Experience of a Lifetime Past Review
By Sophia Steere (University of Louisville) - abroad from 05/12/2018 to 06/02/2018 with
Study Abroad Programs in Costa Rica
I gained the invaluable experiences of Spanish language immersion and living in another country. This program changed my outlook on life, and made me a more humble and positive person.
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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 syllabus did not match up well with the course for my specific course, but other students said that theirs did. I ended up just reviewing things I had learned in a previous class. However, I did like the class structure, the university, and the professor, so it was still a good experience overall! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program directors were amazing! They were so much fun, and were so organized for how much they have to do. They were positive people who were easy to reach out to. They made an already perfect trip to a beautiful country even better. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I had a great host family. The mom was an amazing cook and everyone in the family was so sweet. They made sure I was comfortable and liking the program every day. The house was not too far from the school, or from the bus stop. I also had other students living close to me so I never had to walk alone. |
| * Food: |
I am a vegetarian, so I know I can be hard to cook for. However, my "mama tica" made amazing food and I liked everything I was served except for empanadas haha! The only problem was that she served the same 4 or 5 foods the whole time, because she did not know a lot of foods without meat, so I was tired of the food by the end of the program. Other than that, it was great! |
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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? |
Personally, I had no problems with health. However, the directors were always checking up on us and asking us how we felt throughout the trip. They made it very clear that if something was wrong, we could tell them and they would help us get to the doctor. I really appreciated that, even though I never needed to see a doctor. |
| * Safety: |
I had no problems with safety nor did I ever feel unsafe. However, one girl in my program had her wallet stolen from her backpack. I would advise students to always be alert, to never walk alone, and to keep their valuables as close to them as possible. If you have to keep them in a purse, always make sure the purse is hanging in front of you and not behind you. If you have to carry a backpack, keep valuables in a zipped pocket that is against your back (so you can feel if its being opened). |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
It was the perfect amount of time, in the most beautiful country ever. I loved the program directors, the university, and the excursions so much! |
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) |
I brought $250 with me for 3 weeks abroad. I was able to make it work, however I wish I would have brought more. I skipped one tour and eating out with other students twice because I did not have the extra money to spend. There is lots of free time in the program, which is nice, but you need to make sure you have enough money to do activities and take advantage of your free time while abroad. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | approximately $80 a week |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Eat in as much as possible! It is the best way to experience the country's traditional food while saving money. |
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 class was completely in Spanish and my host family spoke no English. Most workers in stores and people on the street also speak no English. It was truly an immersion experience. The directors also encouraged us to speak to them in Spanish and to speak with other students in Spanish too. |
| 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? | SPAN305- grammar in the Spanish language |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Speak to the other students in Spanish!! I know it is easy to give in and speak in English, especially because it's the only time you hear it, but it really helps if you speak to everyone you can in Spanish. |
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? | 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 how much free time there was going to be so I could plan accordingly. I knew what days I had free, but I didn't realize how much time that would actually give me to do things. I think this should be stressed. |
