Studying Abroad in 哥斯达黎加 - Things to Know Before You Go

宝博体育是一生难得的冒险, and it’s easy to get distracted by all the excitement and forget a few things while you’re packing. 我知道我做到了. There were also important things I happened to bring that other students didn’t even consider. Students in my program and I all ended up spending money we didn’t have on things we should have brought with us. 我们在这方面犯了很多错误, but the beauty of mistakes is you can learn from them and help others learn from them, 太. I even returned to 哥斯达黎加 as an Onsite 大使 and put into practice some things I wish I'd known the first time around. 不要害怕. 我也经历过你的处境，我是来帮你的!

在你离开之前，有几件事你应该知道:

1. It is difficult to receive packages in 哥斯达黎加. You can send and receive letters and postcards, but packages will get stuck in customs. You can either spend a day and upward of $100 trying to get them out, or they will get destroyed. In a pinch, you can receive packages, but don't plan on it.

2. 在哥斯达黎加，任何进口商品都很贵, 和大多数产品(护发), 防晒霜, 芦荟)是从美国进口的. I recommend bringing that stuff with you in a checked bag. You can always leave leftovers for the next person in your homestay, 如果你不想把一切都带回来. 别担心, 这些产品不是很贵, 所以如果你忘了什么, 这不会是世界末日.

3. 带把伞 (还有雨靴和雨衣). 雨季, lovingly referred to by some as the "green season,从4月持续到11月中旬. It mostly rains in the late afternoon, not all day. You can still enjoy trips to the beach despite what the name "green season" implies. At this time of year, the whole country turns bright green. 这是一个令人惊叹的景象. Plus, tours are often discounted because there are fewer tourists during those months. That said, you should prepare to get wet from time to time. A rain jacket alone will keep you dry, but not your backpack. 你需要一把伞. Rain boots will be helpful for walking through puddles, of which there are many. 不要为了时尚而毁了你的鞋子.

4. 下载 these two applications on your phone before you leave: WhatsApp and GroupMe. 这两款即时通讯应用都是免费的, and both require you to confirm your phone number, which means you have to be able to receive a call to create an account. If you won't have a international calling service while you're abroad, 在你离开之前一定要下载好这些应用. Most students use one or both of these apps to communicate. While you're at it, you might as well download Uber. 你会经常用到它.

5. 带一个可重复使用的水瓶. 哥斯达黎加非常热, and you don’t want to  waste money buying water bottles all the time. A water bottle with a built-in filter might be good for people with sensitive stomachs because, 尽管圣何塞的自来水可以安全饮用, the chlorine used to treat the water can make some people feel nauseous. 大多数人没有任何问题, but it’s worth mentioning for those who typically drink water from a well or have sensitive stomachs.

Me in my rain gear for a beautiful (but muddy) hike up to Rio Celeste

A view of the lush, green mountains from La Fortuna

Hopefully this information will help you make the most of your 宝博体育 旅程. It certainly would have helped me (and saved me from spending five hours getting a package out of customs). Don't freak out if you forget something; it will all work out. 哥斯达黎加 is an amazing place, and you can make the most of it by arriving prepared.

Demitra Kourtzidis was an 东航 Onsite 大使 in 圣荷西, 哥斯达黎加. She currently studies 政治科学 and Economics at Eastern Connecticut State University and studied abroad in 圣荷西, 2017年春季与东航在哥斯达黎加. If you’d like to learn more about the ambassador program, here is 更多的信息.