A challenging, one of a kind semester Past Review

By A student (Middlebury College) - abroad from 09/06/2019 to 04/29/2019 with

Round River Conservation Studies: Costa Rica – The Osa Peninsula

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I think I learned a lot more about myself than anything else participating in this program. The living situation and the rigor/quantity of work definitely made it a challenging experience

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.
* 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:
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	No

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)

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Other
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Americans
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Americans
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?	Field work Dynamic Nature Outdoor experiences
* What could be improved?	clarity of academic expectations instructors student support
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	It's not always a walk in the park to live with the same 7 people in the middle of the jungle for a few months. Most of the challenges that I faced were interpersonal. Furthermore, the dynamic nature of fieldwork led to inconsistent and unclear academic expectations. I felt that I put in much more time and effort for the same grades in this program as I do in my home institution.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Human Ecology
Course Department:
Instructor:	Elizabeth Brunner
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	The course, as all courses offered in this program, was reasonably challenging. Beyond that, the course material was well supported by the experiences that we had had in country. The class was probably one of the easier classes offered, but in my opinion it was most likely the most informative of all of the classes. We were assessed with papers and participation in discussions. Readings were almost all interesting and challenged my perception of the relationship between people and the environment
Credit Transfer Issues:	No

Course Name/Rating:	Conservation Science
Course Department:
Instructor:	Oscar Vasquez
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	The concepts introduced in this class were pretty basic in general, but the class was still made challenging by tough grading policies. It was relevant, and pertinent to the field experiences we had, but could have been made more interesting or specific. I feel that I put more effort into this class than those at my home institution. We were evaluated through participation in discussions, homework and tests.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No

Course Name/Rating:	Field Methods
Course Department:
Instructor:	Elizabeth Brunner/Oscar Vasquez
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This course was challenging simply because it did not have a formal structure, and it was hard to know what material we would be assessed on. With that being said, I learned some practical skills (like how to use a camp stove) that I feel like I'll use my whole life. Participation was pretty equal to that at my home institution, and we were evaluated through tests and participation.
Credit Transfer Issues: