CEA CAPA Education Abroad in San José, Costa Rica

I was able to study Medical Spanish in San Jose, Costa Rica. This vibrant city is full of a rich history and a vibrant people. I was able to stay with a host family that treated me like one of their own. As a result of staying with them, my Spanish skills increase tremendously in just the first week of my stay. Throughout the program, we went on tours of the city, coffee plants, and museums. I was also able to explore with friends, which resulted in traveling to nearby beaches and tasting different foods at restaurants.

I had such an incredible time in Costa Rica and most of that experience was truly made by CEA CAPA. Beyond the classes I took and people I met, most of my favorite experiences were the excursions that CEA CAPA planned for us; we went to Manuel Antonio and toured the national park, swam in the waters of La Fortuna waterfall after a fodo tour in the Montevrde Cloud Forest, and more. Overall my time abroad was truly incredible and I am so thankful for CEA CAPA and what they did for their students!!

Studying abroad in Costa Rica has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life! Throughout my time there, I felt genuinely cared for and supported. The program provided me with a dependable community that was always ready to assist. Whenever I needed support, the onsite team, Maggie and Yeison, were incredibly responsive, whether it was arranging weekend getaways, helping with class changes, finding volunteer opportunities, or navigating Costa Rica. Travel within the country was affordable, and the culture, with its embrace of the "pura vida" lifestyle, offered amazing hospitality and warmth.

I really enjoyed my experience with CEA CAPA in San José! The classes were great and the professors were very knowledgeable and kind. I also enjoyed that the classes didn't have exams and used presentations and other assignments instead. The onsite staff was so helpful and I had a lot of fun on the field trips and during activities we had with them. My host family was also very kind and it was nice being able to walk to my university but there was a bus service that was easy to take. San José also was the perfect weather for me! I really enjoyed my time there!

One of the things that my family was really concerned about was safety, health, and what academics are like abroad. As soon as my plane landed, Yeison, one of the on-site representatives was waiting for me when I got there so I felt safe because I didn't have to take transportation by myself in a foreign country to get to my host home. It was nice that there was a security guard in addition to the Veritas university security on the lookout for me when I was walking to and from campus. The CEA representatives were always very helpful whenever I needed any help or assistance especially during the time when I had mesenteric adenitis. I was hesitant to go to the hospital especially because I have never went to the hospital on my own before, but Yeison came and waited in the waiting room until I was done. He helped me communicate with the hospital staff too because there was a language barrier and a misunderstanding with the traveler's insurance. So, in the end he was able to lessen my bill to $100 rather than $800.

I thought it was really helpful that CEA familiarized with getting us a walking and bus tour of San Jose which is the place that we were going to be living in for the 4 months I was there. The CEA staff also familiarized us with the culture and told us a few things to watch out for in the presentation they had for us.

It was also easy to ask for help in planning our own weekend excursions because Yeison has experience in tourism so he was able to recommend us places and how to get there and what activities are recommended for me to do there. They also had CEA excursions which were always nice to go on and planned out thoroughly. I liked the excursion to Panama because of the island hopping tour and we were able to see a lot of Costa Rica's wildlife.

For academics, I really liked the classes that I was taking there, and I think it was very convenient because it was a maximum of 15 minutes walking. I thought the learning style was really helpful since it was more discussions, presentations, projects, and hands-on learning rather than quizzes and exams. I also liked that the teachers who worked at the university were very interactive and passionate, which made me even more compelled and inspired to learn. It was a lot more of a close relationship between the teachers and students due to the small classroom sizes and I liked how participation was very much emphasized and from this I learned a lot more. The university we went to was quite small and locals would go to our school so it was a cool experience to be to talk to them (a lot of them spoke pretty good english).

I had a wonderful experience with CEA CAPA in the program in San Jose. I was there from September 30th-December 22, and had so many opportunities to experience the culture and environment of beautiful Costa Rica. I took classes that were integral in my experience, including Spanish, and marine biology and ecology. These classes taught me all of the interesting things about the natural spaces in the country, as well as how to communicate with locals, leading to a very meaningful educational experience. I stayed with a wonderful mama Tica, and went on many fun and related trips to my classes as well as just for fun and to explore. The program helped me a lot in the planning and execution of this trip, and I am so glad I went as I feel like it was a positive formative experience.

Costa Rica was a magical experience because it was what I needed to see beyond my academic practices. Of course, teachers taught their classes to their liking, but they always incorporated student's perspectives. Many group projects and research opportunities were undertaken to comprehend Costa Rica's biodiversity fully. Ticos (Costa Ricans) have a famous saying: "Pura Vida," which translates to pure life (living a healthy lifestyle), is used as a greeting, and is a way of life. As an American, I wanted to embody their way of life and tried letting loose by exploring and being receptive. With a heart full of joy and gratitude, I can say that Costa Rica has taught me to be a well-balanced scholar and explorer by having time to create core memories outside of class. I was given enough work to enjoy each class and still go out. Going out with my friends made me realize that I yearn for more moments to be an individual away from my scholarly duties. Life is about balance, and I found it in CR because I enjoyed the company and loved what the country had to offer.

I studied away in Costa Rica during Fall 2023. The CEA CAPA team members made me feel supported the entire time I was abroad. Whether I needed help with choosing a weekend getaway or going to the hospital, the program directors were extremely helpful and friendly. I chose Costa Rica because of their health sciences program. Renowned for its universal healthcare system, Costa Rica was the best choice to learn about affordable care. Furthermore, I took classes such as Medical Spanish and Costa Rican healthcare, which will definitely help me as a future healthcare provider.