An experience is what you make of it Past Review
By Molly Lenihan (Trinity University) - abroad from 02/06/2018 to 06/16/2018 with
IFSA: Heredia - Universidad Nacional
I not only gained a few lifelong friends, but greatly improved my Spanish and gained an understanding of a different culture and perspective from the one I was accustomed to. I feel that I took advantage of my time in Costa Rica and saw many amazing places and met many amazing people.
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. |
While the organization and rigor of the classes was quite distinct from my home institution, classes at UNA were still challenging and required effort. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
All of the staff of the program, from the director to the student mentors, did a wonderful job and could not have been more welcoming and supportive to me. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Not only did I feel that my host family was an excellent match for me, I still remain in (sporadic) contact with them and I know I will be welcome in their home if I ever choose to return to Heredia. |
| * Food: |
I'm vegan, and I found it fairly easy to find options everywhere I went. My host mother was also a great cook! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
This obviously depends greatly on your personal willingness to immerse yourself in the culture, but I felt that our outings and the availability of dependable public transport made it easy to attend events in the area and visits school friends. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I personally did not have any health issues, but some of the members of my program did, and they were mostly satisfied with their care. |
| * Safety: |
I felt very safe, but that also depends on your own self-awareness and preparedness on outings. I never had any safety-related incidents but I stayed alert and attentive when traveling. |
| 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) |
Most of my costs came from traveling, both the transportation and lodging/food. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $50. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If your program provides a home-stay that cooks for you, eat what they make! Eating out is expensive. |
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 |
After the first day, we were encouraged to use Spanish with each other and with the staff of the program. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Literature/culture classes (3000 level) |
| 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? | Vary your sources! Listen to music, read books or articles, and watch movies (especially if set in the country you want to go to). You'll pick up a lot of useful phrases and a greater understanding of grammatical structure. |
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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* 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? |
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? | Bring an umbrella! |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
