Most Amazing Experience Ever! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

It was very hands on and interactive which is what I liked most about it. Topics in class were relevant to present day and were relevant to what we learned. Participating in class was what helped the learning process and made the experience more fun.

On-site administration of your program

The on-site administration was superb. We had questions they had answers. If they didn't have answers they would find people with the answers. Another thing I liked was if we were interested in internships or volunteer experiences they would do whatever they could to help us get there. Overall they were understanding and extremely helpful.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I do not regret a single thing about home stay. Every meal was delicious, I learned a lot about culture and every day life of the people and I improved my Spanish by a lot. I learned a lot about myself as a person and about everyone I lived with in the house. The family was very accommodating, genuinely friendly and nice, as well as patient.

Food was absolutely delicious, of course being a picky eater some foods cannot be helped but I can't say I didn't broaden my tastes by a lot. I went out there and tried everything that I was offered and if I didn't like it I didn't like it but more often than not I found myself enjoying the food. Of course this is more of a personal preference as to what food you like and don't like so of course it cannot be a perfect five stars unless you love everything there is to eat out there. In short what I did like it was made to be super delicious.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Home stay helped the integration by a lot. Although we didn't have classes with students who are native to Costa Rica we did have opportunities to meet with students and talk to them through the Tico Friend Program where the student teaches us their culture and their language and vice versus. Not only that but we were in a town where it was rare that people knew English so it encouraged us to use our Spanish and enjoy the culture like the weekly farmers markets and experiencing stores and restaurants like the Chocolateria. Integrating was fun since not only did we live with a host family who knew little English but we also had our independence which allowed us to explore the country not as a tourist but as everyone else. For example learning and using the buses and taxis versus hiring someone to take you to all the touristy locations.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I'm not sure how the healthcare was because I never had any severe health issues but the ones who did said it was good. It is easily accessible from my understanding and the administration is very quick to respond and is helpful but again I don't know much about it.

Personally I did not encounter any hazardous issues, but I will say this, treat any place like your home. If your out late expect that something can happen it would be no different walking late at night in a big city back in the U.S. Smaller things like sun and insects, I went without the recommended vaccinations or malaria pills but that is not recommended. Yes I did not contract any weird diseases but still, definitely get vaccinations and take pills. Always wear bug spray! I wore it religiously, even though most locations did not have a lot of mosquitos, noticeably less than back in the U.S where I am from but they still exist and still like all mosquitos carry diseases. Also suntan lotion is a must because burns are brutal. Not that I experienced it but I have witnessed it and it wasn't pretty. Again I didn't experience anything hazardous but the potential that something can happen exists. Wildlife is another thing, if you aren't used to dangerous wild life then just be cautious. Don't freak out and panic but just read up on it a little as to what spiders and ants are deadly to snakes. Pit vipers were around but we rarely saw them and if you go into the forests you should be with a guide who will tell you what to look out for. Always go with a guide! Even if you think you know everything the guides there will tell you proper precautions to take. Rainy season isn't so bad but expect roads to flood and just take precautions when traveling during heavy rain storms.

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

Home stay makes living all the cheaper because your three meals are covered and your room and board is covered at the beginning of the trip. So unless you need money for souvenirs or snacks you really don't need to carry a lot. If you do want food, food is extremely cheap with the exception of chocolate and junk food, so basically healthy food is cheap luxury food is not. Clothes and computers are also pricey and if you go to tourist traps everything is expensive. Things you need on the other hand are cheap like healthy foods. I never really needed much so I didn't spend much if at all. I did do a week of travel which wasn't too expensive since we stayed in hostels which were anywhere from $10 to $15 a night and buses for the most part were cheap as well and could take you to most of the country. Taxis are expensive unless they use the meter and you aren't going far. Movie theaters were also noticeably cheap.

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

Home stay we were encouraged all the time and amongst the people in the town but in the school English was spoken.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Americans

• Hands on classes
• The People
• The Food

• More language learning opportunities
• More organized activities with local students
• More awareness of events in local towns

The Academic or Linguist