Wonderful program that helped my Spanish and grow as a person. Past Review
By A student (Brandeis University) - abroad from 02/05/2019 to 06/15/2019 with
IFSA: Heredia - Universidad Nacional
I learned to be independent, gain confidence, and make mistakes. It was an environment where I got to make mistakes, both in speaking the language, navigate the culture, and with learning a new culture in general. It was 150% worthwhile
Review Photos
Personal Information
| 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. |
As a direct enrollment program at the host university with classes conducted all in Spanish, the academic rigor of this program was very high depending on the classes you may decide to take. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Rodney Vargas, the program director was the absolute best, and I could not ask for a more supportive director. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was wonderfully accommodating, and all over kind. |
| * Food: |
Food is very simple, healthy, and hearty. It is nothing super fancy and makes you feel good. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
If you take the initiative there are many oppurtunities to be a part of the local culture. For example I volunteered for an english class in my university, and I joined a dance academy. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Heredia is mostly safe, San Jose can be dangerous depending on the Zone. Get yourself a fanny pack and never ever carry your phone in your hand while walking. I was in a situation where I had my phone in my hand and someone ran up and grabbed it from my hand. Luckily he ended up dropping it, but it can be very dangerous. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
It was the best 4.5 months I spent and I would love to go back again. |
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) |
Costa Rica is very affordable compared to Massachusetts. If you don't buy any food or products you will be able to live on around or less than 5 dollars a week if you just are spending money on transportation. Busses are very affordable (around 50 cents for a single local ride) |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | around 20-30 dollars. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Take sunscreen, bug spray, perfume, and clothes with you. These tend to be overpriced and very expensive abroad. Clothes also tend to be expensive depending on the quality. Almost everything else is minimal cost. |
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 |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | High level literature classes. |
| 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? | Join a club, dance academy if you dance, band, or any extra cirriculars. I joined a dance class in my first month and that's when my spanish got better because I was speaking to all my new friends. Also, watch shows in spanish to incorporate hearing it all the time. |
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? |
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? | Don't be afraid to try and make mistakes with speaking a new language and making new friends. |
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! |
