Amazing opportunity to see a different culture!!! Past Review
By A student (Pharmacy/Spanish, Ohio Northern University) - abroad from 05/24/2013 to 08/02/2013 with
USAC Costa Rica: San Ramón - Life Sciences, Spanish Language, and Culture
Definitely worthwhile. I gained a lot of experience speaking and understanding Spanish. I also learned to be less timid about speaking Spanish to people who speak it fluently.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Great! But during the end of my stage there was an administration change, and it should hopefully be just as good as before! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
All the host families here are great and if there is a problem, the USAC staff will assist in communication, or if needed relocation to another host family. |
| * Food: |
Great, but be prepared to eat rice and beans at least twice a day. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It depends whether you decide to hang out with your American friends or to hang out with some of the local people. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The USAC staff would personally take you to the doctor the same day as you had a problem and was very efficient. |
| * Safety: |
Just be smart, don't walk alone at night. |
| 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) |
It really depends how much you want to travel to different places. Traveling here can be cheap if you take public transportation and do everything on your own or expensive if you want to do trips such as rafting, kayaking, zip-lining... |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Take public transportation it takes longer to get to places but it is much cheaper! |
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 |
You are encouraged to speak Spanish even to the USAC staff. It is your choice whether you speak Spanish or English to your friends that are also studying abroad. |
| 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? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 300 level spanish. |
| 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? | Don't be afraid to talk, and always try to listen in on others conversations to improve your spanish! |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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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? | How not to be afraid about talking to my host family. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Spanish for Health Care Professionals |
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| Instructor: | |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | The class was very good for any student interested in becoming a Nurse or a Doctor. You cover a lot of vocabulary and learn about their health care system a bit. We did not focus much on culture differences though, I am a pharmacy major and was a little disappointed that we did not discuss anything regarding medications apart from natural remedies. But the class is very good for anyone who wants to have a basic ability to talk with patients in Spanish. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
