Costa Rica Changed My Life! Past Review
By Heather Y (Middle School Education, Eastern Kentucky University) for
KIIS: Costa Rica - Experience Costa Rica, Summer Program
I learned about myself and about the world outside of the US. It was an amazing experience and I am interested in returning to study or teach. I've been able to incorporate my time there into real world connections in Middle School Social Studies' lesson plans.
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. |
This was an amazing trip and the comparative education course (and all other courses) were very flexible. We were able to see the country from more of a native's perspective at the Universidad. We were able to see the major differences in the education systems in the various schools we visited. One truly significant difference is the attitude of the students and parents in Costa and the US. Costa Ricans (Ticos) truly seemed to see the value of going to school. One example is that some students had to walk many miles to school before they met up and charted out a privately owned bus to take them there. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The Universidad and the KIIS professors were all extremely flexible and wanted to help us to the the most out of the experience. They helped to provide limited internet, pool access, and invited us to their school's anniversary celebration. It was really nice of them to include us. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The dorm was a real experience! So many bugs! I would recommend telling any future students to NOT let dogs into the dorm due to fleas. The campus was fenced in with security guards. I felt very safe on campus. There was an incident where money was stolen from our dorm, but the incident was swiftly dealt with and extra security added. We stopped at a grocery store before going to the dorm and it is highly recommended to buy snack and breakfast foods for the weekends! |
| * Food: |
HappyLand is AWESOME! Definitely get accustomed to gallo pinto. The food is very fresh and wonderful. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I took the opportunity to skip a waterfall hike in favor of going to a local church. It was definitely something I don't regret doing. It was eye-opening to see the Catholic service. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The only safety incident was the fault of a student for going into town and an inappropriate time by himself. The professors dealt with the issue and the rest of the trip had no other major safety issues. The healthcare was accessible but a translator is definitely necessary. The program's insurance would have covered my meds if I had sent in the claim. Unfortunately, I lost my receipt and didn't send in the claim. They weren't very expensive anyway. |
| 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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Language
| 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 did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | While the country is "safe", it would be wise to follow safety advice and stay with your group!! Also- the bugs are big and there are a lot of them. Watch out for the ants, especially at night outside! |
