CIEE College Study Abroad in Monteverde, Costa Rica

I had considered studying abroad for a while when I finally chose this program. You know, been to study abroad fairs and such, and they all seemed awesome. This program stood out because of the amount of field-based learning and intensive biology. So upon arriving I was excited for the adventure that surely awaited me, what I wasn't ready for was to leave with a whole new outlook on life, new confidence, new friends, and a vast amount of new skills and abilities - and I had fun while gaining all those priceless things. The educational experience provided by this program is unparalleled. Lessons in the field combined with classroom learning and lab-type scenarios, including multiple group and individual research projects, create an extraordinary learning experience. The staff of this program create a totally unique atmosphere that encourages questions and learning above grades and standards. Not only were staff helpful with program-related questions or issues but they were some of the best advisors I had ever met. Much better than anyone I'd talked to at my home institution. I came away more educated, more driven, and more confident. I now know what I want to do and how to get there, and I am confident that this program has change my life drastically for the better.

This program really exceeded my expectations. The total of four weeks of travel around the country allowed us to see some really cool places, camp, hike, snorkel, and learn about a variety of ecosystems. Learning is really hands on and includes lectures (usually outdoors or on hikes), group projects, mini-research projects, etc. While living at the station in Monteverde, there are some more traditional classes, but also time to explore the forest and town, take Spanish classes once a week, and go on field trips for the humans in the tropics class. The last month involves living with a homestay family and conducting an independent research project, which is a really unique opportunity and super helpful for anyone wanting to do science in the future. The program is a small group of people (students and staff) who you spend nearly 24/7 with so you get to know everybody very well, which some people really like and some people do not. Compared to other study abroad programs, you will probably learn a lot more, work a lot more, and have considerably less free time. While you don't have weekends free to travel on your own, etc. you get to go to so many different places in the country (plus a week in Panama) and do a ton of fun activities while the classes are going on, so this was a positive thing for most people. You learn as much Spanish as you put into it. Classes are in english and you are spending most of your time with other americans, but if you really want to learn, there is plenty of opportunity and the homestay gives you that chance. If you don't really like learning about ecology, nature, biology, etc. this program is probably not for you, though some people came into the program from non-ecology majors and discovered that they really enjoyed learning something different and loved all the outdoor activities. All in all, I learned more during my semester in Costa Rica than in any semester back home, met some great friends, and had a lot of fun.

The beauty of this program is the diversity of ways in which the curriculum is taught to you. I would say that the entire program is split up into three different parts. The reason this worked so well was that it allowed people to gain information in different ways and seeing as everyone learns differently it has something to offer to anyone who might go.

The three parts were split up into field trips, normal classroom setting, and independent research. There is over four weeks of field trip throughout the program which allows for real hand on learning out in nature. Personally I found this very helpful because I am a very hands on visual learner. Actually hiking through a primary forest and talking about a tree that is right in front of you is much different than sitting in a classroom looking at a picture of it. The classroom setting portion allowed us to talk much more in depth about what we had already seen on the field trips and also learn valuable scientific skills such as reading manuscripts, and working with stats. The last portion, individual research, seemed to be the most unique portion of the program. While I know of many other programs that require their students to do research, I felt that CIEE, in particular, had their students go much more in depth than is usual. For starters, it is a month long portion of your overall studies which allows for real results to be recorded. The professors are helping you every step of the way by advising you in choosing a topic, writing research proposals, setting up trials, and finally writing a finished research paper as if it were to be published. Seeing as it is out of the ordinary for undergraduate students to have research experience this is something that can really help to set you apart in the future.

Overall this is a great program and I would recommend it to anyone that is passionate about ecology and is also ready to be challenged to progress their scientific knowledge at a faster rate than they ever have before.

I chose this program because academic advisors assured me that it would be fun, more intellectually challenging and research-focused than other ecology programs. The faculty and TAs are absolutely wonderful people who are fun, supportive, and have created a program which as physically and mentally exhausting as it is rewarding. I was never that outdoorsy, so a program with this much time in the bush was way outside of my comfort zone. I had the time of my life, met lifelong friends, and know more about plant identification than I likely will ever need to as a microbiologist. I have pushed many friends to considering this program because I really don't think it gets much better than Alan, Johel, and Kathy. Pura vida!

If you're into nature, science, biology, the outdoors, or any of the above, I really can't recommend this program too strongly. Spending a semester in one of the most beautiful places in the world with a group of friends (none of whom I knew before the arriving) who share my passion for the natural world was a defining piece of my college experience, and a decision that I am incredibly glad I made.

The whole staff is great--they all know their stuff when it comes to science, but they're also genuinely awesome people to lead you around Costa Rica and be your friends for 3-4 months. The program they have arranged is set up perfectly, with plenty of time spent in beautiful Monteverde, enough to make it feel like a real home, but also enough travel time on the field trips to really explore the country (and Panama, one of my favorite parts of the trip). The workload can be a lot, and is probably more than most study abroad programs require, but the lessons add to the experience, and I walked away feeling like I learned a huge amount about where I was, and biology in general. And how many abroad programs have you take on an independent research project, which may have the potential to be published? One minor criticism might be that since the workload was concentrated in the Monteverde sections (not that I would want to have been working on the field trips), some of us felt like we didn't have as much time as we might have to fully explore the town and the surrounding cloud forest.

There are a million stories I could tell from the trip, from scaling waterfalls and swimming amidst bioluminescent waves, to getting way too close to eyelash vipers and bullet ants for the perfect photo, and partying with friends at Monteverde's very own Bar Amigos. But the most valuable thing I can say is that if you're considering this program, apply today and make your own stories!

My semester abroad in Costa Rica with the amazing staff of the TEC program was so great! I loved the wide range of activities we did, it felt like we fit an entire year into one semester. We got to travel around the whole country and see almost all of the highlights. We also stayed in homestay for a month and got to conduct our own research -- CIEE really had everything I was looking for in a study abroad program.

As an interactive learner, one of my favorite things was having class in the forest. It was really cool to talk about the different species of plants and animals when they were right there. Most of the lectures were like this, we spent very little time in a traditional classroom.

My favorite part of the program was homestay. It was so fun to live with a familia tica and get to know the culture and customs. Two years later, I am still talking to my host family every couple weeks.

The program was very rigorous while still worthwhile. It allowed us to experience and learn about things that are incredibly rare in the United States. The staff were incredibly supportive while still giving us room to learn and develop on our own in a country that in without equal in terms of environmental beauty and sustainability. The program allowed us learn about the connection between humans and the environment so that we could add that to our educations back home.