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And now I am Tica

A Study Abroad Program Review of API (Academic Programs International): San Joaquin de Flores - Instituto San Joaquin De Flores

Submitted by Administrator on December 7th, 2010

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Academics
Language
Housing & Food
Culture & Health
Final Opinion

Personal Information

Start Date:

Aug 7, 2009

End Date:

Dec 20, 2010

International exposure prior to program?

2 weeks-1 month

Academics Overall

**Overall educational experience:

**Comment:

I loved the Instituto San Joaquin de Flores so much! The classes were so much fun and the professors were amazing. They were always high energy and were really enthusiastic about the information they were teaching. The classes were mostly a little bit of lecture and then discussion. The atmosphere was really comfortable and I was able to focus on my goal of becoming very proficient in Spanish.

The grading scale was on a 10 point scale rather than 100, but that was not hard at all to get used to.

Most of my classes had either tests, papers, or presentations for what made up our grades. It was not super hard because we had plenty of notice for when papers and presentations were due, so it was not super stressful.

I loved every moment while I was there!

Course

**Course Title:

Cine

**Language of Instruction:

Espanol

**Please comment on the course:

I loved this class because we just watched movies and then discussed them. All of them were in Spanish, with English subtitles, which was nice because if you didn't understand something you could just read what it said in English. I had never seen any of these movies, so that was really fun too!

**Please rate the course overall:

Course

**Course Title:

Conversacion

**Language of Instruction:

Espanol

**Please comment on the course:

For this class you have to go into the community and volunteer for a few hours a week and that was great because I volunteered in El Centro Diurno, which is where a lot of the older people from San Joaquin go during the day to have something to do. I got to know a group of people that I would have never met otherwise and I am so glad I did!

**Please rate the course overall:

Course

**Course Title:

Introduccion a Cultura

**Instructor:

Naranjo

**Language of Instruction:

Espanol

**Please comment on the course:

Loved this class. Carlos is the best professor I have ever had. You will love his enthusiasm and he literally knows EVERYTHING.

**Please rate the course overall:

Course

**Course Title:

Musica

**Language of Instruction:

Espanol

**Please comment on the course:

I learned so much about different Latin rythyms and this made going out a lot of fun because I knew a lot more about how each one came about.

**Please rate the course overall:

Course

**Course Title:

Gramatica

**Language of Instruction:

Espanol

**Please comment on the course:

I learned so much about grammar in this class, so it was perfect to learn alongside of being in Costa Rica because I could use the new things I learned every day.

**Please rate the course overall:

Language Overall

Foreign language component?

Yes

**Language acquisition improvement?

**Comment:

I spoke Spanish every day because I lived with a familia Tica, and I spoke Spanish with my classmates as well.

Host Country Program Administration Overall

**On-site administration of your program:

**Please explain the program's strengths and weaknesses:

Francy and Esteban are always there to help you with any problem, even class work! They are amazing and so helpful!

Housing Overall

Living arrangements? (all that apply):

Host Family

Who did you live with?

Host Family

If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

**Housing satisfaction:

**Comment:

I absolutely loved my host family! They welcomed me right into their home as a daughter and I left feeling the same way. I will always have them in my heart.

Food Overall

**Food satisfaction:

**Comment:

My mama tica is an amazing cook!

Safety and Health Overall

**How well were health issues addressed through your program?

**Safety:

Money Overall

**How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?

Home Institution Advising Overall

**How well did your home institution prepare and support you for your time abroad?

General Assessment Overall

Review Title:

And now I am Tica

**Words of wisdom:

When you go, just dive right into your family life and just live like they do. Speak in Spanish all the time and just always say yes. Go out and experience everything!

**If you could do it all over again, would you choose the same program?

Yes

**Overall satisfaction with your study abroad experience:

**Was your study abroad experience worthwhile?

Absolutely.

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And now I am Tica

A Study Abroad Program Review of API (Academic Programs International): San Joaquin de Flores - Instituto San Joaquin De Flores

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