Pura Vida: Living life in Costa Rica on another level Past Review
By Helen K (Anthropology., University of California - Riverside) for
Study Abroad Programs in Costa Rica
Definitely something I've always wanted to do and very glad and grateful I took part in it.
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. |
Depending on the course, the workload was not too much or too little. It was at times challenging to do and understand, especially presentations but the overall experience was worth learning. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program was great, it was affordable, and the host family was very attentive. The classes did seem to be challenging at times, but it was not as difficult as my country's university. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The host family was great, very attentive, always helpful and caring. The host was amazing, it had everything to offer for one's comfort and home away from home. |
| * Food: |
I always enjoyed eating at home, my host mom made the best food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
All the trips the program had to offer were great, I wish there were more but either way they were fun. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I did not feel at all in a bad environment where I was scared or unsecured unless it was at night. |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | depending on what I would be doing that week, most of the time I ate at home with my family and spent my money traveling to other parts of the country. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | n/a |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | I was exempted from taking any language course because I passed the placement exam. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
The program improved my language in another level. As a native speaker growing up in the United States, I entered the public education system with Spanish background while learning English. English over compensated my Spanish ability, therefore going abroad to re-learn Spanish, helped me improve considerably on my reading, pronunciation, and writing. |
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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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? | Be prepare to explore and enjoy the program you are applying to. Do the research, save money, travel, and get to know others. |
