Surpassed my expectations. Past Review
By Aemilii M (Spanish Language Teacher Education., Winona State University) - abroad from 01/11/2014 to 04/26/2014 with
Study Abroad Programs in Costa Rica
I learned to relax and enjoy the moments I had.
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 believe the academics of the grammar classes and SOL classes were ver y good. They were well organized and had clear expectations. I believe the academics at the university local classes were not very difficult and sometimes not very organized. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Wonderful support from staff. They were willing to help with anything and encouraged students to volunteer and make the most out of their time. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved everything about my host stay! I loved the variety that Maria provided. She also always offered cafecitos. I really felt loved by my family. They love me like a daughter and I can't wait to return to visit. My host mom Maria was always willing to listen and provided feedback that was helpful. She spoke slowly and tried to explain more when I did not understand. She also was willing to help plan my personal trips and helped me figure out where to go and the safest way to get there. |
| * Food: |
Great! I have grown to love beens and rice. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We were given a real taste on what the county was like. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The school offers access to a nurse and the director will bring you to the doctors office whenever needed. |
| * Safety: |
Be smart about safety. That means don't walk alone at night and take taxis. Other than that I hardly ever felt like I was in danger. |
| 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) |
2.5. Travel was very cheap and the busses are a very fair price. A few daily things such as face wash and shampoo were more expensive at home and easily added up. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Always take public transportation and look into group and student discounts. |
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 |
Speaking was very encouraged. We made it a goal to speak 100% of the time during program activities. |
| 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? | College Level upper level. |
| 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? | Talk as much as possible with your host family. They are the ones with whom you can practice the things you learn in class. |
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? | It is always a good idea to take the grammatical classes over! |
