best. summer. ever. Past Review
By A student (University of Kentucky) - abroad from 05/13/2017 to 06/24/2017 with
Study Abroad Programs in Costa Rica
I became conversational in Spanish, gained a ton of confidence and independence, and had a blast.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The Advanced I class provided good review, but the Literature class was way too much for just 3 weeks. We had to read a lot each night and the pages had small print and no footnotes/translations of any kind, so those of us who weren't already fluent or native speakers relied on google translate and online translations of the stories to get the gist of the stories. And even then, we didn't fully understand them. Unless you're nearly fluent or willing to devote your entire afternoon/evening to reading every day after class, don't take the literature class. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The on-site program directors are amazing. They truly cared about us and went out of their way to help in any way we needed. They gave great recommendations for where to go in our free time/weekends, how to get there, and just generally helped us navigate the country. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Living in a home with locals was truly one of the best parts about this program. My host parents and sister were amazing, and I could not have been more thankful for the way they made me feel loved and like part of their family. They helped a lot with questions I had, especially how to get to specific places (which buses to take, etc.) and where to go on free weekends. Plus mama tica cooked amazing food! |
| * Food: |
Loved it! We ate lots of fresh fruit, gallo pinto, and unique dishes I had never tried before. I would definitely recommend trying everything that is put in front of you. You might be surprised what you end up liking! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt very integrated. Living with a host family, taking classes with Costa Rican professors, and meeting the local students through intercambios and soccer matches were the best ways to immerse ourselves with the people. Not to mention the excursions, cultural activities, and exploring Heredia and San Jose! These helped us learn a ton about the culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I never had any problems while abroad- not even stomach issues. I went to the travel clinic at my university beforehand just in case and took pills for typhoid, but other than that I did not receive any medicine or vaccines and had no problems whatsoever. |
| * Safety: |
The city was relatively safe as long as you didn't walk alone at night, but just be aware of your surroundings- especially in San Jose. A couple of my friends were followed home once in Heredia, and one girl's backpack got stolen while we were eating at a busy McDonald's in San Jose. Just be careful and use common sense. Don't put your stuff where you can't see it at all times. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Sol is incredible. The directors and host families are amazing, the excursions are the best and so well-planned, the classes are helpful, and the experience as a whole is incomparable. I learned so much and had a ton of fun, and the support system Sol creates is wonderful. |
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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | about $100/week |
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? | 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? | 300-level |
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? | Practice your Spanish as much as possible and brush up on vocabulary before going! The learning curve was a bit tough at the beginning as I was expected to (at least try to) speak only in Spanish with my host family. But as long as you practice and try not get down on yourself about mistakes, you will improve!!! I knew Spanish but was not comfortable speaking AT ALL beforehand, but I left conversational. Practice, practice, practice. |
