of the of the school told me about it and I was very grateful with them, with my teachers, with, with, with her. And. And the second time I, I feel like the same, you know, in spite of, of having the same experience, the feeling was the same, you know, shocked, happy, amazed by the opportunity. And I knew that this time I won't let that go away. Overcoming Visa Hurdles and Fundraising for the Trip Yeah, yeah, for sure. And did you have any trouble with the documents? I mean, but because I guess there is a lot of red tape, you know, I mean the processes and and you have to to deal with the with your visa and so, yeah. So was it harsh? Speaker 2 Yeah, that was a little bit hard, especially for the paperwork for the visa, yeah, the password was not a big deal because it was like scheduled like a date in certain day and I, I got it. But for the visa, yeah, Oh my God, that was so difficult to get, especially in that time because there were some incident, global incidents with the president at the time. So we, we had the risk of not receiving the visa. Yeah. And we, in spite of that, we did all the paperwork, all the process. And fortunately, I got to be set to go to the United States. Yeah, only for that semester and I don't know how to describe it, but it was a little bit frustrating. Yeah. Because it was a lot of forms, a lot of paperwork and some documents that I, I didn't know that I have to to find out. And I remember that I have to pay something to to confirm that I'm going to the United States. Yeah, I think that it was like 205, fifty, $50. That's more or less something like that. And I was, it was like, really? I do I have to pay like that because let me tell you something. Yeah. And then when I found out that I was rewarded to that opportunity, the school told me that I wasn't going to pay for anything. You know, I had the Yeah, I had the opportunity. Speaker 1 They covered the amount of. Speaker 2 Money. I had to stay in camp. I had the opportunity to stay in campus, all access to the cafeteria, library and bookstores, and I was very grateful for that. But what they didn't tell me is that I had to pay for the flight, you know, to go there. And in order to to get some money for that, I got an idea to do a rifle. I don't. Speaker 1 Know you? Yeah, I remember. Yeah. Speaker 2 Yeah, I had the idea to do a rifle and I was like holding like a quacko every. Speaker 1 Time I remember. Speaker 2 It was very funny and I had the opportunity to meet more people in school and and I had the opportunity to see how, how friendly, how, how kind is the community here, you know? Speaker 1 Yeah, for sure. And also. Speaker 2 I think. Speaker 1 It is because we are proud of you and the students who represents US in another country, you know, in other countries because I mean, so how you are like you have like in you the name of why Mexican peg, you know so, so how you are representing us and we are proud of that. So tell me more about the interview. When you were getting your visa, how the interview was? Was it in English? Was it in Spanish? Speaker 2 Yeah, and interview. Well, the process of visa was divided into parts. The first part, the first part is when I had to go to the the main building in Mexico City, Yeah and take some biometrics. My my fingers, my my photo for the visa. I have to get dressed every every time I go there. And the second part was going to West that I had to go to the consulate. I don't know if it is said like yes, yeah. And they asked me about what, what, what my purpose was to go to the United States, if I'm going to stay a little bit more longer. And so many questions about my degree, my career, about myself, my. Speaker 1 Family. The interview was in English. Speaker 2 Yeah, they, they gave you the option to to give you in English and, and I'm very grateful for that because it gave me more points to get the visa faster. Speaker 1 Yeah, for sure. So English again, it was English was important throughout this process. Speaker 2 Yeah, English was very, very important and in every process that I made in my study abroad process, Yeah. And I have to tell you something. When I got my visa, when I got my interview visa, sometimes people get lucky to find famous people. I was one of them. Because when I I go out for the building, yeah, I got lucky to find Lucera. Speaker 1 Come on. Speaker 2 Yeah. Speaker 1 Yeah, wow. Speaker 2 I was very happy because this is the first time that I, that you, that I meet someone famous. You know, I was, I don't know if he was happier than I did. Speaker 1 You want the pizza or yeah. Speaker 2 Exactly. And I was wondering, is it me, Harris with you? Speaker 1 OK, Yeah, OK. You were so lucky. Yeah. Speaker 2 And you are going to do like this process, you are also going to get lucky with that, yeah. Speaker 1 OK. I hope that the rest of the experience, you, you were that