What should I expect on a French exchange?

Going on student exchange, what should i expect? (going to costa rica)?

• I am going on a year exchange to Costa Rica in a few years (i have already applied) and i am wondering what to expect from the families there, the school, the community and the culture? I live in New Zealand so im wondering if it will be a MASSIVE change for me or not? What do they eat? What sports do they mainly play? lso what should make sure to do, and not to do there? Any additional information will be most appreciated! Thank you for any answers :) x

• Answer:

  Hey there! I'm from Costa Rica and I've also lived outside as part of an exchange program (with AFS). As others have stated, learning Spanish would be highly recomended since it is the main language spoken here. Because tourism is a big part of the economy, a lot of people also speak English, but I'm pretty sure they're going to have trouble understanding you because you don't have an american accent which is the one we are used to interpret. Schools and high schools have different levels of quality, depending on the location and weather you study in a public or private school. Private education is usually of higher quality than public (except for higher-college education), and some private schools only allow classes to be taught in English, but this institutes are quite expensive so your luck will depend on the decision of your host family I suppose. People are usually very friendly and interested in other cultures, the main sport her is soccer. Rugby is not almost practiced but there are a few small teams that play all year long. There's also a bit of basketball, volleyball and beach volley, golf, tennis, etc The capital, San José, is not what you may call beautiful but it's not horrible either. :) Remember this is a developing country. There are some museums and lots of shops and restaurants in the downtown area. Also, there are a few shopping malls where you can find similar products and brands as in N.Z. like Nike, Puma, KFC, Subway, etc. If you are underage, you should not drive, or consume any kind of substances like alcohol or tobacco. Any other drug is illegal to use like marihuana, crack, etc just like in most countries. If you are 18+ by the time you fly, you can consume alcohol and tobacco cigarrettes without any problem. The food is pretty fresh, you can have meat, fish, chicken, seafood and vegetables and fruits of all kinds all year long. If you don't eat meat there are also lots of different options for you. Rice is eaten almost everyday, but you can also eat potatoes for example. Salads and soups are part of the menu too. The type of food you eat will largely depend on your host family and your personal choices. The coffee is one of the best in the world so do give it a try. You should visit the coasts and beaches, there are a lot and they differ in topology and activities you can do, like surf, windsurf, bird watching, canopy, rappel, etc. If you have a camera, do pack it all the time, just be careful if you use it in the city, especially in the downtown area cause some places are NOT safe. Avoid walking alone and just use common sense like you would in any other place. It's common too see foreign people take city buses and walk in the downtown area. You can also visit the national parks and volcanoes if you are into that kind of stuff. You should also visit the museums and learn about our modern culture and art and the culture of the pre-columbian era. Nightlife can be as smooth or as extreme as you want it to be, just be careful and always carry contact information in case of any emergency or if you have special medical conditions and need to be treated. Healthcare in Costa Rica is public, but you can also pay for a private service which is equally good but faster and more friendly. There is a lot of stuff you should know and this is only a small portion of it. If you have any more specific questions you can ask me anytime.