CEA > others Past Review
By Kyle C (International business, Auburn University) for
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: San Jose, Costa Rica
I learned a lot of spanish, and really fell in love with nature/beauty. The country is so beautiful that you really get consumed in it. If you desire to, you WILL learn a lot of Spanish, and you WILL enjoy this program.
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Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload is fairly tough. Students who come to really learn Spanish will do so, and students who come to vacation will barely get by. You WILL be expected to come to class and participate. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I felt that my experience would not have been the same without the CEA faculty. They truly cared about our experiences, and helped in so many ways. They assisted in everything from homework, to setting up weekend trips for us. They were the key reason I would recommend CEA over any other program. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I stayed in the CEA apartment, which was very nice and stayed clean because of the maid service. However none of the other students were serious about Spanish, so none of that was spoken on a daily basis. I wish I would have had the aid of a Tica mom, but then again I heard many horror stories from fellow students and how the Tica moms didn't really even help. |
| * Food: |
The food situation was great in San Jose. You will be situated in Zapote, a relatively calm district of San Jose with plenty of restaurants, etc. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
You MUST travel. Go to Arenal, playa hermosa, Puerto Viejo, etc. The volcanoes are amazing, but I really fell in love with the beaches. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Costa Rica suffers from cases of extreme poverty, so petty crime is an issue. Odds are if you are walking around at night, you will get robbed. If your smart you should be just fine. |
| 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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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
You will end up mostly speaking to students in your level, and in everyday interactions with Ticos. |
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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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? | Costa Rica is the top choice for learning "central american" Spanish. I was iffy about going with CEA do to the price being a little higher, but I was glad I did. The staff was great, and helped me in all aspects of my abroad time. I highly suggest going with CEA if you want a complete study abroad experience. |