lucky. Yeah. OK, OK, but let's find out more. Luis's First Impressions of the United States and Campus So what was your first impression when you arrived to the States, which what? I mean, what is the place that you studied? Speaker 2 OK, I studied in school called Lawrence Technological University. It is located in Michigan, Michigan. It is near to Detroit more OR. Speaker 1 Less. OK, OK, OK. So as soon as you arrive to the States, what? What do you think? Speaker 2 OK. And when I arrived to the United States, in spite of the first step is going to Detroit and my first approach to the United States was Denver, you know, like there wasn't stop in the flight and I had to stay there for for a little bit like 5-6 hours or less. Yes. And I, I feel I felt like frustrated because I wanted to go to the school and meet people, you know, but at the same time, I found the opportunity to meet people there. And I have to tell you something. I wasn't alone in that flight with me. There were three other people yeah that were with me that's like that are also from YMX, OK, from different schools, you know, OK from Toluca and by by the child call more or less yes, America and fair Alex. Yeah, those are their names. You know, in case you're you're hearing to this, I say hello. Speaker 1 OK, OK. Speaker 2 But I can say that the approach was very incredible. You know, I, I, I had opportunity to see another kind of environment, you know, different from Mexico, another another airport, airport, you know, yes. And there I found out that everything was very expensive. One that that. Speaker 1 Was your first thought. Yeah, everything is expensive. Speaker 2 For example, I remember the first, the first thing that I ate in Denver, it was like it was a Burger King. And it was a combo. It was like $15. And I said, come on, it was too expensive. Speaker 1 Yes, it's kind of easy, yes. Speaker 2 Yeah, and if I want to get a souvenir, No, no, no, no, no. Speaker 1 No. OK, so no money for souvenirs? Speaker 2 Yeah, I wanted to save money for another. Speaker 1 Kind of thing for sure. So when you arrive to the place, to the university, to the college, to the campus, what, what do you think? Speaker 2 OK, first of all, I feel, I feel tired, OK. Because there was a long flight, you know, it was a day long flight. So all I wanted to do is to take a break, go to my room and take a take a break, you know? Yeah. But I couldn't do that because I had to go to the supermarket to get some supplies for two days because in spite of telling us that the cafeteria is open to us every day. Yeah, precisely in those two days that we are right, it was closed, OK, so. Speaker 1 But you weren't that lucky at all. Yeah, after all. Speaker 2 But I, but I think time I got the experience to buying the, the, the supplies for myself in the first day, you know, and not only me, but the rest of the people that were with me. Speaker 1 OK, perfect. Navigating Academic and Cultural Differences in Michigan So what was the most challenging part of a adapting to life abroad? Speaker 2 Speaking about speaking a lot of English, you know, because you are used to speaking a lot of Spanish, for example, with you, with the professors, with teachers, with my friends, for example. And Spanish is always, always there. But when you are in another country, English, you have to. I remember a phrase that teacher told me that that is change your cheap and turn it. Turn turn off the Spanish and turn on the English you know and change the cheap and start to speak over and over again and practicing the language you know. Speaker 1 Yeah, for sure. And what about the experience of or I mean, which are the difference that you could see about the education system when it comes to Mexico and in United States? So what are the main difference? Speaker 2 Great question, great question, teacher. And the main difference is that everything is in digital, you know, OK, everything that you do in in class, you have to submit it in digital. And you have teachers that that depends on the of the class, depends on the class they they gave you more pressure, more or less pressure. You know, for example, I have a class and the professor named was Jeremy Monterenci. And in that class it was and the same projects of engineer. It wasn't about only computer engineer, but also it was a civil engineer architecture. It was like electrical. I mean, a lot of engineers combining a quest and try to do a teamwork with different behaviors, different personalities. Yeah. So you have to get used to that to work with, with different people, you know. And I got lucky and I also got lucky because in spite of meeting people from it, the Kazakhstan and Kuwait, and I got lucky that I met people from Mexico too that are starting the career in Michigan. Speaker 1 OK. Speaker 2 Their names are Adrian and Sebastian. Speaker 1 OK, So the year is to be in there