Costa Muy Rica! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

As a whole the academic experience was satisfying and helpful. The first Spanish course instructor my class had was not interested in changing the syllabus to accommodate the needs of the students. It was frustrating attending class and not learning anything. As this persisted the class as a whole took steps to remove the teacher and bring in someone who was more interested in assisting us with language acquisition. THe second Spanish teacher was wonderful. She used games and power points to help out language learning. She was open to integrating us into the Spanish speaking world to give us hands on experience. This was much more helpful and beneficial than the Spanish courses I took at UT. The other courses I took were helpful in learning business and ecological information about the country. Compared to AMerican academics the workload was much less, yet the courses provided immersion opportunities based on the course. By visiting local businesses we were able to see how things worked in a Latin American context. Likewise, with the science course we were immersed into rainforest and ecological systems of Costa Rica.

On-site administration of your program

My program administrators were wonderful. Our directors were always available for us, whether it was a personal problem, home situation, or needing to go to the doctor. I consider them part of my family because I knew that they cared about our well being. The directors were helpful and making changes happen with the University. They were helpful in language acquisition as well as country acquisition. The directors were very knowledgeable about the country, places to visit and not to visit. The program was a very nice size of students. There were 6 of us which was a perfect size.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I could not have asked for a more perfect family. I left the program knowing I have a second family. I talk to them quite often and plan to visit them sometime this year. My host family was as excited as I was to see my real parents when they came to visit. Unfortunately the information about the host family I was given at predeparture was incorrect information. I was unaware that I would be living with a 3 year old little girl and that posed some problems, but nothing to ruin the relationship or living environment. The neighborhood was very safe and close to a bus stop, which was really nice. It was also close to a market and not a far trip to school or the city.

My host mother was the cook of the house, so I was not responsible for my meals ( a nice change). The food in Costa RIca is wonderful. It's fresh and organic and healthy. My favorite places to eat were sodas, small restaurants that served quick lunches. You could get a large meal: rice, beans, meat, potatoes, salad, drink for $5. Delicious!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I always felt safe in the city. I was well aware with my surroundings, I didn't go places at night by myself. I didn't go to high traffic areas by myself. I was aware that I was American and didn't take unnecessary risks or get to comfortable to where I wasn't paying attention to what or who was around me. I did visit the hospital In Costa Rica and received excellent and affordable care. I felt that I was served quicker in the ER there than I have been here in TX.

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

I practiced SPanish with friends, teachers, family members, and local Costa Ricans. I had to use Spanish everyday to interact with my family. Our classes were taught in English (except the Spanish course). Most people did not speak English.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Americans