Costa Rica: Aprovechar: Take advantage Past Review
By Nicole D (Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education., Illinois State University) for
ISA Study Abroad in San José, Costa Rica
I feel like I've learned a lot and did a lot on my own. I appreciate the natural beauty so much more now. I feel like I can also connect to hispanic people better because now I understand another Latino country.
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. |
The learning atmosphere is a bit more laid back but the work load at can be a lot at times. The professors are more understanding and more patient in Costa Rica. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I think that overall the program was well organized. The staff was always working with the students and were very helpful. I do wish the program at my host school offered more cultural activities. I had some friends at the other university in San Jose and they seemed to get a lot more things offered to them such as: a weekly cooking class and dance class. I feel like they were more connected to their host school where as my group wasn't. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was treated like a family member in my host house. My family always made sure I was comfortable and were always helping me with my Spanish. I also liked were I live because across the street were 2 girls who were in my program. We all became so close! I also felt as though my neighborhood was safe and pretty quite. I really enjoyed my home stay. |
| * Food: |
LOVED the food in Costa Rica. I honestly never really had anything bad. Typical casados or arroz con pollo were the best because they were cheap and a lot of food would come with it. San Jose has a lot of food to offer, American and typical. Also, POPS is the place to get great ice cream, and if you just want something quick there are tons of bakeries. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
A friend and I did the pilgrimage to Cartago ( which was a 4hour walk from San Jose to Cartago). This was a great experience because we did what 1/3 of Costa Ricans do that day. Although tough, it was amazing to see everyone coming together for that walk. Also, the most beautiful part of Costa Rica is the natural beauty. I've seen so much amazing thing in the wild from: nesting turtles, tucans, the amazing red-eyed tree frog, and even monkeys. Enjoy the volcanos, the pure air of the cloud forests and the beautiful sunsets! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Use lots of bug spray and be aware of your surroundings. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Costa Rica isn't that cheap. It's about the same as the U.S. if not more sometimes. I think about $30-40 a week would be good for food and transportation. If you do weekend excursions I would say about $150-250 for the weekend ( that includes tours, hotels and transportation.) |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Extra tour costs. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | LAN244.15 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I practices with my host family, teacher, and classmates. Actually everyday I was using Spanish to order food, call for a taxi and even going to the movie theatre. I did find that a lot of people spoke English but I realized quickly that you get more respect and better service when you spoke in Spanish, which was great because the more Spanish I spoke the more I improved. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Costa Rica is place of beauty and adventure. You need to be willing to try new things and be assertive! Appreciate the natural beauty, take tons of pictures and just take advantage of where you are in that moment because it will pass you by so quickly. |
