Amazing Experience! Definitely Recommend Past Review
By Jessica R (Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno) - abroad from 05/20/2016 to 07/29/2016 with
USAC Costa Rica: San Ramón - Life Sciences, Spanish Language, and Culture
I became much more independent and bettered my Spanish skills as well since I had to speak the language day in and day out.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Not as difficult as my current classes at my university, however, they were still informative and fun; since the class sizes are small, it is very easy to ask questions and have discussions with your classmates/professor. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
On-site staff was very helpful; whenever you were having a problem with something -- from your housing arrangements to finding information regarding travelling on the weekends -- they will always help you out. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I am a somewhat quiet and shy individual so I was very nervous to be living with a host family that primarily spoke Spanish; however, I felt pretty at home and my host family kept to themselves due to how they noticed that I enjoy my alone time and exploring the city. |
| * Food: |
The meals that my host mother cooked for me were absolutely amazing -- Chile relleno and gallo pinto are my absolute favorites and I honestly miss eating rice and beans everyday (a very common side-dish in Costa Rica). |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
My friends and I would go and hang out at the park with locals as well as hit the restaurants as well as the bars within the area pretty often. Every Wednesday, a lot of tico teenagers would gather in the park to play sports, hang out, or play instruments, so I'd often find myself there with my friends. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't have any health issues or concerns while I was there personally, however, I knew some people who did and the administration and their host families worked very well with the student and took good care of them in regards to medical care. |
| * Safety: |
I felt very safe in my little city even while I was walking home at night -- the sun sets around 6 pm everyday year-round due to the country's proximity with the equator, so keep that in mind! |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
San Ramon, Costa Rica was the perfect destination for me and my interests. I absolutely love the biodiversity there, the language and culture, as well as the friendly people there. |
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) |
Everything is relatively cheap; even transportation. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $30-$40? - it really depended on whether I was travelling away from my host family that weekend (thus hostels and food for the weekend as well as transportation), so if I were to not travel, I could easily spend under $25 each week. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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? | When asking for directions, Ticos are more likely to give you an answer than say "I don't know;" thus, these answers will not always be accurate or correct. The pipes are not very good in Costa Rica, thus, it is common to not flush toilet paper. Rice and beans are a daily food item. Many streets are one way and the drivers are crazy so be careful crossing the streets. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
