Aerie Backcountry Medicine Semester in Wilderness Medicine Past Review
By Sam V (English, Towson University) for
Towson University: San Jose - Environmental Education & Service Learning in the Tropics, Costa Rica
Completely and utterly. It has opened up doors through which I see the rest of my life. THANK YOU STUDY ABROAD!
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. |
Difficult workload; only for the student who truly wishes to be involved in this rigorous course. The intensity is unmatched, but so are the knowledge and benefits of the hard work and determination. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Communal living in Costa Rica; Cabins in Montana. Amazing. |
| * Food: |
Healthy, vegetarian diet with only fresh rice, beans and produce. Perfect. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Walking to the waterfalls and swimming holes in Costa Rica will not soon be forgotten. Nor will getting lost in the Montana wilderness. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
In wilderness education, safety takes precedence over all else. Whether during class, scenarios, or at dinner the safety and well being of the students is of the utmost importance. |
| 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 |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
We tried to speak some Spanish when doing assessments for locals, but it was not the primary focus of the course by any means. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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 do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Lovers of the outdoors beware: you will walk away yearning for more time in Costa Rica and Montana. |
