WAYRA WAS AWESOME AND AMAZING! Past Review

By (University of Utah) - abroad from 10/30/2017 to 11/03/2017 with

WAYRA Instituto de Español: Playa Tamarindo - Learn Spanish in Costa Rica

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I made improvements in my Spanish. Very worthwhile. I also learned how to Surf!

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.

I took 20 hours of conversational Spanish and an extra 3 hours of medical Spanish. The overall experience was 5 out of 5! From my initial inquiry to leaving the program everything went well. The staff communicated clearly. They placed me in the appropriate level to learn. They had fun interactive lessons. They had fun activities for the students (soccer on the beach during sunset was my favorite). Overall it was a tremendous experience I would highly recommend to anyone interested in learning Spanish in Costa Rica. Just note, there are a lot of bugs in Tamarindo!

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Again, excellent staff who communicated well with you.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I stayed in arrangements I made on my own in Tamarindo.

* Food:

The cafeteria at the school made exceptional food.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

No health issues needed.

* Safety:

Tamarindo felt safe. There are people who walk around and offer you drugs but never in a threatening manner. You just have to be aware of your surroundings and I feel confident you will do well.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

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)

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

Everything was done in Spanish.

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? Direct Enrollment

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Hotel
  • Hostel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • N/A
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Location
  • Staff
  • Activities in Tamarindo
* What could be improved?
  • Nothing
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? How amazing the program was. There wasn't a lot of info online about WAYRA and I am so glad I chose them.