Food is very reasonable in Heredia but in Monteverde and Flamingo it is a little pricey since they are tourist spots. If your on a tight budget like I was then definately eat at the host family's home as much as possible. (1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)ĭo you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? * Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget? If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Try to stick with a buddy, don't roam around after dark just go to your destination, use offical taxis, don't carry your offical documents instead carry copies, don't bring anything you aren't afraid of losing, and trust your instincts. I realize that everywhere even in the United States that bad things happen and so I tried to stick to the advice I would give to people visiting the United States. I loved learning to surf and the sailing/snorkeling tour was great. In Flamingo the tours mainly consist of activities to have fun at the beach or in the ocean. In Monteverde there are many exciting tours like ziplining, waterfall rappeling, and rafting but also there are many places to visit to learn about the flora and fauna of Costa Rica. There is a weekly market tour which is fun and helps you to familiarize yourself with the surrounding area if you want to use the buses to go other places. There I strongly recommend the Cafe Brit tour which is not only informative about how the coffee plantations work but also very hilarious. The best campus for cultural excursions is in Heredia. How integrated did you feel with the local culture?Īt each campus they have multiple excursions that are generally reasonably priced and always fun. Vegetables are expensive and so they don't eat them everyday. The food was typical costarican food, such as beans, rice, platanos, fruit, potato soup, and some meat. The host families are usually too generous with their portions since you are a guest but it shows how kind they are. You will have a much better time if you don't ignore these kinds of misunderstandings and your will learn a lot, too. Yes, things were very different than in the United States but I welcomed the opportunity to experience life from a different stand point and I strongly recommend that if a misunderstanding happens between you and your family (like you say your allergic to wheat and then your family only serves you fruit) ask for advice from your instructor at school or try writing out what you want to talk about so that both of you understand. I did not need to buy anything to stay with my host family, just needed to bring my clothes and toiletries. It is really helpful to return from school and be able to practice what you learned and to practice simple living situations like asking for the salt or what is going on in that crazy television program.
Most of them are very welcoming and very kind. I stayed with three different host families since I wanted to experience all three campuses and overall I strongly recommend staying with a host family. How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? And they work very hard to have easily available excursions that help you to experience the culture and history of Costa Rica. Their program is well coordinated between campuses so changing campuses does not interrupt your progress.
Online they answer any all questions quickly and clearly and in person they are welcoming and easily available if you need help or have more questions. I believe that it would be possible to learn this much Spanish in the United States but the class set up would have to change because only by practicing every day for a couple of hours at a time was I able to really soak up all the information being given to me.ĬPI is a very well organized institution that is very responsive to the students needs.
By the end of 6 weeks, since I had prior experience with Spanish, I would say that I'm close to mid-way fluent now. At CPI I was able to learn to listen/think/speak in Spanish but of course everything takes time. I had taken classes but only learned to read/write which in no way expanded my ability to listen/think/speak in Spanish and that is the real goal. Learning Spanish at CPI catapulted my understanding of Spanish by a 100 fold. I loved the conversation class after the morning classes because it allowed me to really use the concepts I had been learning in the morning. CPI provides booklets that lead the student easily from beginning concepts to more complicated speaking. How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?Īcademic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.
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