It was fun. August 11, 2023
By Isabella O (Environmental Science, Brandeis University) - abroad from 06/26/2023 to 08/05/2023 with
CIEE: Monteverde - Sustainability + The Environment
I really enjoyed living independently and yes it was definitely worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I enjoyed it and the classes were engaging. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I enjoyed CIEE a lot. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Not a full 5 stars just because my roommate snored. |
| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I meet so many great people and it was so fun! however, I didn't enjoy the classes as much as I thought I would and I was very homesick after six weeks in Costa Rica. |
Finances
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* 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) |
Monteverde was definitely more expensive than I was expecting. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I probably sent 100-200 a week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I am not sure because I wanted to experience things, but most touristy things costed money. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| 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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | AP Spanish |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 0 |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I actually feel like I was well prepped before going on this program. |
