SFS Costa Rica Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload was manageable, although there were often many things due at the same time which made it seem worse. The academics were less challenging than at Wellesley, and the teaching was done through mostly lectures, with some discussions.

On-site administration of your program

They processed things generally quickly and were accessible. The scheduling of the program was the biggest issue - it definitely needs improvement. Students should be able to manage non-academic time on their own. Volunteer work and outreaches were often scheduled without student input and very close to the actual dates. There were 28 people in my program, which wasn't huge, but it would have been nicer if it were smaller.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

We had to bring our own sheets and sleeping bags (for blankets). There were up to 4 people a room, in bunked beds. The bathrooms were good, and cleaned regularly - students took turns doing some cleaning chores. The campus is a 10-minutes taxi ride away from the town (or 40 minutes walk - the taxis aren't expensive if you carpool).

The food was cooked by locals and was excellent! There were good options for vegetarians.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Field trips were always part of academics. They did organize some football(i.e. soccer) games, and language exchanges with Costa Rican students who were studying English, as well as outreach programs, but the scheduling almost always made the events more stressful than enjoyable.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The campus is pretty safe - there's a guard at the gate, and it's at the end of the road where no one really goes to unless you actually have business there. Students are always cautioned to wear closed-toed shoes at night and boots on the farm to watch out for snakes. Directed research was a little more dangerous, and at times I was unsure if we could handle an emergency situation well. My group was working on steep coffee farms far away from the city. We always had first aid kits present though. I got rabies vaccinations before the program, which wasn't really necessary. I also took anti-Malaria pills throughout the program, which also isn't really necessary if you want to avoid the costs.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Classmates, Costa Rican staff on campus, host family. I did not need to use Spanish everyday, since our classes were taught in English and the group all spoke English.

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• Dorm

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• International Students
• Americans

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• Americans