Everything you need to know about accommodation for Universidad de las Americas Puebla students living in Cholula, Puebla.

by Anna Cole, Universidad de las Americas, Mexico

Finding a place to live on the other side of the world may seem like a challenge. Here are my top 3 options for living in Cholula as a student, and the answers to some accommodation related questions I had before moving into my house in Mexico.

What are the options for student housing?

There are many different options for living in Cholula. First things first is that most of them are much more affordable than Manchester. My rent here is half of what I paid during my second year living in a student house in Manchester, so that’s a massive bonus!

Option 1 -Living in student accommodation in UDLAP campus.

There are 4 different options for halls of residence at UDLAP. Ray Lindley, Ignacio Bernal, Cain Murray, and José Gaos. Here is a link where you can view these options in more detail:

https://www.udlap.mx/colegios/nuestroscolegios.aspx

Living on campus is a great way to make friends with Mexicans and improve your Spanish. The classrooms are at most a 5-minute walk from the halls of residence, so UDLAP’s 7:30am and 8:30am classes are more doable! University facilities are in proximity, such as the on-campus gym and the open-air swimming pool – both of which are free to use for UDLAP students.

Other things to note; depending on the college, you may have to share your room with another student, also there is a no alcohol policy on campus, which means no drinking in the halls of residence.

Option 2- International student houses

If like me, you’d had enough of student accommodation after living in oak house or equivalent in first year, there are still options to choose from. As you will find out if you choose to study at UDLAP for your year abroad, the international community here is great. There are around 200-250 exchange students each semester. The extensive choice of international student housing options makes it very easy to get to know the other internationals.

International houses are set up by organisations which also organise activities and trips to ease the move to Mexico and ensure there is always something to do. There are many different sized houses from the more sociable ‘party’ houses, which host up to 16 people, to the more chilled houses with as little as 4.

Here are some links to the organisation’s’ Instagram pages where you can inquire via DM:

https://www.instagram.com/cholulacapital/ https://www.instagram.com/charrohousing/ https://www.instagram.com/travels_life_mexico/

Living in one of these houses means you will be living with other international students in the same position as you. It is a great way to learn new languages and makes the transition to a new life a lot easier. Living with other exchange students is very comforting, this is the option I chose. The friends I live with now are like a family away from home.

The communication for this type of international housing is mainly done on WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook. It would be difficult to describe the ‘vibe’ of each individual house, but in general the more people living there the less sleep you get!

Here are a few options but by no means all of them:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100054439782729 https://www.facebook.com/CasaAzulCholula https://www.instagram.com/casaleyenda/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/Casamorillotla/ https://www.facebook.com/CasaFloresCholulaHousing

Another question I had before moving here was:

Should I rent an air b&b for the first couple of weeks, or plan my accommodation before?

Renting an air b&b for the beginning of your move to Mexico is a good option for those who want to be more independent. With this, you have the option to view houses in person and have the potential to make friends to organise a house share with.

I must note that having a definite plan of where you’re living makes the process a little easier, but also gives you the most choice as a lot of the international house are full before term starts.

Option 3 -finding a house share when you arrive.

Thirdly, if neither option of student accommodation on campus nor international houses seems like the right option for you I have 1 last option. There are Facebook groups which UDLAP students use to advertise spare rooms and look for flat mates. You will however need somewhere to stay, like an air b&b, while making the decision of where to live.

In preparation for the move to UDLAP there is a WhatsApp chat made by Mexican students from UDLAP, the international buddies. It is them you can ask about housing options outside of the international student organisations and you may find other students looking for houses at this time.

This way, you have more choice to live with Mexican students outside of the international community but will also have the option to join in with events organized for internationals. This option will certainly require a little more work upon your arrival to Mexico but is still a great option.

Whether it be on campus, an international student house or a house share with other UDLAP students, I hope this makes finding the right accommodation a little easier!