Tuanis! Past Review
By Olivia H (Biology, Grove City College) for
ISA Study Abroad in San José, Costa Rica
I loved my study abroad experience! I wouldn't trade it for anything! Costa Rica was a great place to learn about a different culture, and it is a beautiful country to explore. Hopefully I will be able to use the Spanish I learned in Costa Rica in the future, and I plan on returning to Costa Rica at some point later on.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I learned so much while studying abroad! While the classes may not have been as work intensive as at my home university, I definitely took away more from the classes and was able to apply everything I learned. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The ISA office staff was very helpful all the time. They were always available if we had problems, and they willingly helped us with Spanish tutoring if we needed it. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
My house mom was an amazing cook! She prepared delicious food for each and every meal. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The excursions led by the ISA staff were great, and I had the privilege of taking field trips with my tropical marine biology class that were also a lot of fun. I enjoyed traveling when I had the chance, but it was also great to explore San José when I couldn't. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Going out at night in the city wasn't always the best idea. If you did go out at night, it was always better to go with a group of people. Otherwise, it was relatively safe at all times of day. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I practiced Spanish with my house mom, profesoras, and classmates. Sometimes I would try to speak with the natives, but that proved to be daunting with a few people! I learned a lot, but I would not consider myself fluent. Maybe another month or two could have helped me with that! |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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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? | This was a great program for just about anyone but especially those looking to learn Spanish. The program was geared toward Spanish language, and the professors did a wonderful job of teaching Spanish but also applying it to real-life situations (asking directions from natives, interviewing other native students, etc). |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Tropical Marine Biology |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Field trips were amazing (snorkeling and learning about marine organisms). The profesora was very knowledgeable and always well-prepared. Although we did not have much class discussion, we did give several oral presentations which helped us share what we had learned with our classmates. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No credit transfer issues |
