Study Abroad in San Jose, Costa Rica: An Opportunity to Step Out of My Comfort Zone Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload for my elective classes was not much. We had reading assignments frequently and final projects in all the classes. My spanish classes were the most work, especially when I got to Intermediate 2. That class had homework everyday and it wasn't just simple worksheets. Often it was short writing assignments or presentations. The nice thing about the the course load was that the elective classes rarely gave out homework but the Spanish classes did so it was fairly easy to manage everything and still have fun. The spanish classes were the only thing that compared in difficulty and workload to my home university in the US.

On-site administration of your program

Strengths: If I had questions I could always come to them and ask. It was easy to contact them. I knew my program director really well. She took us on trips as a program. She was very accessible. Weakness: Sometimes the program was a bit disorganized. Things weren't planned out far enough in advance. It wasn't too big of a problem though.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My home stay family provided me with everything. My family gave me breakfast and dinner every day, including lunches at times. They gave me more than enough food. They provided me with my own room, with sheets and towels. My host mom did my laundry weekly. The neighborhood's safety was an issue at times. My host family and school professors told me that it wasn't safe to walk around at night by yourself. It wasn't too bad, but I did feel restricted at times. My house was a five minute walk away from the school.

My host family accommodated to my roommates dietary needs just fine. It's easy for anyone with dietary restrictions to get by in Costa Rica.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Whitewater rafting trip.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Petty theft was common in my host city. My school administration, advisor, host family and professors all told me several times to be careful and gave me ways to stay safe. Just be cautious and travel in groups. Don't show off your valuables in the city area. Use your camera and then put it away quickly.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I took two spanish courses at the university. Both professors were natives to the country and the classes were small. My first, and biggest spanish class had 10 people in it, which included myself. I also lived with a host family while I was there. They didn't speak English with me, only Spanish. My host mom didn't even know English. My american friends did speak English, but there were select few who tried to speak Spanish all the time. They were the only ones I spoke English with.

Select all that apply

• Host Family
• Hotel
• Hostel

Select all that apply

• Americans
• Host Family

• Trips
• Spanish Classes
• Homestay family

• Organization of events
• More structure and fluid information regarding course registration