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For those who’re excited by a mix of full of life Latin tradition, lovely pure landscapes, and ample educational {and professional} alternatives, Costa Rica is likely to be the proper examine overseas program vacation spot for you. AIFS Overseas provides quite a few examine and intern overseas packages in San José, the nation’s capital. Learning or interning overseas on this Latin American capital metropolis means that you can earn credit score in the direction of your diploma and construct your resumé, all whilst you reside like a neighborhood and immerse your self within the welcoming tradition. On the weekends, you possibly can spend your free time exploring the nation—visiting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, mountain climbing up volcanoes for spectacular views, or getting down to the jungle looking for distinctive wildlife. Need to study what it’s really prefer to examine overseas in Costa Rica?
Hear from three school college students who studied overseas in Costa Rica with AIFS Overseas!
Mary: Spring in San José
Do you know that you just don’t have to attend till you’re an upperclassman to check overseas? Many underclassmen examine overseas with AIFS Overseas yearly. Mary, a biology main and public and world well being minor from Wayne State School, studied overseas in Costa Rica through the spring semester of her sophomore 12 months.
Mary selected to reside in a homestay in Costa Rica; beneath, she shares a few of the advantages of this immersive housing possibility:
“I’m residing with a number household so I get all of my breakfast and dinners offered for me… I’ve beloved the whole lot my host mother makes, and I really like gallo pinto (a conventional Costa Rican breakfast dish). The recent fruit right here can be superb!… I completely love residing with a number household—I can confidently say it’s my favourite half about being overseas. My host mother and pa are so candy, and I’ve simply realized a lot about Spanish and the tradition that I’d not have the ability to with out them.”
Mary not solely cherished her time together with her host household, however she additionally deeply appreciated the help of the on-site AIFS Overseas workers in San José:
“I really like the Costa Rica Program Director, Karla! She’s so useful with the whole lot and all the time there for us! … The AIFS workplace… is only a tremendous shut stroll from campus—simply a few minutes. And it’s an amazing place the place you possibly can hang around with mates [and] try the cultural actions AIFS has; I work on homework, typically I eat lunch right here, you possibly can speak with the superb workers, and it’s only a very nice, protected area to have.”
For anybody excited by studying Spanish overseas, Costa Rica is an outstanding alternative. Whereas AIFS Overseas doesn’t require you to talk or study Spanish for a lot of of our packages, we do provide Spanish programs, together with intensive Spanish packages at a few of our program locations, which Mary describes beneath:
“I’m doing an prolonged semester, which is 16 weeks as a substitute of 12 weeks for the common semester. The final month, I will likely be taking an additional Spanish course after the common semester when college students go dwelling… I didn’t know very a lot Spanish earlier than I obtained right here. I had taken courses in highschool, however I had forgotten rather a lot, so I used to be a bit nervous. Nonetheless, I took an intensive Spanish course the primary month, which helped a ton, and I’ve realized a lot from residing with a number household. You undoubtedly don’t must be fluent [in Spanish] to check in Costa Rica, and also you study very quick!”
Mary took three different courses along with her Spanish Intensive programs. To sum up her class expertise in San José, she mentioned the next:
“I actually take pleasure in all of my courses and love the best way my professors genuinely care about college students’ studying!”
Jolina: Summer time in San José
Meet Jolina, a nursing pupil and FEA Recipient Grant awardee from California State College, Chico, who did a summer time examine overseas program in San José.
As a nursing pupil who’s obsessed with overcoming language boundaries within the U.S., selecting to check overseas in Costa Rica was a straightforward choice for Jolina. Along with being a Spanish-speaking nation, Costa Rica is famend for its wonderful healthcare system. Beneath, she explains her choice in additional element:
“I’ve labored at hospitals [in the U.S.] the place there may be restricted entry to translation companies, and I’ve seen how language boundaries pose vital challenges in healthcare. Sufferers might battle to precisely describe their signs or perceive their prognosis and therapy. You will need to ship equitable and culturally delicate care to all sufferers, whatever the language they communicate. I got here to Costa Rica with the intention of studying medical Spanish and bettering my earlier data of Spanish.”
