Pura Vida Past Review
By A student (Missouri State University) - abroad from 06/03/2017 to 07/15/2017 with
Study Abroad Programs in Costa Rica
I gained language experiences, school credits, friends all over the U.S, and cultural awareness. It was worthwhile for sure.
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everybody loves our directors! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
close to school, great food, included in the family, etc. |
| * Food: |
I tried many things in San Jose and in my home. I only tried a few things I didn't like which was completely okay with my family. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Their culture was amazing to learn about and be in. Their food and dancing were the main things I loved |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I never had a problem with the health care but know friends that got the care and medicine they needed right away! |
| * Safety: |
Safety advice was always available. We were advised to not be in the cities or walking around alone after dark. However, I always went places with a group and never felt unsafe. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I would choose this program over and over again. I think as my language gets better and better, I will look into taking another trip where I can speak the language fully. |
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) |
The first three weeks were easy since it was included in the program costs. However, on your own, transportation and food will take a huge chunk of your money. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 100-? |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Eat as many meals as you can at your house! If you're going to be gone, plan ahead and know where your money is going to go. |
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 |
My host parents did not speak my language. However, when traveling many locals spoke English to us because of our looks. Also many locals want to speak English and even a couple asked why we would want to learn Spanish. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| 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? | High school spanish/ Elementary Spanish 101 |
| 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? | Chat with your family as much as possible. Mine really enjoyed trying to teach me new things constantly since I didn't know half of what they were saying to start with! |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | 0 |
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 more of the language so I could really immerse myself. Since I didn't know much, I had to use English to communicate many times. I also wish I researched the country more than I did. |
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! |
