A worthwile adventure. Past Review
By A student (Marine Science, University of Maine at Orono) - abroad from 01/17/2014 to 05/16/2014 with
USAC Costa Rica: San Ramón - Life Sciences, Spanish Language, and Culture
Connections with new professors, appreciation for new cultures, a handle on Spanish, a new set of glasses to see the world with. Yes, it was worthwhile.
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. |
Classes were easier than at my University, but by no means easy. They involved a lot of presentations and papers. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Lucy and Gerardo are wonderful and very helpful. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I am so lucky to have met my host family. They are all wonderful people and I hope to visit them again in the future. |
| * Food: |
Rice and beans at every meal, but it's part of the culture. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I could have tried harder to meet locals. I felt very comfortable with my family and learning new things about the culture through them and my professors. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had no trouble with my health other than a couple stomach bugs. My host mom made me mint tea, which was thoughtful and helpful. I never needed to go to the hospital or doctor while I was here, but I did get a few shots beforehand. One of the other girls had to go to the doctor and had some trouble. Make sure you know if you are allergic to any medicines, because they didn't ask her and she ended up feeling worse on the antibiotics. |
| * Safety: |
San Ramón is a pretty safe place, but you should have common sense. Don't walk by yourself at night. Don't carry a lot of money with you at one time. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
I saved most of my money by not traveling every weekend like some of the other students. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | less than $100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Even though it's really easy to spend a lot of money when travel every weekend, budget your money while you do so. Set a limit for how much you spend. There are multiple people here who did not, and they ended up with single digits in their bank account. |
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 |
I had Spanish class 3 days a week and had 3 hour classes each time. We spoke Spanish every day with our host families. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Two semesters of 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? | Practice with your family, practice with locals, practice with your friends. |
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? | People come to Costa Rica to party. If you don't like that, then I wouldn't come to Central America. |
