Interesting and different Past Review
By Holly (Gateway High School) - abroad from 06/11/2017 to 07/01/2017 with
Study Abroad Programs in Costa Rica
Yes, it was worthwhile since it showed me a different way of living and what else is out there by letting me see parts of the culture that were new and different from how they are at home.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Classes were very easy and mostly useless. They were only helpful a few times when we interviewed locals for projects. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The directors were very involved and it was easy to get ahold of them if you needed to. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Host family was helpful but kind of distant. |
| * Food: |
We had lots of typical food through our host families and cooking classes, but also had opportunities to go into town and go to restaurants if we wanted to. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We talked to locals daily. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't have a health issue, but my classmade had one. She went to the pharmacy and it cleared up. |
| * Safety: |
Atenas is safe and friendly since the town is small and most locals know each other, but I wouldn't recommend going out alone at night. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I really loved the different culture, activities, and practicing my Spanish, and I discovered that I like traveling abroad through this program. However, many of the other students were not very interested in the local culture, and some were only there because their parents made them go. This made it difficult for me to experience the things I wanted to when the others were not very enthusiastic about their time. |
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) |
Spent about $50-$75 a week because of restaurants, cab fares, and some necessities from the grocery store. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Spent about $30 a week, mostly for restaurants |
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 |
We talked in Spanish a lot to locals, the host family, and the directors, but among ourselves and even in classes we were not encouraged much to use Spanish. |
| 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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Spanish 3 |
| 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 to locals and spend time with your host family. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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| 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? |
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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? | More Spanish |
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 BlazerCraving 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.' |
