Smartest risk I ever took. Past Review
By Briana A (Hispanic and Latin American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General., University of Houston) - abroad from 06/23/2012 to 08/04/2012 with
Study Abroad Programs in Costa Rica
I learned to live in the moment and take more chances because once the moment is gone, it's gone forever. This was a life changing experience and I love how I can now take life by the horns and stop wasting SO MUCH time. I learned to quit worrying about other people's opinions and stop being so embarrassed about things that don't even matter in the long run. I am not afraid to be by myself and and I am no longer afraid to get up and do something alone. The second I started moving without looking back is the very second that my dreams became a reality. You will be SO surprised at the many different types of people you meet on your journey. Life is too short, so regret nothing, LOVE HARD and smile more. Your future will thank you.
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. |
Due to the fact that I am in senior level Spanish courses, I felt challenged enough to enjoy my coursework. I took two classes, culture and literature, with the same teacher who encouraged traditional learning methods. Some students did NOT like having homework everyday and either filed complaints or dropped out, but since I love a challenge, I just bit the bullet, did the work, and earned a 98 in the culture class. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The directors showed us around the country and were on-call in case of an emergency. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The first house seemed great in the beginning. Although it was far from the school (I had to take 2 buses to get to campus), the neighborhood was middle class and safe. I followed the rules set by the program, which included only carrying small amounts of cash on me as well as leaving the remaining cash, passports and valuables at the host family's residence. I came home from an excursion to find that all of my cash was stolen. It was NOT laying around- it was in a folder inside my duffle bag underneath my bed. After much commotion, I called the head director, Janiva, who did not take my complaint seriously, but after speaking with Jessenia (another director), I was moved to another house the very next day. The new house was less than a five-minute walk to the school and was a much more enjoyable host experience. |
| * Food: |
My second host mom ran a Soda out of the front of her house and she was always cooking. She seemed a bit frustrated with the fact that I do not eat red meat, but she would always ask me what I wanted to eat and tried her best to accommodate my wishes while making sure I was never hungry. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I was able to get along wonderfully with the people. The Ticos are very friendly and extremely sweet, if you allow them to be. You have to open your mouth and speak often in order to fully appreciate what they have to offer. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
At first glance, many places will appear VERY sketchy, but if you stay here long enough, you will eventually let go of the paranoia that we are conditioned to have as Americans. If you speak the language, be smart with your actions and belongings, try not to look like a deer in headlights when you travel, and you will be fine. I walked fast at night, and although they tell you to NEVER travel alone, at times it is unavoidable so you just have to keep your eyes open and stay alert and never idle with a bunch of money/ ipod/ camera hanging out of your pockets. I never got drunk and I always walked as if I knew where I was going (even when I wasn't sure). Common sense will take you far in this country. |
| 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) |
This one is tricky. How do you define fun? If you feel like you have to take exotic trips and stay in 4 star accommodations at all times while eating out at restaurants 3-4 times a week, you will need a LOT of cash here. I learned to live within my means when my money was stolen (because I do not have wealthy parents that can wire money), so I ate with my host family and stayed in cheap hostels on the weekends. I still had fun with little to no money, but I think I would have had less setbacks if I had around $200+ to spend each week since the majority of the things to do in this country are a bit expensive. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | Yes |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $120 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Be very careful with your cash and try to spend as little as possible during the week. Eating out, going to bars, taking TAXIS, going to the mall, and getting smoothies everyday will eat a huge chunk out of your money. I only went to the bar once, hardly ever ate out, but I still had to be careful and save for each weekend. I took the bus a lot, and frequently had to take a taxi which are expenses that you may underestimate. Clothing here cost TWICE as much as in the states, so keep that in mind while packing. Cost of living here is very high even though the country is poor and the exchange rate is low. |
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 |
The directors were very diligent when it came to enforcing the use of Spanish whenever possible, but due to the fact that 95% of the students who came with this program are beginner-intermediate level (big stress on beginner), I was surrounded by students who hardly tried to speak Spanish. If you are serious about improving your Spanish skills, befriend the locals- you won't regret it. :) |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| 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? | Spanish Linguistics |
| 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? | Get over yourself and talk to the locals. If you hang around with other Americans you WILL NOT speak Spanish and chances are, you will only learn a fraction of what you could potentially learn while talking with the Ticos. It's embarrassing to make mistakes, but the people hear are patient and eager to teach you. I split from the Americans and chose to hang around the locals (use common sense with strangers!) and it was the best decision I ever made. Every weekend I traveled to a different place (mostly beaches) and would befriend a Tico or sometimes an entire group of TIcos. They were the ones who taught me how to speak in a manner that is actually useful. What you learn in class is on a strictly academic level and that is not the language spoken in the streets. If you're lucky, your teacher might take a class day to discuss slang words, but trust me when I say the real learning experience is with the locals. Don't be scared, just smile and say Hola! |
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? | Clothing here is SUPER expensive. Trying to pack light was a good idea at the time, but I should have taken some of the things I chose to leave at home. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
