Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Costa Rica taught me how to live the Pura Vida life. Past Review

By (Marine Sciences, University of Maine - Orono) - abroad from 01/08/2018 to 04/07/2018 with

CISabroad (Center for International Studies): San Jose - Semester in Costa Rica

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I think I really understand the Pura Vida lifestyle and how truly priceless our environment is to us. It's hard to put these big ideas into words but it was 110% worthwhile.

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.

All professors were very knowledgeable and incredibly passionate about the course topics.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

My on-site program advisor is one of the most approachable and understanding humans I have ever met. She protected us like her own children even though she has like 6 jobs. Very resourceful and prompt with her responses.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The family with whom I lived was incredibly respectful and receptive to me. The meals were super fresh, filling, and delicious. My mama tica was very accommodating and they were all very charismatic people.

* Food:

AMAZING! They get a bad wrap for it being rather "bland" but it's all locally grown and nothing is processed. I personally loved the casado and the coffee is to die for.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I was right in the midst of it with my whole family speaking majorly Spanish. Walking from home to class every day also allowed me to see the markets and little restaurants at work.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did not personally have any experience with this but my friend had a couple trips to the hospital and he was pleased with the process.

* Safety:

Petty theft unfortunately runs rampant through the whole city. While I personally did not experience this first hand, many students were reportedly robbed througout the whole semester. And on my last night, my friend waited in his car outside my house and was robbed at gunpoint.

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

The on-site program advisor is one of the main reasons I would choose this program again. It also sets up virtually everything for you, giving you less to stress about before the trip.

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)

It was reasonably easy considering food is generally cheaper than in the States, however this is not always true. Travelling and excursions were very reasonable though.

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Remember that you can pack lunches and dinners for weekend travelling to avoid the expensive food in touristy areas.

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

When taking group trips, we often played games in Spanish on the bus.

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? Applied Spanish 305
How many hours per day did you use the language?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? I would listen to the language for your specific country as much as possible beforehand to get a feel for the accent and slang.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • 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?
  • Full cultural emmersion
  • Host family living opportunity
  • Responsive administration
* What could be improved?
  • communication about host family prior to move in
  • introduction to the area for those of directionally challenged folk
  • better communication with home university
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew how easy it was to make friends. Most everyone else is in a similar situation and worried about the same thing.

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:

ENV 3190: Tropical Marine Biology
Course Department: Biology and Environmental Sciences
Instructor: Sebastien Hernandez
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This course is great for students with a strong background in biology and marine science. It has no prerequisites which I believe to be incredibly misleading. The professor expects you know how to work with scientific papers on a very high comprehension level and grades your papers with the same expectations. Other students in my class without a strong science background struggled through the whole course because he had expectations that were never taught.
Credit Transfer Issues: