Tips for those who are going to study in Costa Rica

What should you do before you travel, what should you bring with you, and what should you carry your things in? Here are some of the things I, and others on the course, wish we knew before we left.

The first thing you do is apply for the program and pay the deposit, but what happens after that?

It somewhat depends on when you apply. If there's a long time until the start of studies, you can just relax, but if it's getting close, it's wise to figure out where you can get vaccinations.

That is indeed the first tip, and perhaps one of the most important! You must have certain vaccinations to enter Costa Rica, and some of them should ideally be taken in several doses with a couple of weeks in between. It's very convenient to check which vaccinations are required on this website: Costa Rica - Fit for Travel.

I recommend checking yourself before going to the vaccine office to make sure you get all the vaccines you want to have. The yellow fever vaccine is not necessary when traveling from Norway to Costa Rica, but it will be if you plan to travel around Latin America during or after your studies. It can be difficult to obtain a yellow fever vaccine in Costa Rica.

After you've gotten your vaccines, all that's left is to look forward to the trip, and suddenly it's time to think about packing.

My first tip is to pack in something that you can carry yourself. I packed in a bag when I came here, thinking it would be easier to move around.

Unfortunately, I am not strong enough to walk very far with a 20 kilo heavy bag on my back, and therefore it was not so practical after all. It might also be wise to consider whether one wishes to travel after their studies or not.

If you wish to travel afterwards, a backpack can be practical, but there's also nothing stopping you from backpacking with a suitcase. Choose something you can manage.

So, onto what should go inside the suitcase or bag. Here are some of the things that I and those I live with think are important.

PS: You can find a more complete packing list on Kulturstudier's Instagram profile.

It's very convenient to have a power bank with you! Sometimes the power goes out, maybe you don't have an outlet by the bed, and the phone battery gets worse in the heat.

Costa Rica uses different electrical outlets than in Scandinavia, so you need an adapter. I recommend bringing two, so you can charge two things at the same time. Many people have adapters of the same type, so it's smart to put a sticker or a piece of tape on yours to recognize it and avoid losing it.

Otherwise, it's fun to have a small speaker, camera, and earbuds or headset. How much one uses a laptop at school varies, for my part, I have almost only used it for the sustainability subject we have in addition to Spanish.

In this subject, one writes a lot of text and also creates a presentation, so a laptop or tablet with a keyboard is necessary.

Most weekdays consist of going to school, and for that, it's good to have a backpack or bag. A regular tote bag takes up little space in the suitcase and works great.

Otherwise, it's smart to wear airy everyday clothes that you feel good in. I recommend a tank top, as it's warm here! For going out in the evenings, it might be fun to have a pair of jeans, and a small bag for your phone and wallet.

From shoes we concluded that the ideal was:

• A pair of sneakers
• A pair of sneakers that you can also use for walking
• A pair of Birkenstock or similar sandals
• Flip-flops for hostel showers and beach days
• A Turkish bath can be practical, and I have gotten a lot of use out of mine, but I probably could have managed without it.

It's a good idea to bring some warm clothes for the evening. One cozy sweatshirt, one thin wool sweater, and one fleece sweater are more than enough, and make sure to be prepared if you plan to go on a trip. The weather in Costa Rica changes quickly, and having a thin rain jacket and an umbrella is incredibly handy.

Other general tips include bringing socks that you can easily recognize!

Where I live we do laundry communally, and finding your own white ankle socks isn't always easy. We wash clothes in cold water here, so stains don't always come out. White clothes are wonderful in the heat, but they get dirty, so I recommend leaving white garments you're fond of at home.

Beauty products are quite expensive here, and bringing them from home is a smart way to ensure some extra space in your luggage on the way back.

It's especially important to remember sunscreen, anti-itch cream, mosquito repellent, and aftersun. Tampons are also difficult to find in most stores here, so bring them if you use them.

In the end, here's a small collection of things that might be nice to have.

Packing cubes make it much easier to organize your suitcase, and laundry bags make it easier to collect your own clothes in a communal wash.

When sharing a room, it can be nice to have both earplugs and a sleep mask available so that you can get your hours of beauty sleep.

I recommend choosing a carry-on for the plane that you can also use for weekend trips while you're here, for me this was a small backpack.

Last but not least, I recommend bringing something typically Norwegian that you're fond of – for those moments when you miss a little taste of Norway.

In the Spanish studies program, everyone lives with a host family for five weeks, and something incredibly cozy that several of the students did was to bring something from home to give to their host family as a small gift.

After four months down here in the warmth, it's both sad and a bit wonderful to look forward to the date of the return trip.

My bag is considerably heavier than when I arrived. There are many great thrift stores here in San Isidro, and it's fun to have room for a small souvenir when traveling.

So my last piece of advice is not to pack your suitcase to the brim when you travel!

To future students: Good luck with both traveling and packing!