Mercedes Roman Ruiz is a Junior studying industrial and electrical engineering at Universidad de Malaga in Spain. She is currently participating in a yearlong ISEP exchange program at North Dakota State University. We recently chatted with Mercedes as she shared her exciting first semester experiencing a new culture and being independent for the first time.
As an ambitious college student, Mercedes wanted to study abroad to broaden her horizons, but high tuition costs posed a financial barrier. She began searching for exchange programs and found ISEP through her home university’s website. In her own words, ISEP “stood out to her” because the program offers a year-long opportunity for her to fully immerse in American culture. In August 2022, Mercedes set off for Fargo, North Dakota, where she took a full dive into the American college experience.
At North Dakota State University, Mercedes designed her own class schedule, allowing her to manage her day more flexibly. Besides taking interesting classes, she has time for an on-campus job, working out at the gym, and hanging out with friends. Mercedes also likes to explore around her campus and the town of Fargo. Although she is used to commuting by car back home in Spain, Mercedes has come to enjoy the 20-minute morning walks to lectures and switching buildings for different classes. Her student pass allows her to hop on buses and commute around Fargo for free.
In just a semester, Mercedes quickly found her community at the university. She hangs out with her floormates, catching up in the dining hall, shopping at the mall, or watching movies. Mercedes loves that her friends are pursuing different majors. Back home, most of her friends are from the same class, where “everybody is studying and doing the same thing.” Here, she enjoys hearing diverse perspectives from her dorm mates, who come from varied backgrounds and take different classes. Mercedes is also a part of her university’s Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and the skiing club, where she also signed up for the upcoming race in February. Back at the Universidad de Malaga, she rarely ever heard of clubs and did not participate in one. Now she plans to explore those clubs once she returns to Spain.
However, navigating new social scenes comes with its own challenges. Since her family is very supportive, Mercedes did not have trouble convincing them to get on board. Yet, as the only child and the first of her family to study abroad, Mercedes had to figure out many steps on her own. She traveled alone and self-advocated for credit transfers and course approvals between universities. Looking back, Mercedes says that she has “become more independent” after going through her first time alone in the airport, buying groceries, and doing laundry on top of other academic responsibilities. “It was a challenge, but I like changes. I like traveling, and that is why I chose to study abroad in the first place.”
When asked about her most favorite moment so far, Mercedes had a hard time picking out one. She enjoyed “every moment of experiencing a unique culture, meeting new people, and trying out new activities,” which were the most enjoyable college experiences for her so far. Among those moments, her 13-hour road trip to Colorado with her skiing club friends is definitely one of the most memorable. “The longest drive I have ever been on was 4-hours long,” she recalled. “I had never thought I’d be spending that much time in a car, but I really enjoyed it.”
Mercedes finds her ISEP exchange program to be a very valuable experience. She encourages other international students to take advantage of the opportunity and get involved with their new communities. “Avoid cliques of similar friend groups, do activities, join clubs.”
