Amazing Summer Experience in Costa Rica Past Review
By Natalie S (University of Evansville) - abroad from 05/13/2017 to 06/24/2017 with
Study Abroad Programs in Costa Rica
I gained a lot more independence, even more than I got when I moved to college. Being "on your own" in a different culture requires you to step out of your comfort zone and figure things out a lot more than being "on your own" in your own culture does. It was totally worthwhile, and I made a lot of memories that I will never forget.
Review Photos
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. |
The professors were kind and helpful, and I learned a lot during my 6 weeks in Costa Rica. The classes challenged me but were totally doable. I never felt like my academic responsibilities were hampering my ability to go travel on the weekends or participate in the activities I wanted to. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
There was always at least one director on call if any issues came up, and they were good about communicating who that person was and how we could contact them. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host mom was great. Her house was cute, clean, and located in a secure neighborhood. |
| * Food: |
I don't feel like anyone really comes to Costa Rica to eat the food. That being said, I really enjoyed the fresh fruit, and I did enjoy many of the traditional foods that I tried. I found that I'm not a fan of Costa Rican sandwich combinations, but it was an interesting cultural experience regardless. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't have any issues, but I knew several people who had to go to the doctor for random things, and they all said it was easy. One of the directors went with them, so they didn't have to worry about any information getting lost in translation. I didn't get any vaccines specifically for this program, I just made sure I had what the CDC recommended for travel to Costa Rica. |
| * Safety: |
I felt very safe in Heredia. I followed the program's instructions and didn't walk places after dark, so I never had any problems. Taxis are easy to find and cheap, so I never had problems being stuck somewhere after dark. I would advise future students to be aware that some of the neighborhoods around bus terminals in San Jose aren't the best. Nothing happened, but there were a few places I wandered through in San Jose that I wouldn't choose to walk through again. It's just good to know what neighborhood you're walking through. |
| 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 is super dependent on the choices you make during weekend travel. The first three weeks, when my excursions were planned out for me and paid in advance, I had no trouble staying under my personal $100/week budget. However, when you're free to travel on your own, there's a lot more variation. If you're smart, a weekend at the beach doesn't have to cost much since the beach itself is free. My weekend in Monteverde, however, was A LOT more expensive because I made the choice to do lots of touristy activities. I also chose to go to an Ed Sheeran concert one week which broke my budget for that week. As I said, it's all about what you decide is worth spending money on and what isn't. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | As I said, so hard to say. The first 3 weeks: ~$70. The second 3 weeks ~$140 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Look for the deals. For example, on wednesdays at the mall across from campus there is two-for-one movie tickets. |
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 |
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| 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? | SPAN-316 |
| 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? | Force yourself to speak Spanish with the other American students even though it's easier to speak English. |
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? | It's all going to work out. There are kind people all over the world, and if you get lost, someone will help you. |
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! |
