Pura Vida Experience September 26, 2021

By Angelica Urquizo (University of Tennessee - Chattanooga) - abroad from 05/22/2021 to 08/07/2021 with

CISabroad (Center for International Studies): San Jose - Summer in Costa Rica

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I learned so much in my experience and it was absolutely worthwhile. I learned so much about other cultures, learning a new language, learning about the environment and sustainability and about traveling solo, learning to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations, and I learned a lot about myself as well and grew so much from the experience.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	The professors at Veritas University were incredible! So engaging and knowledgeable in their fields!
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	My site Director, Lisa Pinheiro was absolutely amazing! She was always available and super helpful! She assigned us to our host families and roommates perfectly, planned amazing agency excursions and helped us a ton with planning for other excursions on our own!
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	My host mom and her family were amazing! I felt super comfortable in the house I was in and I always felt safe in my neighborhood.
* Food:	My host mom always provided breakfast and dinners and it was always so incredibly delicious. Costa Rican food isn't too wild and very approachable while still being uniquely their own type of flavor. Gallo pinto quickly becomes a staple and it's delicious! I especially loved the Caribbean style foods!
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	San Jose, while having many English speakers is still very Spanish. You order your food in spanish and ask questions as well as you can in spanish and visit the markets and do the same. It's very immersive which can be daunting but also you really get to become part of the community very quickly. I felt very integrated with the culture within just a couple weeks!
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	The only healthcare situation I experienced was for covid testing and it was honestly the same experience as I've had in the US. I didn't need to vaccinated for this program, however, I felt it was best to be both for my own health and for others around me.
* Safety:	I personally felt safe in my area and there was often a lot of police presence, or near the school, the security was very nearby at all times. It always made me feel safe walking to or from school and the police seemed to be pretty diligent about being present throughout the city.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes I really loved the program I was in and that it was a great group of people, with a great program director and at an incredible school. I really loved my whole program!

Finances

* 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)	Personally, I enjoyed going out to eat for lunch and grabbing coffees as well as traveling often so while you easily could spend much less and do perfectly fine, I simply didn't, but Costa Rica is fairly cheap as far as restaurant and grocery expenses.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	$200+
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Save for excursions and transportation! The food and souvenirs is not what's going to cost money, but the cost for private (safer) transportation and excursions/hotels/hostels is where you end up spending the most.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language? 0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language	I took 2 Basic Spanish classes and both really force you to immerse yourself in the language as the professors speak very little english.
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	None
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 I
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 as much during normal conversation as possible. The more you use it the more you feel comfortable with it. Watch movies with spanish subtitles so you can see the words and read it to yourself, or watch in spanish with english subtitles to hear pronunciation - it really can go a long way to pick up on things!

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	Traveling on excursions! The biodiversity! The food!
* What could be improved?	n/a n/a n/a
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	A but more Spanish before arriving would've been very helpful.

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 Avid Adventurer The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Tropical Ecology
Course Department:
Instructor:	Victor Acosta
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This was such an immersive course that delved deeper in the ecological roles of different species in the Tropics and how they are affected with global changes. The field trip we went on allowed us to apply field work techniques as well as seeing some really incredible species and learning about sustainability! We were assessed through presentations and in the creation of a blog for the field trip. I participated much more in this class than I typically would've at my home institution.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No

Course Name/Rating:	Conservation Biology and Endangered Marine Species
Course Department:
Instructor:	Mariana Elizondo
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This class was a bit challenging but it was incredibly interesting. We were assessed based on participation in group discussion and a debate, as well as a presentation and a literature review. I enjoyed this class so much and our field trip was really fascinating! Unfortunately due to some severe weather some of our field trip plans had to change, but it was still very immersive and we got to spend a lot of time learning about conservation and species under threat in costa rica!
Credit Transfer Issues: