29 reviews
4.37 / 5 based on 29 reviews
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Jeffrey C
Student life
Describe host city:
Students equally interact with the local and student community
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Travel, Nightlife: Takes place mostly outside the university/student environment
Activities: Takes place both within and outside of the university/student environment
Personal social experience
Personal comments
San Pedro(a great street with loads of bars)Fofoes (near UNA, SPELLING MAY BE INCORRECT)Azzura cafe (near central park) El Bulevar bar.
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Jeffrey C
Housing
Type of housing: Apartment/House
Arranged by: Independently - My choice
If returning, I would choose: Apartment/House
Why?
Mainly Privacy....and also a common complaint from living with a host family was noise.
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Personal comments
I was very lucky and got a house to myself with the help of the program staff.
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Jeffrey C
Expenses
Main source of funding:
Government assistance
Other sources of funding:
Personal savings
Work opportunities:
I didn't explore any work options
Personal spending habits
I travelled every weekend, at home I usually stay home.
Telephone is cheap and I don't make international calls I use email.
I did't go out to much, but the drinks are much cheaper here.
Rent is much cheaper in general here
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Travel:
was more expensive than at home.
Overall, Food:
was the same price as at home.
Housing, Nightlife, Telephone:
was less expensive than at home.
Accessibility of student needs
Second-hand household items
Personal comments
I had expected CR to be very cheap to live but with food I found it cheaper to eat in small resturants than to go to the supermarket.
Also to travel, I found in some areas it to be very expensive.
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Jeffrey C
Languages
Language of instruction: English
Local language was: Different than language of instruction
Was learning English a key decision factor?
No, it wasn't.
Was learning the local language a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my the local language
How much did you improve your the local language?
My level before: Did not speak it
My level after: Everyday knowledge (shopping, directions, etc.)
Language difficulties
Administrative / Institutional
Personal comments
I found it quite difficult to meet Ticos
(costa ricans) They especially at the Uni were very uninterested in talking to a gringo. Even the students studing English!!!!!They seem to be worried about being emmbarrased.....I have made a few good friends but it has taken a long time and has not been easy....
I have travelled to more than 20 countries and have never had to try so hard. My spanish has suffered because Ticos tend not to ask more than is nessasary. I was living in a small town and I found that the people who talked to me were Ticos who had recently moved there....They were outsiders too.
Nicaraguans were almost always ready to chat (They are outsiders too)
I like the Ticos but they were not very interested in me, or many of the other students.
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Jeffrey C
Overall
I wish I had known...
JUST WISH I HAD MORE MONEY.
tHere are things I want to experiance but dont have the resourses to do them.
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In my opinion:
I loved it but I'm not sure everybody would.
Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important
Personal recommendation
Most students come to study spanish.
I found that in this program it depends on the teacher if the quailty of the course will be high. I was lucky.
I enjoyed my time and my Spanish is much better but if you have a choice chosse you teacher carefully.
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During my experience abroad, I ...
(1) Never – (4) A lot
Became familiar with another culture
Met people from other countries
Experienced a change in life
Advanced my studies & career
Final comments
Curu is a cool place. Uvita. Cauita.
Females should be prepared for the latin males.
Crime aganist tourists is rife in CR.
DO NOT walk at night in SAN JOSE.
And always try to take you bags inside the bus.
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Jeffrey C
Academic
My academic experiences
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with international students
Interaction with local students
Personal comments
Organize a meeting with local students who are studing english very early in the course....This was done very late in the course.
Also the texts arrived late and were the wrong books....so we had to photocopy the text and use them through out the semester....very bad quality.Thankfully my teacher was excellent and we worked around the problems
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My opinion of the university assessment
Exams throughout the course
Essays and/or projects at the end of course
Essays and/or projects throughout the course
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