Learning about and experiencing different ecosystems and cultures May 13, 2026

By Claudia C (Environmental Studies, Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/26/2026 to 05/07/2026 with

The School for Field Studies / SFS: Costa Rica – Ecological Resilience Studies

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

I gained more experience with field work and learned a lot more about tropical ecosystems and sustainable farming that was very interesting to me. I think the experience was worthwhile because it exposed me to some topics that I had not learned about before, as well as allowed me to visit many new places and experience a different culture.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	The classes were overall interesting and not that difficult, just some weeks could get busy when there were multiple projects or papers due at once. Almost every assignment was group work, which could be helpful to talk through ideas with other students, but there also could be some difficulties on everyone contributing evenly and being on the same page. I would have preferred if there was more of a mixture of independent and group work assignments. The field trips and field work components were the highlights of the classes, as they applied all the topics we were learning about in a relevant and hands-on way.
* 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?	Yes I enjoyed learning about the country and tropical ecosystems, and I was amazed by all the new places I travelled to. My professors were knowledgeable and planned educational and interesting field trips.

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)	Day to day it is pretty manageable to live on a student budget, and 3 meals a day are included in the dining plan. Weekend trips to travel places could range in price, usually you can find an affordable hostel but it can depend on how expensive transportation and meals can be.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	If you want to travel around on weekends, plan out some weekends where you may go away and look ahead to find some cheaper accommodations, but also you can save some money by doing some day trips and things more locally

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language? 0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language
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
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?	Try to practice when talking to people in stores or taxi drivers, just to get some everyday interactions

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Dorm
* 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?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	Field trips The group of students who became my friends Seeing such different ecosystems and such diversity of species
* What could be improved?	Some lectures could be more engaging More flexibility and freedom for students during their free time Less packed schedule
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I wish I knew more about how structured and busy the schedule can get, because I could sometimes feel overwhelmed by everything that we were doing in the day and not having a lot of free time

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 Avid Adventurer The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Tropical Ecology
Course Department:
Instructor:	Jeremy Klank
Instruction Language:
Comments:	This course was very engaging and the professor was very knowledgeable. Field trips really helped to connect with topics in class and further our understanding. Jeremy also made active efforts to engage students and ask questions to challenge our thinking.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Justice, Resilience, and the Environment
Course Department:
Instructor:	Mary Little
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	The field trips to sustainable farms and examining their agroforestry practices was interesting to learn about and see firsthand. The different varieties of farms we visited and people we talked to allowed me to learn about different perspectives and practices. However, the classroom portion of this class often felt like more basic topics were being covered and I would be interested in going into more depth. As a result sometimes the lectures could be less engaging. The discussion portions of class were interesting to hear the perspectives of my classmates to go more into certain topics.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Principles of Natural Resource Management
Course Department:
Instructor:	Milena Cambronero
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This class had a good mixture of lectures and projects so that we could further explore each topic. I thought the field trips were interesting as well and helped to gain some practical field work skills. I appreciated how Milena provided local examples to help illustrate certain topics and practices we were learning about. I think that some assignments and papers could have been more clearly structured so we knew how to best organize them.
Credit Transfer Issues: