Costa Rica Program Past Review
By Esther R (Modern Language Studies, University of Texas - San Antonio) - abroad from 01/12/2013 to 04/28/2013 with
Study Abroad Programs in Costa Rica
Saying yes to new experiences: from food, to locations, new forms of thinking, meeting new people, and doing dare devil stunts.
Review Photos
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. |
The professors of the immersion program are super friendly and helpful if you have any problems or questions. Our Advanced Spanish 1 professor told our class that she wanted to be our friend. And in the end it was like having a great friend teaching a class with colourful discussions. Class was never boring. We always had fun projects or fun topics to discuss. And with professors with locals, if it's hard for you to understand the local language (they speak Spanish kind of quickly but have no fear!) you can always ask them to slow down or email them. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program directors are friendly and were always answering my questions. They were very easy to communicate via email or in person. It was very helpful that every Monday we had a group meeting to discuss any upcoming events or excursions or even points of interests. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I enjoyed living with my host family in their comfortable home. My host mother designed her own home and it had an amazing balcony view of the mountains surrounding Heredia. My host family were very nice and I loved interacting with them and I was comfortable asking them questions about the Costa Rican culture, points of interests, or even personal advise. |
| * Food: |
My host mother always made delicious meals with organic veggies or fruits from her garden. The only thing was that she always served me too much. It's best to communicate with your host mother about your servings if you think they are too abundant. She always made something different and sometimes made us American comfort 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: |
Please, do not walk alone at night. Take a taxi cab to your destination. Also, ignore the catcalls that local men make. And always be with a group if you go out late at night. |
| 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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Plan your weekend excursions carefully and be money savvy! Sometimes museums have student discounts so don't forget to bring your Universidad Latina ID! |
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? | Fluent |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
| 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? | Speak to your host family, participate in class, watch films in Spanish, talk to locals or study and practice with your fellow classmates/ study abroad participants. |
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? |
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? | Planning more independent weekend excursions around the provinces of Costa Rica. |
