I had always dreamed of studying abroad, where I could learn another language and meet new people from all over the world. And you know what? I am so glad I got the opportunity to do so in Kortrijk! At first, going on this adventure, towards the unknown, was scary but exciting. I was always questioning and doubting myself: “Can you actually pull that off? How are you going to handle living in another country, far from your family?”. At first, it’s normal to be scared or lost, but believe me, you’ll have the most amazing time of your life! Thanks to the incredible people I met, I discovered a new version of myself. My year at Howest completely changed me, I created amazing friendships which I know will last. Although going on an Erasmus is mostly about meeting new people and traveling, it’s also a valuable learning experience, and I am so grateful to Howest for its compelling study programs. So, if you’re thinking of going abroad, especially to Howest, just go for it, you’re going to have the most wonderful time of your life!

The 5 months I spent studying at Howest was one of the happiest times of my life. All the friends, classmates, teachers, and even the staff in the shops, that I met were much sweeter than Belgian chocolate and waffles 😄 

I am truly grateful to have been an international student at Howest and the experience will remain one of the most valuable treasures in my life.
 

I met my buddy during the first semester. He always helped me in everything he could and thanks to him I was able to get to know Belgium as it really is and not from the perspective of a tourist, and I also showed him my life in Spain. We went out to parties every week, made a lot of plans and even went on trips. I never thought that I could have so many things in common with someone who doesn't even speak my language. We always had a great time. For this reason, I decided to extend my Erasmus for another six months. Over time, the friendship turned into love and now I will extend my stay here forever. 

I was enrolled in the English taught semester of MCT, AI Engineer. My classes were amazing and I learned so much because back in Mexico we did not use a lot of these tools. I had the opportunity to work with a robot developed in France called Reachy, and it was fun using my knowledge and applying it to the robot. 

 Originally, I was only going to stay for one semester, but because I liked this experience so much, I decided to stay for an Internship at the Sizing Server Research Laboratory in Howest itself. I got to work with Reachy for a little longer and do some other side projects as well.

I know I will stay friends forever with some of the people I met in Belgium. In the second semester I was there, I went to Norway to visit some friends I met on my previous semester and by the time you’re reading this, they will have visited me in Mexico too! 

Going abroad was one of the best decisions I have ever made, and I am so thankful to my family, Howest and Tec de Monterrey for giving me this opportunity.