Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Great experience with small group, great country Past Review

By (Marketing., Pembroke Pines Charter High School) - abroad from 07/07/2013 to 07/27/2013 with

Study Abroad Programs in Costa Rica

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
This was my first time travelling abroad by myself. I was very nervous but I had a good time and got to know everyone in the program because they only have a max of 25 students per session

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Spanish classes every morning; I was in the beginner's class with only three students including myself. Learned a lot without the stress. Teachers were nice.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Excellent organization. Every hour per day was planned in advance of the trip -- day and weekend excursions were fun.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Loved my host family -- they were friendly and food was excellent; shared small room with another student. Family had Wi-Fi which was nice.

* Food:

Host family's food was excellent and also restaurants in town were not far away. Be prepared to eat beans everyday though -- that is typical with your meal.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Excellent with host family and got to meet other host families; student group was only 25 (all Americans) so we got to know everyone. Wish we could have met more students from the area.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

n/a

* Safety:

Atenas is a small town and we felt safe. Often I would walk to another host family just a few houses down from my host family. We would walk to school and the stores during the day with no problems at all. Food was relatively cheap compared to U.S.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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)

4 = spent about $50 items per week on things like food outside of host family (e.g., weekend excursions or after class snack); maybe another $25 per week on things I just wanted to buy (like souvenirs, bag) but not really need. -- so about $75 per week.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $75 per week

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Spanish classes in morning and with host family

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? Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Spanish 3 at high school but could not speak language
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? Practice speaking whenever you can. You will feel silly but that's the best way to learn.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • small group of students
  • Spanish classes
  • field trips
* What could be improved?
  • more interaction with local students our age
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? can't think of any

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 Urbanite
A 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.