University Studies Abroad Consortium

Overall, I loved my time in Costa Rica. However, if I had the chance to do it over again, I would have probably picked a direct exchange program where I was more fully immersed in the culture/language, but there were many qualities of the USAC Heredia program that make it valuable especially for those who haven't traveled much or don't speak Spanish. Pros: The home stay!!! I loved my familia tica. The food was great, the house was always perfectly clean, and I got to go on trips with my host family. It was sad to leave and I'm still in touch with them! Opportunities to meet other local university students at UNA. Gustavo, the Spanish track IV professor, was INCREDIBLE. The bus system in Costa Rica is awesome and I got to travel almost every weekend Cons: Surrounded by other English speakers. -Classes are not very rigorous or challenging. -Not great for students who already speak Spanish conversationally. - Sometimes the program directors are a little disorganized. I'd love to see USAC allow students to enroll in classes directly at la UNA.

I chose Verona because it was a place I had never heard of before. As a Spanish speaker, my experience there was truly unique, I was able to communicate in Italian thanks to the shared Latin roots of our languages. I loved the friendships I made and the opportunity to fully immerse myself in an entirely different culture and country!

I absolutely loved my experience in Cork Ireland. The city generally felt very safe, and I feel that Ireland is a great jumping off point to go visit the rest of Europe. Flights and tickets in and out of Dublin to other countries are reasonable, making it easy to take weekend trips!