Study Abroad and Learn About Life Past Review
By A student (Oklahoma State University - Stillwater) - abroad from 05/14/2016 to 06/25/2016 with
Study Abroad Programs in Costa Rica
By studying abroad I greatly enhanced my Spanish, made life-long friends, learned about a completely different culture, sampled exotic foods, experienced things that I never had before, and acquired a new perspective of life. Through this adventure abroad, I came to realize that no matter where you go, people are still people. In other words, they may look different and speak a different language, but they possess all same feelings, fears, and desires that we do. To say this experience was worthwhile would be an understatement.
Review Photos
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. |
The instructors were extremely helpful and challenged me daily. The assignments were actually useful and they succeeded in keeping students engaged. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The Sol directors were all wonderful people. They were caring and all had their own unique personalities. More importantly, they were always there if I had any questions or concerns. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I cannot begin to express how much of an impact my host mom was on my entire experience in Costa Rica. She was incredibly kind, caring, and taught me a ton about the culture. In addition, I was very satisfied with my room and the house in general; it was beautiful, spacious, and kept very clean. It definitely felt like a home away from home. |
| * Food: |
Food is a crucial component of any culture. Thankfully, I found the food in Costa Rica to be exceptional. My host mom was an amazing cook and made all of her meals with love. Most of my diet was composed of fresh fruit, bread, rice, and beans. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Sol provided many cultural activities and excursions, such as dance class, cooking class, and city tours, which certainly helped me to learn about and experience the culture of Costa Rica. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Fortunately, I did not get sick during my time in Costa Rica. However, I had a friend that did and the directors took her to the doctor, got her medication, and made arrangements with her professor so she would not get behind. It appeared to me that the healthcare was about as efficient as it is in the U.S. In regards to prevalent health issues, there were cases of Zika during my time there, which is a virus transmitted by mosquitos. Mosquitos were undoubtedly problematic there, but the advisors, my host mother, and even commercials on the T.V. constantly reminded me to put on insect repellent, and so I did not have any issues. |
| * Safety: |
In general, I felt safe in Heredia, especially at home. Most homes in Costa Rica have tall fences, gates, locks, and alarm systems. However, it was always necessary to take taxis at night and I felt a little uneasy walking home if it was beginning to get dark. Moreover, there were many instances where local men would make cat-calls or infringe on my personal space when it was not wanted. Nevertheless, I do not believe Heredia is any less safe than cities in the United States. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Without a doubt, studying abroad through Sol Education Abroad was one of the best decisions I have made. The cultural activities, the instructors, the excursions, the housing, and the faculty were all incredible and the program was about as inexpensive as any study abroad program. I received more than I paid for, but at the end of the day, this experience was priceless. |
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) |
Almost all of the expenses are included in the total program cost. Transportation was extremely cheap, and food is provided by the host family. There were a few occasions where a meal was not included and had to be bought by the student, but the directors were great at informing us prior. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $30-$75 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Except for special occasions, avoid eating out with friends for dinner-it's expensive and you miss out on quality time with your host family. Also, refrain from buying souvenirs from the mall or other commercial stores-they are much cheaper and more unique at the local markets. |
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 and the faculty would constantly remind us to use Spanish and when we would ask a question in English, they often would respond in Spanish. Without a doubt, the program encouraged us frequently. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| 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? | Intermediate Spanish 1 |
| 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? | First and foremost: Try. It can be very intimidating to use a new language, especially with native speakers. However, had I not accepted the fact that errors are inevitable and just tried to speak, I am certain that I would not have made the progress I did. When travelling around with friends, be the one that tried to ask for directions. When working on an oral presentation for class, try to give it to your host family beforehand. Try to speak the language with your classmates out of the classroom, and try to get as much interaction with your host family as possible. You will be amazed by how much you will improve in the language. |
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? | I wish I knew that I would become incredibly attached to my host mom, the other students, and even my professors. Saying goodbye was undoubtedly the hardest part of the entire experience. |
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! |