and well, of course you were to be in here, but is there another differences? Are there another differences about, I don't know, maybe the facilities, I don't know technology, for example the computers and I don't know the Internet connection? Speaker 2 Yes, First of all, the Internet connection is available every day, every day, even in the in the housing buildings, you know. Yeah. And that is another difference that the university has. Buildings to allocate some exchange students. OK, I got lucky that my building was only for exchange students and I got the opportunity to meet people from Kazakhstan and their names are very complicated. Yeah. Speaker 1 Yeah. Speaker 2 I remembered some of some of them. What else? Serima? I'm sorry, those are very. Speaker 1 Names that we are not familiar. Yeah, yeah. Speaker 2 We are not used to that. And another difference that I found is that they they have a cafeteria, a big cafeteria. Yeah, that. Sorry to tell you about it, but. Speaker 1 This is. Speaker 2 Bigger than the cafeteria that we have here, yes. Speaker 1 Yeah, for sure. Speaker 2 Yeah, but I have to tell you something. In spite of having the access to the cafeteria, you you get used to the food and you get frustrated. In my case, I got frustrated from the pizza hamburger because it was every day's meal. Yeah, so the. Speaker 1 Typical American breakfast and dinner. Speaker 2 Oh, yeah, And the different combinations to making the egg, you know, OK, boiled and baked different, different combinations. You know that in spite of being interesting, you get frustrated with that. So you do you remember that I tell you that United States is very expensive, right? Yeah, for the food is very, very more expensive. For example, I remember that buying a maruche. Yeah, it is like a dollar or a dollar and 50. So it is very expensive to buy like like a soup. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And cereal. And I remember that a box was like $9 more or less. And I said really, $9 for a for a cereal box. Wow. And I remember that. Like I remember why my mom was trying to save money every day. Speaker 1 Yeah, OK, okay, that's, that's nice. And what about Oh my gosh, I, I had a question here in the tip of my tongue. Experiencing Student Pride, Personal Growth, and Travel I just forget it. Okay, yes. What about the identity of students? I mean, because we can see in movies that many students are so proud of being part of the university, you know, and I think that that that is one thing that I admired about American students, that they are proud of being American. They are proud of being part of that college. So what can you tell us about it? Speaker 2 Yeah, I can, I can tell you that all the stories in films are true because, yeah, there is like an identity in every student that are very proud of being a part of of the Blue Devils of LDU because the Blue Devils is the path of the of the school. Yeah. And I remember that every every two months they have like a football game. Yeah, with other schools and every time that I go there to see them, I feel like in a movie, you know? Yeah, I remember high school music at Monster University. Speaker 1 Yeah, those kind. Speaker 2 Of fields in which I love and being in that field and very excited about the, the, the game. I feel like I was in that movie. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And also, but, well, in spite of that, we, we lose every game. So we have the Spirit, but we don't have that. Speaker 1 Yeah, exactly. Yeah. And would you suggest something to our community in order to be more proud? I mean about being YMX, about being Potras, you know? Speaker 2 Yeah, I can recommend you that. Being part of the YMX is one of the best things that I ever I ever had in my life because I feel part of something, you know, like a part of community, a part of the student life. And I took that opportunity to grow up learning a lot from other people and, and gain that confidence that probably I didn't have, but but nowadays I think I have. And that confidence opened the door to go to the United States. So my, my suggestion is to don't feel frustrated either. If the things go wrong, just go ahead, face them and feel proud of what you did because you don't know what what what is going to happen tomorrow. You don't know if that result that went wrong in that day will will get successful from another day. So that is my advice and be very grateful with every with everyone in around you, your parents, your friends, your teachers, everything, everyone that cares about you. Speaker 1 Beautiful. Yeah, that is such a nice clever and I don't know how to describe it, but I mean, the way that you feel it and express it, it is, it is nice. It is kind, you know. So, so thank you for making part, making the university part of your success, you know, and including, of course, your