"It felt like it was now or never – and I have never regretted going!"

– After high school, I spent a year at a folk high school, and the plan thereafter was actually to start studying.

I couldn't quite settle with the thought of starting my studies, going into work, and then beginning the typical adult life. I felt that I needed to experience something more first.

– A friend had been to Costa Rica with Kulturstudier, and was very satisfied. Since I wanted to travel, make new friends, and learn Spanish, I thought I just had to take the plunge too. It felt like it was now or never – and I haven't regretted a second!

As a Spanish student in Costa Rica, you live in San Isidro, a relatively small town located inland. The town is large enough for you to explore the downtown area and participate in various activities, but small enough that it's possible to get to know the local community during the 16 weeks of the study program.

– Everyday life in Costa Rica was mostly quite calm, but very nice.

After class, most people did their own thing. We often swam in the river, went to cafes, or browsed through second-hand stores (there are many of these in the city).

I thought there were many nice places to jog in our college town, San Isidro, and occasionally went to the gym. In the evenings, we often had dinner together in the shared house, played board games, worked on our studies, or just talked and had a good time!

Spanish studies are offered at various levels. We have options for you if you are a beginner, as well as for those who have a basic understanding of Spanish and are looking for challenges suitable for them, at what we call level 1 or level 2.

– I had taken Spanish 3 in high school, and took level 1 Spanish in Costa Rica.

I felt that I learned a lot of new things and was challenged, while at the same time I had some prior knowledge. What I liked the most was that I had to apply the knowledge I learned in my studies to everyday life, especially during the periods when I lived with a host family.

It made me see the value in what we were learning at university.

During the semester, you can explore the rest of Costa Rica and Central America. Kulturstudier organizes various excursions, but you are also free to plan your own trips with fellow students or others you get to know during the study period:

– I was in Costa Rica for 16 weeks, and I went on trips for 13 of them!

• Studentliv, fritid og reise

We traveled to several places within the country, but also to Nicaragua and Mexico. If I were to offer some specific advice, it would be these:

• Join the excursions organized by Kulturstudier! A lot of fun happened here! I can assure you that it leads to many good memories and friendships!
• If you travel to the typical tourist spots off-season, accommodation and activities will be cheaper. If you travel during the high season, there will be much more life in the city, and more options for nightlife, food, and activities will be available. Choose based on what's most important to you!

• We traveled to Mexico during the celebration of Día de Muertos.
  I went with some friends from university to Mérida, and it's really recommendable if you want to experience an authentic celebration! It can also be combined with a trip to Chichen Itza, one of the seven wonders of the world.
• Toward the end of the semester, a small group of us went to Nicaragua for a week.
  Here we chose to live the life of backpackers, following a typical backpacker route through several popular places like Ometepe and San Juan del Sur. If you enjoy traveling, I would really recommend going on such a trip, either during or after your stay!