Costa Rica: Heredia - Spanish Language, Ecological, and Latin American Studies

Spending a semester in Heredia, Costa Rica with USAC was one of the best decisions I have ever made! From the first day that I landed at the airport to the day that I left, USAC staff and my host family made me feel safe, welcome, and cared for on a personal level. The country itself welcomed me as I explored beaches, waterfalls, jungles and volcanoes. I made lifelong friends and a lifetime of memories. I am so thankful to USAC staff for guiding me, teaching me, and ensuring that I enjoyed my stay. I am also immensely thankful for my host family who made the best comida and gave me a home away from home. I would not trade my time in Costa Rica for anything, and I hope to experience the Pura Vida lifestyle again very soon.

This was life-changing! I changed as a person and now am planning to return to Latin America to work after graduating from my university. I have already recommended to one friend and would wholeheartedly recommend it again. The program has so many enriching programs that allow travel and have excellent internships available. I was able to get an internship translating and researching, and I was also able to teach English volunteering. There are programs to allow for connecting with local people and practice Spanish and cultural exchange, and the housing is accommodating for any and all dietary needs. I learned a lot about other cultures, myself, and the Spanish language, and I grew exponentially as a person. I also recommended the program to a friend, who then also attended USAC in Heredia, and we still talk about what an amazing experience it was.

My experience studying abroad in Heredia was incredible, and my only regret is that I wasn't able to stay longer. As a Spanish minor and someone with a goal to become fluent in Spanish, this program was very effective in pushing me from barely a beginner to proficient / conversational in two months. My host family was amazing as well - I was vegan while in Costa Rica and my host mom was so accommodating. The field trips outside of Heredia were another highlight for me. Manuel Antonio and Puerto Viejo were my favorite - so much to explore in this tiny country! I am also an avid animal and nature lover, and CR is so gorgeous and full of life in that aspect as well. My top tips for this program are: 1) stay as long as possible! 2) Dive into Spanish and stay away from English as much as you can while you're there. 3) If you can, opt in for as many of the optional field trips as possible - see as much as you can!

I had already traveled to 6 countries before heading down to CR for 9 weeks, so I expected everything to be smooth sailing. When I ended up with some serious culture shock and homesickness, the USAC office members were always there to chat. I learned so much about the world and had so much fun on the included field trips. The classes I took were spanish language courses and a dance class. The dance class was obviously very fun and light hearted, but the Spanish classes were intense. I learned more spanish in 9 weeks of courses at UNA and from my host family then I did in 2 years in the US. Living with a host family was a highlight of my trip, although I had to switch halfway through. Some of the homes are really far from the city center and the school. I had a much different (and I’d say better) experience when I lived a 15-20 minute walk from everything versus one hour.

This program is phenomenal. Carlitos, Steven, Natalie, and the other staff members at the USAC office or at UNA (the host university) are amazing. They are so well organized, plan a plethora of trips and activities, and are genuinely caring people. They help out a ton with academic and visa stuff so you barely have to worry about annoying transcript or visa paperwork. The teachers are charismatic and incredibly personable. The campus here is gorgeous as well. The atmosphere of Heredia is lively (there are tons of college aged people) and the city is relatively clean and safe compared to most of Central America. I had such a transformative experience interacting with my host family, engaging in the community, learning and improving my Spanish, as well as gaining livelong friends and allies. Ten out of ten would recommend this program. I will be returning soon!

Ton of fun. Loved being there. Spanish classes were a bit easy, but the science classes were top notch. If you go bring a small backpack, rain jacket and umbrella, stylish clubbing clothes, good headphones, and a outdoor speaker will make you very popular. Jaco is a tourist trap but it can be very fun.

If you want to go to Costa Rica for the nature, Heredia is right next to San Jose and it is very urban.
From 6am to 9pm you are safe. Anytime afterwords keep an eye out, I had a box of wine stolen from me and 3 knives pulled, And then one night at 2am 2 men tried to mug me. Keep your wits and stay in groups at night.

I lived in both Heredia and Puntarenas, Costa Rica for roughly 5 months each while studying with the USAC organization and this heavily influenced my opinion on each program as I was able to see the pros and cons of each program. Puntarenas has a local facility that only teaches to Americans while in Heredia you will be attending a local University where the Costa Ricans study. If you genuinely want to learn Spanish then this alone should deter you from Puntarenas. The moment you enter the USAC building in Puntarenas you will only hear English from the students, and I promise you that this will not change not matter what group enters the program. Secondly the social scene in Puntarenas was severely lacking. It was nearly impossible to go out to bars to meet people unless you went out during a special event where there was a DJ. The bars in Heredia had more people during the weekday than the Bars in Puntarenas did on the weekends. Lastly, the university course work in Puntarenas was a joke. I never had homework nor did I feel I was pushed to truly learn the language. It was high school all over again. The instructors in Heredia will give you homework, they will make you work, but more importantly, they will make you learn the language. What my recommendation boils down to is... If you have a strong desire to meet other Costa Ricans while truly learning the language then I would steer you away from Puntarenas and towards Heredia. If you are a person that wants to enjoy a semester away from the states with very easy coursework, nice weather, and a stress-free environment then I would recommend Puntarenas.

This program literally changed my life. USAC is absolutely perfect for your first international experience because they handle almost all of the details that make travel difficult. I felt so supported and comfortable through the entire program, which allowed me to make friends and memories that will last my entire life. My time in Heredia inspired me to pursue more opportunities abroad in the future and changed the way I see the world and myself. Go in with an open mind and you will absolutely love Costa Rica and USAC!