Phenomenal, rewarding life changing experience of a lifetime! Past Review
By Jacqueline Watkins (University of Arkansas - Little Rock) - abroad from 06/23/2018 to 07/14/2018 with
Study Abroad Programs in Costa Rica
There is nothing better than experiencing a culture different from your home. It allowed me to appreciate and value myself, family, and country that much more. I gained confidence speaking Spanish with others. I felt like this experience made me more fluent because I now volunteer at a local clinic as a medical interpreter, I’m a registered nurse so learning Spanish is just that much more helpful when it comes to breaking the communication barrier when encountered with Spanish speaking families. Other things I learned was not being so wasteful with food, water, lights etc..... family dynamics in Costa Rica is tight knit and families eat together and have discussions ... I’m getting better at this, they value family time , which is very important. I also learned not to stress over the small things ..... Pura Vida.....!
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. |
I learned a lot through this experience, my instructor made learning fun, and understandable. Although the class intensity wasn’t difficult it wasn’t easy either, there were challenges but by using different learning approaches oour teacher was able to use a variety of learning methods listed: audiovisuals,books, group work, oral presentation, videos, music. My favorite was group work, sometimes we played games... it was a win win .... (games +learning = fun) for me! Our instructor geared learning toward the individual person because she wanted everyone to be successful and benefit from learning how to speak another language. Our teacher was a great resource for questions but las very helpful giving additional things we could do to Improve like practice vocabulary, watch movies with Spanish spanish caption, you tube video and etc.... |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host stay was wonderful, I learned a lot, spoke lots of Spanish and my host mom and her son would always constructively correct my wording of statements , grammar, pronounciation whenever I was wrong. This helped me a lot. The food was amazing, and I thr house was very clean. My house my went above and beyond to ensure that I felt at home. The home was clean and I felt safe. |
| * Food: |
The food of course was not typical American food but for the most part it was really good. Rarely but maybe three time I ate American food! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There was a little cultural shock at first but I quickly adjusted to the culture, the people were very friendly and welcoming. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Whenever I was sick the program advisors assisted me, my house mom just like my real mom really did look out for me , she even went out of her way and cooked me chicken noodle soup, I felt special. There are local pharmacies everywhere for minor sicknesses, and a doctor worse case,the staff assisted with appointments, suggestions etc... |
| * Safety: |
Like in any country be careful and never get to comfortable in any country you visit! Be aware of your surroundings, if it doesn’t feel safe...trust your instincts because it’s probably not. I felt very safe in this country, nearly everywhere we looked there was officers. Our host family and advisors were very helpful ensuring that we were well informed on safe and unsafe places. I never felt uncomfortable or unsafe. They also supplied everyone with contact info in case of emergencies. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Because they cared, took the time to know everyone personally by name. When there was a problem,concern, worry, they were very prompt to address it. I remember getting very nervous, upset when I misunderstood the assignment and I could remember my professor saying Tranquila Jackie... (no worries), she assured me everything would be just fine and it was ! This is the kind of experience that i didn’t expect but i was surprised by how good the university staff, advisors, my host family ensuring me that everything would be ok when I found myself worrying! |
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) |
Our host family supplied us with three meals a day and additional snacks when needed. It was very easy to stay on a good budget 30-70 per week depending on additional stuff you like. Fruits were inexpensive and easy to get but being in a budget as a college student <50 dollars per week is achievable. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $70-130 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Anything saved would help especially for like cab fares... try saving 5-10 per week for this because fares can add up. We shared taxis a lot which helped. But if you know that you will be going abroad immediately start saving esp if you plan on doing additional things assigned from the planned organized excursions. |
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 spoke Spanish 85% of the time , this was very helpful. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| 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? | Beginner ll |
| 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? | Duolingo, study vocabulary, translate children’s books, practice with others who speak Spanish, watch Spanish you tube channels etc...., if you can afford a tutor get a tutor, I got one and she has helped me a lot . |
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? | Pack less clothing .... bring umbrella 🌂, |
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! |
