Costa Rica: The Rich Coast Helped Me Discover the Meaning of a Rich Life Past Review

By Aubry M (Spanish, University of Tulsa) for

ISA Study Abroad in San José, Costa Rica

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

Absolutely! The negative 1 star is only because the country is expensive. I had to be pretty stingy to stay at $147 per week. The experience was very helpful in my language acquisition, and did not change but reinforced my future plans.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	I loved how much I learned while maintaining free time to explore the country. My class with ticos professor was particularly helpful to me with scheduling and communication challenges that I encountered.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I was comfortable with my family, I always felt safe during daylight in my neighborhood, was optimally located close to the school and hangouts. I had to buy soaps, but nothing else. I felt treated as a family member by my family, but we did not participate in a lot of activities together.
* Food:	Food was so wonderful at home, though extra fridge space was very limited. Las Lenitas Mexican restaurant on the corner by the bus stop north of veritas is delicious. There's a cafe with 1800 colones casados just across from the bank, to the east and across the highway from Las Lenitas- I don't remember the name but there was a V in it. I may have been Vista or Villa something.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	I particularly enjoyed the excursions at the beginning of the trip, since it gave all the students a chance to get to know each other before having to explore the city/country independently.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	Don't go out alone or take a taxi alone at night, but always take a taxi at night. Kepp valuables, esp. electronics, hidden and guarded while in public.
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
Language acquisition improvement?	I practiced Spanish with friends, host family, ISA staff and everyone at my school. I used it everyday, and though many people could speak English, we spoke in Spanish anyways.
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?