USAC Costa Rica: Heredia - Latin American Studies & Ecology

I was originally very nervous about studying abroad. I almost backed out multiple times. However, immediately upon meeting the staff of USAC, I felt instantly better. The staff made me feel so safe and cared for. Any questions I had were answered promptly. Beyond that, the travel experience was amazing. I feel like I learned so much on this trip, not just about the world, but about myself too. I met some of my best friends on this trip, and we still keep in contact today. If you're considering traveling with USAC, go for it. Take the jump. Make it count.

I spent 6 weeks studying abroad in Heredia, Costa Rica. I took two classes during my time there: Latin American Culture and Spanish for Health Professionals. I learned so much from the content of those classes as well as from my professors, host family, and the locals. While being immersed, I had the opportunity to see so much of the country and eat so much delicious food. This is an experience that I will never forget!

Studying abroad can seem scary and intimidating, however the Costa Rican culture and USAC staff made my journey so welcoming, easy, and fun! The staff were truly so kind and genuinely cared about their students. Any question, concern, or recommendations were happily answered and they followed up with everything. They made my experience so enjoyable and allowed me to fully focus on my academics and experiences.

I had a lot of fun and got to go on trips (apart from the program, mostly) to see a lot of awesome places during the weekends this summer. I learned a lot more Spanish and improved my speaking pace, while also being able to understand a lot more and at a much quicker listening pace as well. That is the thing I think I am most proud of is my improvements with the language. But I am glad I studied abroad because it also gave me a LOT of opportunities to get out of my comfort zone and try new things. I have grown a lot as a person even in just 2 and a half months here. The nature and wildlife here are incredible and worth seeing.

I decided to study abroad to better my Spanish skills while also immersing myself in Latin American culture. Costa Rica has done just that! My Spanish has improved so much, and I have been able to immerse myself firsthand in what I have learned in my Latin American Cultures classes back at my home university. I would totally recommend this immersion program!

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Studying abroad in Heredia, Costa Rica was truly life changing. The program did a great job helping us fully immerse and experience life there. The host families are amazing and the country is beautiful.

During my time in Costa Rica, I took Spanish coursework and completed an English Language Assistantship Intern at the Universidad Nacional. I assisted two classes across 3 different days, helping give writing feedback and develop their oral communication skills. In my Spanish coursework, we focused on complex grammar skills and refining our own writing styles. The home stay was farther from the University and downtown area than I would have preferred, but the taxi/uber availability was helpful.

i learned so much while studying abroad and living in costa rica and made many friends from all over the states while there. it was definitely something that i would recommend to anyone interested in studying abroad or thinking about it! there was definitely an adjustment that had to be made and it definitely was not easy at first but i grew so much as a person and as a student and gained confidence in my spanish speaking skills that i would not have gained otherwise.

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I was lucky learn so much about Latin America and Costa Rican culture during my time abroad. I made great friends and the program gave me the opportunity to go on really fun trips. I never would have had this experience if not USAC.

My experience in Costa Rica was truly life changing and I now have a second home! I would love to go back and maybe move there for good. Such a beautiful place and an amazing program that I am forever grateful for.

I studied abroad this past summer (2025) in Heredia, Costa Rica. I did the 5-week summer program and I mostly went with the intention of improving my Spanish skills and also experiencing a new culture, going on adventures, and meeting new people. This program was exactly what I was hoping for with my study abroad! I had the best time meeting new people and making memories I will never forget. The academics were amazing as well as all of the staff supporting us. I felt very comforted, as everyone was so friendly! I loved the opportunities to explore the country as well. They had a variety of trips for us to explore various places including zip lining in the cloud forest and visiting waterfalls. Overall, I would HIGHLY recommend!

Highly recommend USAC! Not only am I studying currently with them in Costa Rica, but I also did a semester with them in Uruguay. Both experiences were great!! They have a lot of support systems in place and have different ways of group activities within the program and also outside so you are able to immerse into the community as much as you want.

