Studying Abroad in Costa Rica Past Review
By Chelsey M (International Studies, University of Southern Indiana) for
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: San Jose, Costa Rica
My experience was definitely worthwhile. I can actually hold a conversation in Spanish now and I've experience a different way of life and a different culture. I learned to not be so uptight and just to let things happen as they will, and life is a lot less stressful now. I definitely recommend studying abroad to everyone, whether they go with this program or to somewhere else, it's an experience you'll never forget.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| 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. |
I really liked the Spanish classes and learned a lot, but did not like the English elective classes as much. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration was very nice and helpful. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The host family was radically different from my own and had no understanding of American culture. This led to some problems. The host mom could never remember our names or things we told her. While I could have had a better host family, I don't regret staying with this family because the host mom loved to talk and it helped my Spanish a lot! |
| * Food: |
The food was great, and pretty cheap as well. Eat lunch at Las Lenitas close to the university and definitely hit up Spoon for a sweet tooth fix! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We went to a soccer game which I highly recommend. A lot of the field trips we spoke English the whole time and didn't really interact with the culture much, but we saw some beautiful places! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Everyone who got sick went to Clinica Biblica and got treated promptly. If you don't go out at night alone (go in big groups) and watch where you're going and never carry anything of value on you (passport, large amounts or money, credit card...) etc. you will be 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 |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I lived with a host family that did not know English, but our interactions with the national students were limited and they didn't seem to what much to do with us. Almost everyone at the school could speak English as well, but you did need to use Spanish sometimes. There were a lot of people that didn't know any Spanish and they got along well. If you want to really learn you had to stop yourself from speaking English because you could get by with it. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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 do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | This experience was an amazing opportunity and one I will never forget. I learned to actually speak Spanish, something they don't really teach at my university in the classroom. I learned a lot about myself and to not let things get to me so much. I think any student that wants to learn Spanish as well as the Costa Rican culture can benefit from this program, but I know students who came to study environmental science and tropical ecology and things and didn't come for the Spanish that also had a great time. Travel opportunities are endless and relatively cheap as well. |
