Life Changing, I recommend everyone do this if given the chance. Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

There are so many different things that traveling brings to a persons educational experience, but I felt the professor in this class did an excellent job at furthering my educational experience so much beyond only the travel education part on this trip. The knowledge and information Dr. Armstrong is able to share with us throughout this trip is inspirational to say the least. I believe that traveling to and experiencing other cultures instead of just reading about them in books is life changing. And, that's exactly what I think about the educational experience of this class was to me. Life Changing.

On-site administration of your program

Everything in the Host Country was great. Very Accommodating. Dr. Armstrong, his contacts in Costa Rica, along with the SFASU Office of International Programs did a great job at setting up the travel, and I felt very safe on the whole trip.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I travel a lot, and the places we stayed are way nicer than I am used to. Very Nice, good locations, very safe….I can't say enough about how surprised I was every time we showed up to the new location and realized how nice the rooms were.

Gallo Pinto, Casados, Fresh, Different than what I eat in the U.S. The food in Costa Rica is so much better for you than anything you can get in The States. I loose ten pounds every time I go just because of how good the food is. No preservatives, less sugar, fresh, and delicious. It usually all comes at a good price.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Dr. Armstrong knows so much about the Tico Culture in Costa Rica that he was able to point out so many different things I probably wouldn't have noticed if I was just a tourist on vacation. We felt like the ticos were very welcoming and invited us into for a closer look at their culture. Some of us in the group want to move there and become part of that culture. That is how much we integrated into the society while we were there.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Thankfully, none of us had any medical issues while we were traveling abroad. But, we had everything well prepared if something were to happen.

Everywhere in Costa Rica we felt very safe. Our hotels usually had guards. We were always in groups. The people were so nice. We were aware of our surroundings, and every traveler should always be aware of what is going on around you. What you can do, and things you shouldn't. We were prepared and in the end everything worked out great.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Just like anywhere you travel, you can spend a lot of money, or you can spend a little money. On this trip, it was easy to stay under the budget. I could have spent way more money. But, I chose to stay under the budget. Way under the budget. So, If you don't think you have enough money for a trip like this then talk to the professor. They can recommend ways to cut down your budget.

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• Apartment
• Hotel

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• Americans

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• Americans

• The locations we traveled
• The quality of the professor teaching the class
• The group learning experience. We had some good people in this group.

• The size of the scholarship we get from the study abroad office.
• It could be longer. But, that would probably make it harder for some people to go.
• Nothing much!!

The Avid Adventurer