Gabrielle C Doue, Spring 2018 Participant
My favorite part of this program was probably living with a Costa Rican family, because this allowed me to fully immerse myself in their culture, as well as be constantly surrounded by Spanish without simply sitting in a classroom. These people welcomed me with open arms, and I had the unique opportunity to experience a culture different than my own in a very personal and exciting way. I had friends from other exchange programs that did not live with families, and while their experiences were certainly enriching and exciting, they did mention to me many times that by living with a true Tico family, I had a greater opportunity to fully experience the Costa Rican lifestyle - and I definitely agree!
Cyan Skye Sanders, Early Start Fall 2017 Participant
Language learning stalls at a certain part in your studies and it is at this point that immersion in that culture and language are the only things that will help you. Costa Rica is a better program than the others because the UCR is an amazing University and the host families and directors are unlike any others.
Spring 2018 Participant
The most rewarding aspect of this program was that there were many times when we couldn't control the circumstances and we had to be flexible and patient.