Semester at Universidad de Costa Rica Past Review
By Molly G (Theater, Salem State College) for
API Universidad Veritas
My experience was totally worth while. I did things there that I would have never done before. For example I went with one other girl traveling around Nicaragua, which could of been very sketchy, but I am proud to say we had no problems. I traveled by myself to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica which some people think is the most dangerous part of Costa Rica and again had no problems.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Universidad de Costa Rica |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was for the most part light. My science class I had three presentations and two papers. For my culture class we just had to write in a journal once a week and then we had a final project. Then for Spanish we had easy homework each night then tests every two weeks. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Esteban and Francy our program directors were very very helpful. They were always willing to give us advice and help us in any way we needed it. The one problem I found with API is that they wouldn't allow us to take classes with any of the other foreign exchange students or maybe that is how UCR does it. But because we only had classes with our program our language classes were small and they were only able to break them up into two separate levels. Many of the students felt that they were not in the level they should be in for this reason. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in Sabanilla which is a suburb of San Jose and in that suburb I lived in Carmiol which is a residence of Sabanilla. <br /><br /> I always felt very safe in my neighborhood and never felt threatened. My Mama Tica was a single mother and she had two daughters 19 and 14. They were all nice and accommodating. In order to go out at night I had to take a taxi normally or sometimes I could take a bus. I did need to buy a towel but that is it. |
| * Food: |
I am a vegetarian and a picker eater. My Mama Tica was very accommodating and always made food that I was able to eat. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
All of our field trips with API were memorable we went to Corcovado, Rio Celeste and Volcon Tenorio, and then I went on an optional trip to Panama. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
With our program we were able to use the schools doctors or we could go to a private Americanized doctor. I had a throat infection one week and my program director went with me to the doctor which was helpful and comforting. |
| 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 100 dollars prob with travel and food. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Just remember that every little thing adds up and be careful when taking money out of the atm. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Beginer 101 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Practice, Practice, Practice the language you are learning with other students and the people you live with and don't be afraid to do so. It was helpful to know Spanish in Costa Rica but majority of the local Costa Ricans know English and if they find you speak English they will just speak English to you. |
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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Don't take any valuables that you might be tempted to carry around and that you don't want to loose. Practice the language before you leave it will help to be able to communicate with your host-family. I think that the student that would most benefit from this type of experience would be a student that is willing to see new things and wants to change, also a student who is outgoing. |