Overall, I loved my time in Costa Rica. However, if I had the chance to do it over again, I would have probably picked a direct exchange program where I was more fully immersed in the culture/language, but there were many qualities of the USAC Heredia program that make it valuable especially for those who haven't traveled much or don't speak Spanish. Pros: The home stay!!! I loved my familia tica. The food was great, the house was always perfectly clean, and I got to go on trips with my host family. It was sad to leave and I'm still in touch with them! Opportunities to meet other local university students at UNA. Gustavo, the Spanish track IV professor, was INCREDIBLE. The bus system in Costa Rica is awesome and I got to travel almost every weekend Cons: Surrounded by other English speakers. -Classes are not very rigorous or challenging. -Not great for students who already speak Spanish conversationally. - Sometimes the program directors are a little disorganized. I'd love to see USAC allow students to enroll in classes directly at la UNA.

If you are someone who has never been outside the program or doesn’t speak Spanish, this program would probably be great for you. However, if you want full immersion you will not receive that through USAC. They don’t tell you that your classes will have zero locals which means you have to go out of your way to make local friends.

Very good, this was a very expensive program but I do not regret it at all. I met my favorite people in the world through this program and learned more than I have than in any other four month period in my life other than when I was a baby.

I had such a great time in this culture immersion. All of my professors were great and truly passionate about what they were teaching. My living situation was amazing being able to live with a host family. I had home cooked meals every night that were super tasty. My just family was awesome and we got really close. I was able to travel to new places every weekend and discover a lot of the country as well as some of Panama too. I made good friends in my program and had fun with them. I would chose Costa Rica every time.

My time in Costa Rica was definitely hard but one of the most rewarding and eye-opening experiences I have ever had the pleasure of taking part in. Not only did my fear of being a solo traveller dissipate, I now strive to travel anywhere an everywhere whether it be with friends, solo, or with new people I meet along the way. Without my solo trip to La Fortuna, I would not have learned so much about myself and I certainly would not have met some of my best friends to this day. Thank you Costa Rica for opening my heart, mind, and soul to a new way of living and looking at the world around me.

"Studying abroad is something that you will always remember." This is something that everyone says as an alumni, and quite honestly it could not be more closer to the truth. You leave the country, scared, intrigued, and excited to be able to spread your own wings and fly. You get the chance to grow as a person... to find those pieces of yourself that you never knew you even had. It can alter you to a point where you feel like you have changed and grown so much as a person. And this is exactly what it does, you have learned a new culture, a new language, and have built and created a new way of living for yourself. Maybe that is why they say that the biggest culture shock happens when you come back home. You have to step off a plane and almost go back in time, it is one of the weirdest feelings there is, and it leaves you with a sense of altered perception. No matter where you go from now on, your heart will carry those memories with you. Study abroad has left a lasting footprint on my heart and I am so glad to say that I had this opportunity of a lifetime. So if anyone ever asks me what I found whilst studying abroad, I will answer back with... "I found a home away from home."

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My experience studying abroad in Heredia was life-changing and an amazing experience, both for learning in a new environment and for making friends. Staying with my host mother and getting to be immersed in the culture there gave me a new perspective on how people of other nationalities live, work, and have fun as a community. The classes I took as a biology major furthered my knowledge in ecology, and also gave me a chance to explore the diverse and unique ecosystems of Costa Rica. The other students in my program were wonderful, and we made so many memories together. Study abroad has made my life richer and given me adventure. I recommend USAC programs to everyone I meet and anyone who will listen!

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Taking classes, traveling, and living in Costa Rica was the highlight of my college experience. I had never traveled outside of the United States before so I learned that there is a lot that I don’t know. Being immersed in a new culture taught me that you have to experience a place to truly know what the way of life is like there. I enhanced my Spanish skills and learned that preconceived ideas about a culture is harmful and we need to be careful about how we think about other groups and cultures because it may be unkind.