Costa Rica Studying

It’s hard to dread the first day of school when the cities and towns of Costa Rica are your campus and exotic, tico restaurants are your meal plan. A growing number of students report that studying abroad is the highlight of their learning careers. If you’ve never studied abroad, you really don’t know what you’re missing—and if you have studied abroad, you do know what you’re missing. Either way, let’s go back to school!

Visa Information. Citizens of Canada, the UK, and the US do not need a visa for visits to Costa Rica that last less than 90 days; only a stamp, sticker, or insert in your passport specifying the purpose of your travel and the permitted duration of your stay are required. A passport valid for at least 30 days after date of entry and a pre-paid airline ticket to exit the country are required of all travelers. Carry a copy of your passport (the page with your photo on it and the page with the stamp) with you at all times. For short-term (one year or less) study or volunteer programs, permits are required. They require multiple forms of identification and letters from the accredited school, university, or program. For specific requirments, consult the Embassy of Costa Rica (www.costarica-embassy.org).

Study-abroad programs range from language and culture courses to university-level classes, often for college credit (it’s legit, Mom and Dad). In order to choose a program that best fits your needs, research as much as you can before making your decision—determine costs and duration as well as what kind of students participate in the program and what sorts of accommodations are provided. In Costa Rica, you could be taking classes and writing papers at a university or studying in the rainforest—the options are endless, so figure out what works for you. Back-to-school shopping was never this much fun.

In programs that have large groups of students who speak the same language, there is a trade-off. You may feel more comfortable in the community, but you will not have the same opportunity to practice a foreign language or to befriend other international students. For accommodations, dorm life provides a better opportunity to mingle with fellow students, but there is less of a chance to experience the local scene. If you live with a family, you could potentially build lifelong friendships with natives and experience day-to-day life in more depth, but you might also get stuck sharing a room with their pet iguana. Conditions can vary greatly from family to family.

Universities And Study Programs

Most university-level study-abroad programs are conducted in Spanish, although many programs offer classes in English as well as lower-level language courses. Savvy linguists may find it cheaper to enroll ...more

Language Schools

Enrolling at a language school has two major perks: a slightly less rigorous courseload and the ability to learn exactly what those kids in Puntarenas are calling you under their breath. There can be ...more