Life-Changing Past Review
By Alexandria Mangold (Oklahoma State University - Stillwater) - abroad from 01/06/2018 to 04/07/2018 with
AIFS: San José - Universidad Veritas and Internship Program
I learned how to easily accept another culture. It was very worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I absolutely loved all of my classes! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I loved the people at AIFS. They really did care about each and every one of us. They did an excellent job! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The woman I was placed with was not the friendliest, but it could have been worse. |
| * Food: |
The food was not the best. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I loved getting to learn about the culture and meet locals! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
San José was not the safest place to live. I felt safer close to the coast. A lot of students were robbed at gun point in San José just walking to class. |
| 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 was easy to live on a budget. Many different options available. |
| 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? | Stay in hostels and cooks your own meals while traveling. |
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 was encouraged to speak Spanish all the time. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| 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? | None |
| 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? | Speak to other international students in a foreign language and teach each other. |
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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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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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? | I wish I would have known more about the city I was going to be living in. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Conservation Biology of Endangered Marine Mammals |
| Course Department: | Biology |
| Instructor: | Damian Martinez |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This course was absolutely amazing! I am not a science-lover but this course was so interesting and sparked so many passions of mine I didn't even know I had! |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
