Costa Rica: Speaking English and Getting Drunk With Americans. And The Occasional Australian. Past Review
By Colleen D (Psychology, University of Pittsburgh - Bradford) for
ISA Study Abroad in San José, Costa Rica
I made a few friends (Americans) that I sometimes still keep in touch with. I learned a lot about Texas, for some reason.
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. |
My courses were not at all challenging. It may have been different had I gone earlier in my language learning experience, but as it was I really didn't gain much from the courses. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My family was great. They provided everything, and were incredibly accommodating and nice. The neighborhood I lived in was nice enough, very accessible by buses, easy to get taxis. |
| * Food: |
Costa Rican food is great. My host mom was a fantastic cook. The school food was great. The only reason I didn't gain 800lbs was because I had an entire afternoon off to go to the gym. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The field trips (to Monteverde, Arenal, and Manuel Antonio) were fun and awesome. There weren't too many other special events, as I recall. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
San Jose isn't the safest of cities, but it was fine. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
My host family spoke to me exclusively in Spanish. No one else really did. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | If you go in the summer, most people are probably just doing it to get drunk with other Americans in another country. If you really want a cultural experience, go for a full semester or, even better, a full year, and go for a program where you'll be taking courses with non-study abroad people. Oh, and San Jose is not close to the beach. Somehow, my roommate didn't know that, and was very disappointed to find out she wasn't going to be spending 5 weeks sipping margaritas and working on her tan. |
