AMAZING! Past Review
By Alicia H (Health and Human Performance, Berea College) - abroad from 07/04/2015 to 08/07/2015 with
CISabroad (Center for International Studies): San Jose - Summer in Costa Rica
I learned that I am independent and that I can do things for myself. I am not afraid to ask questions to help me learn. The experience is the best thing i have ever done and i would do it a thousand times over.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
My resources were plentiful but the rigor of the courses were not intense. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Lisa Pinheiro was an amazing on-site director. i could not have asked for a better person to help me during my time abroad. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was absolutely amazing! They went above and beyond to make sure i was happy and comfortable. |
| * Food: |
The food was always good but I wish there had been more variety. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
i felt very integrated with the culture because of the excursions with my program as well as the individual trips I took. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I honestly did not have health issues while abroad so this really isn't applicable. |
| * Safety: |
I felt as if I was always safe because I followed the guidelines given by our University. However, there were instances where people were robbed and/or assaulted but it was often due to not following the advice provided by our programs and University. |
| 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) |
If i had not worked before the program began and had my own money I would have struggled very much. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Work and save before your program to ensure you have enough money because once you get to the country and begin doing things you want to do it makes it harder to live off of the minimalist budget given. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
The program encouraged the full use of another language which was very helpful for my learning. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Spanish 2 junior year of high school |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Use it in your conversations as much as possible. If you don't know something then ask about it and try to find time to practice by yourself as well. |
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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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
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? | That it was going to rain so much |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
