Costa Rica: ¡Pura Vida! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

In general every aspect of the school was less intense than SUNY Geneseo. The workload was much lighter. Students handed in work inconsistent with MLA style even when teachers asked for it specifically, and didn't face consequences. Many classes featured discussions that were not structured but jumped from topic to topic (and anecdotes) in an unorganized manner that made it extremely difficult to follow (especially in Spanish). (I am filling this out before receiving final grades, but so far the grades seem fair).

On-site administration of your program

-Program size of PIE = Perfect (glad to be separate from ISEP or USAC) - Some staff was wonderful and very helpful (Paula) others were competent but we had trouble trusting that things would be accomplished when she said (Laura). Orientation week was informative but some information was unnecessary and some was lacking (e.g. did not need to go to the police station, would have liked a better tour of the town with bus stops, post office, etc.) Considering I had heard the program was unorganized my expectations were met or perhaps exceeded. I felt that the staff did care about my well-being and adjustment to the country. I sometimes felt like they were withholding information (not maliciously) so as not to overwhelm us, or maybe because they thought we couldn't handle it. For example, it would have been very helpful to receive soemthing along the lines of "You will be going on one overnight trip, a day trip in march, a final reunion at the end of the semester. Plan accordingly."

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

- The housing situation was mostly wonderful. - The neighborhood of Santo Domingo felt very safe - The house I lived in was beautiful, and very clean. The food was good. - The host family treated me as a guest and I never felt quite like a member of the family. Although I asked they didn't correct my spanish.

My family was very receptive to my food preferences. They usually fed way too much.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

- Orientation at Sarapiquí was fun. Tour of San Jose was fun. - I enjoyed learning about religion during Semana Santa, eating the traditional foods, watching the programs on tv, etc. - Most of the social experiences happened outside of the program. I'm not sure how to remedy this issue, but most exchange students only hang out with other English speakers, and speak only english so they are not taking advantage of the country.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Heredia is pretty safe, but I wouldn't walk around alone at night. San Jose is dangerous and I tried not to go there. One student was robbed at her front door, so always be aware of your surroundings and guard your bags. I didn't have a need for health services. I needed a typhoid vaccine before coming, and I opted not to do the Malaria pills.

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

I practiced Spanish in classes, with *some* of my fellow exchange students, local students, and my family. Yes I absolutely had to use the language everyday. Some people spoke english (it's mandatory in schools) but not at a really good conversational level so when speaking with natives it was always in Spanish.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Local Students