Native Costa Ricans, referred to as “Ticos,” are recognized for being welcoming and prioritizing their well-being. Beneath, Jolina describes how studying about their tradition positively formed her outlook on life:
“Ticos prioritize the ‘pura vida’ way of life, which means they reside a ‘pure life.’ The ‘pura vida’ lifestyle focuses on discovering stability and residing modestly. It additionally entails sturdy connections with mates, household, and the group. Along with the ‘pura vida’ mindset, Ticos observe a nutritious diet, an lively way of life, and stress-reduction practices. This was attention-grabbing to study, and I adopted this cultural perspective whereas right here. It’s superb how the Ticos prioritize a balanced, optimistic mindset.”
In Costa Rica, private well-being and environmental well-being go hand-in-hand, making it a really perfect location for anybody excited by fields associated to public well being or conservation. Beneath, Jolina explains some sustainable practices she and different AIFS Overseas members adopted in Costa Rica:
“Town itself was extremely walkable, which made it simple to scale back my carbon footprint. My college was only a 15-minute stroll away, and the closest grocery retailer was conveniently positioned across the nook, making it easy to reside an eco-friendly way of life with out the necessity for a automobile. I discovered myself strolling in every single place, whether or not it was for errands, meals, or exploring town, which not solely helped me keep lively but additionally aligned with the nation’s emphasis on sustainability. Once we did want to make use of transportation via the AIFS program, we made certain to prioritize sustainable choices. For instance, we used buses for our excursions, which helped reduce our environmental influence. Public transportation is a good way to scale back reliance on vehicles, and I appreciated how this system inspired us to participate on this sustainable observe.”
Marie: Fall Examine + Internship in San José
Marie from the College of Wisconsin-Whitewater did a Examine + Internship program in San José through the fall semester. A Examine + Internship is a singular program that mixes a conventional examine overseas expertise with a part-time internship. This permits college students to take courses and earn credit towards their diploma whereas gaining worthwhile skilled expertise. Hear Marie clarify the educational aspect of her program:
“I’ve taken 4 courses in whole right here whereas interning. I took Spanish my first month right here—I’m doing the prolonged semester, so I completed that up in September… I’m additionally taking Artistic Management Expertise, Worldwide Advertising Administration, in addition to Local weather Change. They’ve all been tremendous attention-grabbing; there’s such a wide selection of courses, and I’ve completely beloved them. We’ve went on discipline journeys for many of them as nicely.
In in the present day’s interconnected world, employers often search for candidates with cross-cultural communication abilities—a talent you’ll recurrently observe should you intern overseas in Costa Rica. Beneath, Marie explains her part-time advertising and marketing internship in San José in additional element:
“I’m additionally interning with the worldwide advertising and marketing division [at a university here], I do this 30 hours every week. It’s been actually rewarding… I’m often engaged on the social media accounts in addition to fixing up any of the promotions within the college… I actually take pleasure in it. [My] supervisors are superb. I additionally get the chance to assist with greater occasions… in addition to a lot of the welcome actions. I additionally get an enormous function in planning… all of these issues, so it’s been tremendous enjoyable. Another internships listed below are for marine biology analysis, enterprise journey company, wildlife monitoring and conservation, human rights, social work, and first college. So many various choices… I actually, really take pleasure in it…”
Beneath, Marie explains why she selected this Examine + Internship program in San José:
“I’m only a normal advertising and marketing main, however with the Spanish minor, I’m hoping to journey [for work] sooner or later. Getting the hands-on expertise has actually benefitted me and added to my total expertise.”
Hear Marie describe a few of her favourite issues about Costa Rica:
“My favourite issues about Costa Rica are undoubtedly the locations I’ve gotten to see and the way I’ve really gotten to know extra about their tradition. The locations [I’ve visited] have been completely attractive, the temperature is all the time tremendous good, too… I’ve beloved making an attempt out snorkeling and ziplining; these are two issues I’ve by no means executed earlier than this. I actually can’t say there’s something I’d change about my expertise…”
Uncover all Costa Rica has to supply—examine overseas in San José with AIFS Overseas like these school college students did!
AIFS Overseas provides a spread of examine and intern overseas packages in Costa Rica, every tailor-made to fulfill particular educational, private, {and professional} preferences. Costa Rica provides distinctive alternatives to immerse your self in its unmatched magnificence, colourful Latin tradition, and welcoming communities. Wherever you examine overseas, go together with AIFS Overseas and reap the benefits of our worthwhile program inclusions (which actually take the stress out of planning!), resembling housing, journeys and excursions, social and cultural actions, 24/7 emergency help, complete insurance coverage, and the help of our trusted on-site workers.