teacher, your, your, your teachers, your professors and, and the university itself. Because I mean, of course, you are, you are the head of this, of this goal, But I mean, making us part of, of it. It is such a such a kind thing, you know. Speaker 2 Yeah. And how can Kaikul and I do that? Because I wouldn't be there because if it wasn't for you, you know, every every lesson, every class, every teacher, every person that I met gave me something to learn that helped me to become the person that I am today. So I'm very grateful with that. Speaker 1 No, but it is, I mean, yeah, but it is also your work. It is also your work and you must be proud of of yourself as well. Speaker 2 Yeah. Another thing that I have to tell you is that I know that school is very important, but if you have the opportunity to go to another part of the United States, go, take the opportunity to go. I had the opportunity to go to Chicago in the Thanksgiving and I can describe it as the one of the best experience that I ever had in my life because I had the opportunity to see snow, you know. Yeah, I had the opportunity to see the weather snowing, had the opportunity to do a snowball fight with my friends. And do you know that there was there, there was a Harry Potter story in Chicago. It is. It is amazing. You will fell in love with everything that is there. Oh come on there Nutella store, there was Adidas, a lot of stores that you should go to visit. Speaker 1 OK, I think I'm well, thanks. Because of English, you could live this, you know, I mean, English, of course is one of the the reasons. But and so your your course here at university and your personality and all the abilities that you have, you know, so, so I'm so proud that you could live this, this experience. And I think that that I mean, there is, it is like a dream, you know? Speaker 2 Yeah, I mean, it is, it is very amazing to talk about my experience. And I want everyone or I don't know if everyone, but some people to get the idea to go, to go to explore the world, you know? Yeah. And I'm very I'm very happy that if these experiences is is meaningful to me and for others out there are also 2. Speaker 1 Yeah, yeah, for sure. Luis's Rapid-Fire Reflections and Final Advice Thank you for sharing your your story. Well, let's let's go to this snack section of this podcast. OK? So please give me just a short answer, a word, a short paragraph, a short quote. All right? OK, OK, what was your wow I'm really not in my country anymore moment. Speaker 2 The food, when I found out the food, there wasn't tacos, there wasn't there wasn't guacamole. So that was the. Speaker 1 OK. So that's limited to the following question. What did you? Speaker 2 Miss the most? That's exactly what I miss the most. The tacos, the Mexican food, the quesadillas. But what's the fault? My family. Speaker 1 All right, OK. What was the hardest? What was harder? Sorry, getting the scholarship or surviving abroad? Speaker 2 Great question. I think surviving abroad because getting the scholarship wasn't a big deal because there wasn't like an interview in English answering some questions. But experience in English all the days and talk, talk English, learning new words, that's something that in spite of not being difficult, that is something that you get used to. Speaker 1 OK, So what was your biggest culture shock? Food, people or rules? Speaker 2 OK, first of all the food, because the food is something that I miss the most and then whether whether were the others? Speaker 1 People or rules? Speaker 2 The second part of the second was the the rules because there were there was security all over the campus. So we had to be careful of what we were doing, of what we could do, what we couldn't do. And for and last of all the the people. The people. Yeah. Because since I got lucky that every people that I met was very friendly and very kind. So I wasn't dealing with that. Speaker 1 OK, that's nice. And finally complete this sentence. OK, studying abroad taught me that. Speaker 2 OK, study abroad tells me that tells me that everything could, everything is possible, you know, and, and in spite of feeling prepared for living the life and something could if the life itself finds the way to tell you that there are bigger challenges and bigger goals to get. Speaker 1 Okay, thank you. Thank you for sharing your experience, Lucito, Thank you for sharing. Also part of yourself and I don't know. Would you like to say goodbye to our listeners? Speaker 2 Yeah, and thank you so much for the invitation teacher and I'm very grateful. I am very grateful for this experience, for this opportunity to study abroad. And if you have the opportunity to go abroad to study in another country, take it. You are not going to regret it. So have have a good day and I hope you enjoyed this podcast as I did. Speaker 1 Thank you so much, Lisito. Well guys, see you next episode.