Pura vida! Past Review
By A student (Dietetics, Clinical Nutrition, University of Maine - Orono) - abroad from 01/15/2015 to 05/15/2015 with
USAC Costa Rica: San Ramón - Life Sciences, Spanish Language, and Culture
I can speak Spanish!
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 |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Minimal. Didn't go to school with local students above the age of 10. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Lucy (works in the USAC office in San Ramon) will help you get an appointment for anything you need. She even found me a chiropractor! |
| * Safety: |
San Ramon is very safe! I didn't walk home alone at night, but I don't do that in the US either. Cabs are everywhere and your friends live pretty close to you usually. |
| 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) |
Traveling can be expensive depending on how elaborate you want your excursions to be (going to Nicaragua or Panama for spring break = $$). Hostels range from $8-$30 depending on the time of year (less pricey during the rainy season) and location (more pricey in touristy areas). Check out hostelworld.com for more info. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I had zero necessary expenses, but it is fun to study at the coffee shop with friends, so maybe $10. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Cheap hostels are great for saving money and meeting cool people. They tend to attract more of the "adventurous traveler" types! |
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 would have liked more encouragement to speak Spanish. |
| 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? | 1 semester of college intermediate |
| 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? | Take at least one Spanish class before coming to learn grammar and vocab basics. Speak to your US friends in Spanish when you get there. Try to reach out/hang out with locals your age. Take a class that is 100% in Spanish (really helped me!) |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | That we weren't studying at the University of Costa Rica, like we had been told we were |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Women's Health |
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| Instructor: | |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Most useless shit of my life. She just sat there and read her illiterate slides in a monotone voice. She insulted her patients when she was telling us stories in class. I don't remember her name (Senora Ivanna Bogantes..or something), but she sucked so much. She also taught another health class. I heard that was the same bullshit. Also, she was late for class EVERY SINGLE DAY. She was at least 10-30 minutes late. And it was a Monday morning class, so kids just started showing up really late. Got 100% on everything. So stupid. Learned nothing. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | The class credits transferred to UMaine. |
