An enriching student experience

This semester, classes are held mainly at Brasa’s Grill, a two-minute walk from the hotel where we are staying.

We are also served three meals a week here (except when we are on excursions), consisting of delicious Costa Rican dishes. A wonderful source of motivation during the school week!

School days with classes can sometimes be a bit demanding. There is quite a lot of material to cover, but the subject matter itself is incredibly interesting to learn about!

And we've already been on two excursions: one to Manuel Antonio National Park and one to Jacó for an academic field trip.

In Manuel Antonio National Park, we walked around the park and encountered several unique animals.

A capuchin monkey bounded over to us, colorful land crabs enjoyed the mud in their little community, and a sloth lay fast asleep a few meters above our heads.

In Jacó, we conducted fieldwork. There, we met an organization called “Guardianes del Mar Jacó,” which worked to preserve the sea turtle population along the beach.

The organization has created nests for the eggs laid by the turtles so that they can help as many as possible survive.

We also got a tour of the forest next to the beach, where we were visited by a six-month-old coati!

Throughout the program, we combine coursework with fieldwork, allowing us to gain a deeper understanding of conditions in the natural environment.

As a reward for long school days, we fortunately get a long weekend with time to explore.

Last weekend, some of us went to Santa Teresa, where we spent our days surfing and swimming and enjoyed atmospheric evenings. This weekend, we're on a trip to Nicaragua, where we're going to slide down a volcano!

There are lots of exciting things happening all around Costa Rica. September 15 was Día de la Independencia, the day commemorating independence from Spain in 1821.

In the streets, there was a parade featuring marching bands, dancing, and singing. The children were dressed in colorful clothes, with glitter in their hair and big smiles on their faces. It reminded us all of Norway’s Constitution Day celebrations on May 17—only in a slightly warmer climate under the blazing sun.

We are eight hours behind those back home. This makes it difficult to call home all the time. Still, making a phone call home has become part of the morning routine for most of us.

Time has flown by so far, as every single day has been packed with new experiences. So far, I’d give studying in Costa Rica a perfect 6 out of 6!