A Truly Life-Changing Experience Past Review
By Kate Gabrielson (Homewood High School) - abroad from 06/11/2017 to 08/26/2017 with
Study Abroad Programs in Costa Rica
Obviously, I gained fluency in Spanish that I never would have developed in a high school Spanish class. I hope to do another Sol program next summer!
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. |
Because my level of Spanish was more advanced than most others, I found the curriculum lacked challenge and roughly mirrored what I had already learned in school; however, this wasn't the fault of the school. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program directors, Maria and Orlando, kept things organized while making sure everyone felt safe and comfortable. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was very kind and understanding; however, I would have liked if they had attempted to make us feel more like part of the family. We never ate with them or did anything outside the house. |
| * Food: |
I particularly liked the fruit, and the best meals I had were our snacks in between classes at the Spanish school. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt we had enough free time to thoroughly explore the town of Atenas, and at one point we were assigned to interview adults around the town and get their perspectives. This truly made me feel immersed in the culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Personally, I never had medical problems that needed to be addressed by a doctor or program director. |
| * Safety: |
During the day, the city was perfectly safe, and I even felt somewhat comfortable walking at night, so long as I was with a large group. I would highly recommend never walking alone in Atenas. |
| 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) |
My program only lasted two weeks, but I found myself spending about $100 a week; however, I personally am not very good at saving money, so this was most likely my fault. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Try and refrain from buying the first cute souvenirs you see; wait until the end of your program, because you're guaranteed to find something better at some point during your trip. |
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 |
We were encouraged to use Spanish in all aspects of life except when we talked to other American students. Personally, I loved having a break from Spanish every once in a while, because while my Spanish improved immensely, it can get tiring speaking it 24/7. |
| 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? | Spanish 3 |
| 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? | This may sound cliche, but you will NEVER improve your Spanish unless you're speaking it! Don't be afraid to mess up, I promise your host family won't judge you! |
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? |
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? | In the packing list, it said that Costa Ricans typically dress more formally, so I only packed one pair of shorts; however, all the other American students on my trip wore informal, athletic clothing... long story short, I ended up wearing the same pair of shorts multiple times! |
