Living in Costa Rica

Enjoy Costa Rica

Studying abroad is always a challenging experience. You will find yourself examining your own assumptions and your own way of life frequently as you immerse yourself in a new and different culture and way of living.

To make the transition easier, remember not to wait for people around you to make the first move, but give yourself also the opportunity to reach out: buy a map of the city and become familiar with your own neighborhood, find out where the closest bank, post office, telephone, and grocery store are located. Your next step might be to familiarize yourself with some of the basic names and phrases which appear on signs, menus, etc. Once you become familiar with your surroundings and begin making friends, feelings of culture shock will subside.

Listen carefully to people and remember that they most likely are not making the same assumptions as you are. If you are not sure of what they mean: ASK.Talk to (new) friends or your program directors if you feel that you have problems coping with lifestyles and habits; try to look at your problems one at a time, and set out to solve them, one at a time.