I would live in Costa Rica for a while. Past Review
By Jadiana Perez (Northland Pioneer College) - abroad from 05/23/2018 to 06/23/2018 with
Modern Language Studies Abroad / MLSA: Study in Costa Rica at Universidad de Costa Rica
I learned how to better speak a foreign language, and I gained lifelong friends! It was definitely worthwhile, and I am thinking about doing the program again next summer.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I loved my instructor, Carol. She was so personable and kind, and she truly wanted the best for me and my fellow classmates. We still keep in touch. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
My host family was INCREDIBLE! I would 10/10 recommend my family to anyone who was going to Costa Rica for the program. I call my host mom often and stay in touch with her son, who I consider my brother. I thank God I was blessed with such an amazing family to stay with. I was also very pleased with my roommate, her and I are still super close. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Living arrangements were top notch. |
| * Food: |
I came home and made dinner for my family with a recipe my host mom told me about. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I loved Costa Rican Culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I was lucky enough to not come in to contact with healthcare problems in CR, everything I needed was over the counter and simple to access, with assistance from a worker. I did not need any vaccinations before or after my trip. |
| * Safety: |
I was, unfortunately, robbed at gunpoint while I was in Costa Rica, however, it was my own fault for walking home instead of grabbing an Uber. Everyone made me feel very safe and sound after the incident, and it did not discolor my experience after the fact. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
MLSA became like a family to me. I was unlike most people and didn't know anyone who was going on the trip. I eventually met someone who went to the same school as me, but the other people I met from all over the US are definitely going to be friends for life. After my friend and I were robbed at gunpoint, my whole group of friends came over to my house and consoled Scott and me, and after that, we were inseparable. We all talk to each other at least once a week. |
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) |
I knew I was going on this trip, so I saved enough money to be able to have fun on this trip. unfortunately, after I was robbed I no longer had a debit card, so my mom had to cancel all my cards and she sent money (via Zelle) to a good friend I made in the program, who was kind enough to take the money out of his account for me. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Considering I only spent about $5-7 dollars (US) for lunch everyday & about $10-12 dollars (US) for snacks, weekly, I probably spent near $50-75 dollars (US) on food & snacks. w. other goodies, such as souvenirs, I probably spent about $25-35 dollars on souvenirs a week. So all together, at the most, $125 dollars a week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | SAVE IN ADVANCE!! AND MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT CARRY YOUR DEBIT CARD WITH YOU IN CASE OF A RARE OCCURANCE. GO TO THE BANK WEEKLY AND PULL OUT WHAT YOU THINK YOU WILL NEED IF YOU NEED MORE YOU CAN ALWAYS GO BACK. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
I spoke Spanish ALL the time while I was in CR and still speak it frequently. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | High School Spanish II |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Don't be afraid to use the language. The more mistakes you make, the quicker you will learn. Ask your instructors questions, because they are all sooooo kind and willing to help. It's so much fun to be able to communicate with strangers without feeling like there is a barrier between you two. Also, your host family most likely is willing to help with your homework and projects. If you and the friends you make on the trip speak in Spanish together, it makes it much easier to get used to constantly using the language. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
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? | It rains a LOT in Costa Rica. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
