Costa Rica- Pura Vida Past Review
By Hannah M (Political Science and Government., Presbyterian College) for
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: San Jose, Costa Rica
yes, it enabled me to see how I can adapt to difficult and different life situations without the comforts of a phone, a common language, and the amenities of the US.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Veritas University |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Highly supportive and informative. The CEA staff was always willing to answer questions, help out planning independent trips, good suggestions on where to go and when. Couldnt have asked for a better program to go with |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
As far as San Jose goes the area was probably about as safe as it gets. While we did face the threat of mugging, it was unavoidable and we were informed of the dangers before committing to the program. The school and the program also offered many services, such as transportation to and from school to make it as safe as possible. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
a couple students got robbed, one at gunpoint. Someone climbed the wall in my host home and fled when he saw me in the yard. Certainly experienced danger but it was addressed adequately. Part of the experience was learning how to make the best decisions to prevent being in dangerous situations. The program cant control the climate of the city and did its job to prepare and protect us the best it could. |
| 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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Food costs and traveling on the weekend do add up. but if youre smart you can save a lot of money by paying attention to where the locals are eating and staying |
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? | Spanish 205, intermediate |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
A lot of people spoke English but it was a safe bet that I would have to speak Spanish everyday in my host home (although they also spoke english), in restaurants, cabs, classes, etc. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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? | know the culture you're getting yourself into. Geographically, its close to the US but culturally very different. |
