I now have the travel bug. Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The teachers in Costa Rica were awesome, and the class sizes were very small so there was a lot of one-on-one time. The only problem I had was the decision of my second class, when I was expecting to move up but we took classes with other students who were still at the beginner level, and so our advancement was compromised because the teacher had to compensate for them.

On-site administration of your program

The staff for excursions was awesome, everyone was very helpful. The only issues I had were that all the volunteer opportunities listed on the website, such as volunteering with the sea-turtles, were not actually available, and the staff made one poor decision with class placement.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My Host family was amazing, and perfectly matched for my roommate and I (whom I'd never met before!) Now we are still friends and we stay in contact.

My host mom makes the best food. I was happy not eating out all the time, and was excited for every meal that she cooked with the secret ingredient- amor.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Very well integrated, especially living with the host family. We got to do our own thing on the 3 weekends after the excursions with the program, and they showed us enough to be able to actually go out and meet Ticos. We were also there during the World Cup, which was amazing. The players were literally national heroes, and we celebrated in the streets with the whole country!

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I actually fell and scraped my knee pretty badly the first day I was there. The directors immediately took me to the clinic,which was very affordable and helpful. After that I saw the school nurse every day, and she cleaned up any infections and made it a lot better.

It is very safe, but just like when traveling in Los Angeles, you need to be smart. Securtiy at the school is very good however, so you can feel safe there.

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

$100 a week got me souvenirs and a lot of travels. Just be prepared for adventures and hostels, but the hostels are actually very safe, clean, and many feed you breakfast.

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

Costa Rica has a very tourist-based economy, and therefore there are many people who speak english as well as Spanish. I encourage you to try to speak Spanish with people before letting them know that yo speak English, that way you are challenged and do not spend most of your time speaking English.

Select all that apply

• Host Family

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• Americans

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• Americans

• My Host Family
• The National Pride
• Speaking and applying spanish

• The placement of students in classes
• The availability of the volunteer opportunities listed online.
• communication with students after the first 3 weeks

The Avid Adventurer