I went on Exchange to Florida International University in Miami, USA. For me there were two options for exchange: Illinois or Miami. I really wanted to see Miami and it has better weather, so that was a huge motivation. I'm Mexican, but I've lived in Europe my whole life, so I wanted to see the Latin environment in Miami too.

The academic system at Florida International University is different to Bath. Lectures were much smaller, with 20 to 30 students. This meant the lecturers got to know us and would make an effort to have a personal connection with their students.

The coursework was a little bit easier than at Bath. However, you had to do something every day, and it was all graded, whether this was participation, quizzes or a presentation.

I'd say self-study and reflection are rewarded more at Bath. In Miami, it was more your effort, discipline and consistency with the work. If you did something on time and properly, you would most likely get good marks.

Now that I'm applying to jobs and I have many other things going on, I've realised I prefer the American way of studying. I just had to do the work and that was it. Studying that way is more similar to a job as you have tasks that you need to accomplish every day. It's also easier to stay on track.

All exchange students were living on campus and I had a range of accommodation to choose from. The rooms were quite large. My accommodation had four rooms in a shared space with a kitchen and two bathrooms. I lived with one exchange student from Spain and two locals so that was good. I made an effort to get to know the locals very well.

As an exchange student, it can be difficult to make a group of friends with the locals. That's because you meet some of them at football, others at the cafe or in class, so it's harder to bring them together. If you want to travel or see the city, it's easier to do that with the other exchange students as you're already in a group.

One highlight was getting to see the USA a little more. I travelled to New York and Boston. I also went to Mexico to see my family because I was closer to them.

My mum also did an exchange to the Miami area when she was 15. She made a close friend, who's like a grandmother to me. I got the chance to develop a friendship with her and her family. Her grandson also went to the same university. His father would pick me up and drop me off at their grandmother's house.

I got to see the area as a student but also to feel part of a family. I was invited to events like Thanksgiving and Easter, went to church with them and experienced what would it be like to really live there.

In Europe, the UK is probably the most similar culture to the USA. But there are a lot of differences. Miami is very Latin culturally. It's relaxed and everybody's very friendly. You could be walking around and somebody might compliment what you're wearing or ask to sit with you. People are very open.

The day-to-day life is conducted in Spanish. For example, taxi drivers and waiters only speak Spanish. During a lecture, someone would ask a question in Spanish and the lecturer would respond in Spanish, and then the whole class joined in. Knowing Spanish was definitely a plus. I wouldn't say it's completely necessary, but it's a huge advantage.

In the USA, I had this feeling that everything is possible. It's very cliché, but it actually does feel like that. Everyone I met in Miami had ambitions and goals. They were all on a mission. Everyone was impatient to start making money and run businesses. It was inspiring.

Whether it's to Miami or to anywhere else, I would really encourage students to go on exchange. It's an opportunity to meet people from different parts of the world and to understand different cultures. If you've been somewhere on vacation, it's totally different to spending six months or a whole year there.

Make the city your own. Get into the culture. Normally after university, you have to find a job, maybe close to home and you might not have this opportunity to travel. It looks good on your CV and makes you more mature.

I'd also recommend creating personal relationships with your professors while on exchange. My professors made an effort to get to know me and it's important to maintain these relationships. I went to a conference with my entrepreneurship professor and met start-up companies that were pitching their ideas for investment. It was a great opportunity to see another side of the industry.

For anyone who wants to be an entrepreneur, I would really recommend going on exchange. My career aspirations have changed too because of my exchange experience. I'm hoping to move to the USA for the longer term.