Costa Rica: Life without Worries Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Courseload varies incredibly. My tropical marine biology class was easy, while my middle eastern politics class required a paper the size of my undergrad thesis. All teachers were wonderful, native Costa Ricans, spoke English well (some of them spoke English VERY well). Grading was somewhere in between the American system and the European system. Where you won't have as many small tests or little assignments as you would generally in America, your entire grade isn't completely dependent on a midterm and a final, either. Attendance was part of my grade for all of my classes.

On-site administration of your program

The ISA office is one street over from the school - very convenient - with a really nice computer lab that's perfect for studying. Admins were incredible; very informative, helpful, natives who knew the area. ISA is a larger group, but you definitely still get individual attention.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Barrio Cordoba was good, close enough to the school, pequeno mundo (cosco type thing), pali, panaderia and a couple bars (but you should still bus/carpool/taxi at night). My host mom had been hosting students for 9 years, so she anticipated anything that i would need. The relationship was somewhere between extended family and guest - they will cater to you to an extent, just be respectful. She was an amazing cook. I lived with another ISA student in the house. We had separate rooms.

My mama tica's cooking was incredible. try the fruit, the pineapple and guyabana especially, gallo pinto, arroz con pollo.. there are some really good restaurants near the school on the road that goes up over the hill. also, you've gotta go to a panaderia (really cheap, really good, fresh bread and pastries) and a cevicheria.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The Costa Rican Caribbean is wonderful. So is Montezuma, on the Pacific side. (racked up a little bit in bus fare, though. haha) The program arranged trips to see some of the main tourist areas. The accommodations were really nice, which was an experience that I probably wouldn't have gotten otherwise. ISA also arranged trips to see some of the local attractions and museums. There's a really neat artisan market in San Jose.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The roads are ridiculous and J-walking is a science. Be careful, there was a girl who got hit by a taxi.... it happens, don't think that you're exempt. a few vaccines were needed, but malaria was only needed if you were planning to go to certain parts, or to Panama.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I had 7 years of Spanish before I went down, but the one-month intensive Spanish class that I took there (SPA 314) really helped me to learn the nuances of Costa Rican Spanish. Not too many people spoke English, including my host family. I practice Spanish at the Pali (supermarket), the panaderia (bread shop), dance clubs, bars, restaurants, bus stations. It was definitely nice knowing the host country language beforehand, but there were plenty of students who didn't, and they got along just fine.

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• Host Family

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• Americans