School for Field Studies: Can I go back? Please? Past Review
By Bill I (Environmental Studies, Paul Smith's College) for
The School for Field Studies / SFS: Costa Rica – Ecological Resilience Studies
Absolutely.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Workload was heavy but appropiate for the level of students involved. The courses were very hand's-on which translated very wel to my learning style and that of Paul Smith's College where I had previously attended. The field experiences were incredibly beneficial and allowed us to access a wide range of environments in Costa Rica. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Strength, faculty, staff, travelling, students, research projects. Weaknesses, at the time the site where the program was located was not owned by the school. It would have allowed for greater hand's on experiences related to low impact and sustainable agricultural practices. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Very removed from nightlife. Provided a quite and more school like atmosphere. Felt reasonable safe. Housing was arranged by the program. We stayed in on-campus dorms. We were notified to bring everything we needed. I wish that more students had brought better backpacks for post-course excursions and trecking. Host family was only for a weekend. They treated me amazingly! I connected with them on the flight into Costa Rica. The school established them as a host family. |
| * Food: |
No problems. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I loved going to the local fairs, sporting events, riding the busses, interacting with locals at the bars/restaurants. Could have been more. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Quiet sleepy town. |
| 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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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I could practice with other students, members of the community, the local soccer team which several of us joined, home stay family, and by general travelling during free time. |
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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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? | KNOW the language! |
