More than 100 students have traveled with TCOM Instructor Jim Culbertson in his more than 10 years of taking TCOM students to Mexico. While living in a beautiful, flower-filled city with a perfect climate, students study hard, play hard, visit incredible historical sites, and meet many locals, some of the nicest people on the face of the earth.
Whether or not you’re a TCOM major, you can participate in this summer study abroad in Cuernavaca, Mexico, to complete Spanish 201 and 202 in six weeks, earning 6 credit hours credit. Or, if you’ve finished Spanish 201 and 202, you may be able to take a variety of courses to add to a Spanish major or minor. Here are the basics:
Who?
TCOM and other majors
What Courses?
Spanish 201 and 202 or other Spanish courses, depending on your level of ability
When?
Typically in July. Contact Jim Culbertson for information about the next trip.
Where?
University of Monterrey, Campus Morelos in Cuernavaca “The City of Eternal Spring,” Mexico, about 60 miles southwest of Mexico City. Temperature averages are a fantastic 70–75 degrees. It rains mostly at night with sunshine and blue sky during the day! You can go to school in shorts and T-shirts, have pizza on the balcony at Marco Polo’s Italian Restaurant, and look across the street at a 16th century cathedral. Shop at Wal-Mart, or dive into markets big and small all over this beautiful 400-year-old city.
How Much?
The the recent projected budget was approximately $3,500; however, airline ticket prices can change at the last minute, which would change the amount, but previous years have indicated the impact will be minimal. This amount is for a package that includes:
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Airfare
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Ball State tuition
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Room and board
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Field trips
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Registration fees
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Ball State insurance.
NOTE: A PASSPORT IS MANDATORY! If you don’t have one, you will need to get one, which involves a fee. You will need a photo for each of these: your passport, the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM)—translated the name is the Institute of Technology and Higher Education of Monterrey—application, and your Ball State international student ID card. You can get these photos taken at most major pharmacies like Walgreen’s and CVS on South Tillotson Avenue in Muncie. The Ball State Study Abroad program has more information about passports, visas, etc.
Other Costs: Student feedback from previous trips indicates that you should plan on about $1,500 out-of-pocket “fun” money for eating out, rutas (bus) , gifts, souvenirs, and that giant sombrero you just won’t be able to live without. You certainly can spend less if you want.
Classes?
You’ll be tested and assigned to an appropriate skill level. All classes meet Monday through Friday, usually in the morning. In addition to your language studies, there are lectures on Mexican culture, history, politics, and classes in Mexican cooking, music, art, dancing, and more.
All Work?
Hardly. Every weekend (except the last one) the group takes a trip (cost included in your package). You’ll go to Tepostlan (open-air market and an 1,800-foot climb to an ancient temple), Mexico City and the incredible ruins of Teotihuacan, Acapulco, the “Silver City” of Taxco, and more. You'll travel in a big, comfortable, air-conditioned bus, so you can sit back and watch the beautiful, rugged countryside roll by.
Room and Board?
You will live with a Mexican family—The International Program in Cuernavaca maintains a list of approved families, some of whom have been taking students for years. They are usually white-collar professionals who live near the campus and offer room and board for visiting students. Some homes have pools—but no promises! You get three meals a day at home, except Sunday, so your language skills will go up every time you sit down to eat.
All rooms are “doubles,” meaning you’ll be living with one or more other students.
Sign Up to Go:
Pick up a “Sí, Señor” sheet from Jim Culbertson’s office, Ball Communication (BC) 201D. Fill it out and return it to his mailbox or office in BC 201. He creates a mailing list to provide updates and more detailed information to those who may want to go.
Contact:
Jim Culbertson
Phone: 765-285-2256
E-mail: jculbertson@bsu.edu