Costa Rica - an adventure to remember Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I absolutely adored all of my teachers (Laura, Ariana, Álvaro, and Liviette); they were so personable, and all created positive environments to help us learn. As far as the rigor, the classes are definitely a little easier than what most college students are used to. Minimal homework, lots of fun/silly group projects, interactive or project based finals, etc. The emphasis was more on interacting and practicing the language than rigorous written assignments. It works out well because you have plenty of time to enjoy exploring Costa Rica while you are there studying.

On-site administration of your program

Thanks to Janiva, administration of the program generally ran very smoothly. She is very organized and detail-oriented, so in our weekly meetings, she would inform us of everything we needed to know and facilitate sign-ups for various activities. She was very reachable by email if you had any questions.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I truly loved my host mom, or as I called her, my "mamatica." (Her name is Martha Mora). The moment we arrived (my roommate and I), she came running out the door to greet us with big hugs. She graciously welcomed us into her home and her life, and took such great care of us. I had lots of great conversations with her about her life, problems I was working through, etc. It helped me greatly with my spanish skills.

I was blessed with a mamatica who is a fabulous cook!! I enjoyed everything she put before me. It can be hard for pickier eaters, but the trick is to be open to trying everything. Expect rice and beans at least 2 times a day. A typical plate is called a "casado" and it includes: rice, beans, salad, a tortilla, some type of meat, fried plantains, and sometimes things like a fried egg or cheese. Generally they drink some sort of fruit-based drink instead of water with meals.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I was very blessed with lots of great local connections. I know not all students were as fortunate, just because they had different opportunities. I made a couple of local friends at our university, one of my friends in the program had host brothers from a previous trip who we hung out with a lot, and then I personally had another really cool opportunity - due to a connection I made prior to coming to Costa Rica, I got invited to a Christian Camp and I met dozens of local college students from all over Costa Rica. I kept in touch with several of them during the rest of my time abroad, and two of them even invited me to come stay with their family for the weekend. This significantly impacted my experience and allowed me to feel more in touch with local people and culture and have a more authentic experience of Costa Rica. It also really helped me improve my spanish.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did not have any personal experience with healthcare - I was sick for about a week, but I just waited it out and ended up not going to the doctor.

Nothing ever personally happened to me. However, everywhere you go, you are told it is not safe to walk around the streets at night. This is tricky, because the sun sets around 5:30 every day, so around 6 o clock, you feel the need to get a taxi or an uber to get around, which can be frustrating when you just need to go short distances. Sometimes it is safe to walk around in a pair or a group, but this can be difficult if you and your roommate do not make plans together and if you don't live near other students. I was often the only one from my neighborhood in my group of friends that would hang out, so it made it difficult for me to coordinate plans. There was an incident with my host brother - he was walking alone to the university in broad daylight around 7:50 am and someone assaulted him; they held a knife to his throat and made him surrender his cell phone. He was unharmed, but it was a very scary situation, and I had walked that same route to school only 10 minutes earlier. We were all a little shaken up after that, especially since it happened in broad daylight, so close to the university, even with construction workers around. You just need to be careful and observant, and never be on your phone while you are walking because that makes you a target, and a vulnerable one at that.

No program is perfect, but I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Costa Rica with SOL. I loved my teachers, the university was beautiful, my host mom was phenomenal, the excursions were so fun and memorable, I made lots of local friends, and I grew so much in my spanish.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Truly, I did not keep very good track. I was not adamant about sticking to a certain budget, but I did try to keep costs low and avoid unnecessary spending.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

We were always encouraged to use Spanish. Our director generally did not speak to us in english unless it was crucial we understood, and then she would usually speak in spanish and then translate her words into english for those who weren't as confident. When we were in buses headed to excursions, Janiva would always encourage us to practice spanish with our fellow students. During class time, only Spanish was spoken.

Select all that apply

• Host Family
• Hotel

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• Americans
• Host Family

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• Local Students
• Americans

• Teachers
• Host family experience
• Very cool excursions

• Longer excursions (2 nights instead of 1)
• More facilitated interaction with locals

The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer