Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Culture Shock: While jarring, it ends up being an awesome learning experience. Past Review

By (n/a) - abroad from 09/03/2012 to 12/21/2012 with

Adelante: San Jose - Semester, Summer and Intern in San Jose

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
A better sense of self, greater patience, and a MUCH better grasp on the Spanish language.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Incredibly useful. I hadn't spoken Spanish in almost 5 years, and I am now almost fluent again.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

In general, people who had trouble with pick-pocketing, robbery, etc. simply hadn't taken proper precautions. Some were genuinely unavoidable, but the vast majority of the time, if you take care with your things and use common sense, the city is very safe.

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

Finances

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

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $50-$100
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? GO TO THE LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS ON THE WEEKENDS. Produce is AMAZING and very very cheap. Try not to go to extremely tourist-y places, they charge more. Ask your host family about good local food, and places to shop. Pequeno Mundo is awesome for general household items, and Pali is a chain grocery store that has pretty good prices. WalMart is NOT your friend down here...

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

There are some instructors who speak LITTLE TO NO ENGLISH (at least that we knew of). It helps a lot, but any concepts that you might previously not have known may be difficult to understand as they are all explained only in Spanish.

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Intermediate
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Spanish V AP (High School)
How many hours per day did you use the language? 10+
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? Make new friends, and take advantage of the fact that you live in a Spanish-speaking home. Limit your use of English as much as possible. There are waves where it may be more difficult to speak than before, but keep going and it just gets easier and easier.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
  • Hotel
  • Hostel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Excursions
  • Host Family
  • Option to live outside host family
* What could be improved?
  • More information about San Jose (Map, specific areas, etc)
  • Information about general cost of living (relevant bus fares, entrance fees, etc)
  • Itinerary of relevant excursions beforehand
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? A little more about the "machismo" culture.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer
Craving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.'

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Intermediate Spanish 2
Course Department: International Studies
Instructor: Elena
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: Elena was fantastic. Maybe a bit too fast for people who hadn't learned certain grammatical aspects yet, but overall an awesome class, upbeat and well-structured.
Credit Transfer Issues: