Category: International Center for Development Studies

Host Living in Costa Rica

Hola mi gente! Before coming, one of the biggest questions I was asked was, “So where are you staying?”. As for this program, instead of living in dorms or in solo apartments, we lived with host families. Every student had their own separate family to live with, but we were all in the same general ...

Tips and Tricks for Costa Rican Transportation

In my previous blog I left off talking about the many fun and culturally informative travels that I did with ICDS. Which I don’t think I ever said what ICDS was, but it stands for International Center for Developmental Studies and is the company that Drexel is partnered with to allow us to study in ...

An Overview of my Program Field Trips

The best part about being in a study abroad program is the new friends that I have made. A close second, however, would definitely be the program-sponsored field trips that I have had the opportunity to take. These field trips have been fully sponsored by the International Center for Developmental Studies and I have learned ...

Weekend Trips in Costa Rica

Now that I only have a week left, I thought I would compile all of the weekend trips that I have taken here in Costa Rica! Monteverde Monteverde was such a gorgeous introduction to all of the biodiversity that Costa Rica offers. I stayed in a hostel room with a couple of other people from ...

Daily Life in San Jose, Costa Rica

Hello folks! I currently have the pleasure of living in the gorgeous country of Costa Rica and the privilege of living in a small community just outside of the capital city San Jose. This little suburb of San Jose is called Sabanilla, where the majority of the study abroad students in the program live, is ...

An Average Tuesday in San Jose

One of the most pressing questions I had before starting my study abroad experience revolved around what an average day’s schedule would look like. Once I arrived here, I was very quickly put into a comfortable routine that I have been able to follow ever since. Here is what the schedule of an average Tuesday ...

Drexel in Costa Rica: Health Care in Latin America FAQ

My classes have been informative and very interesting. I am currently taking Spanish, Economics of Healthcare, Vulnerable Populations, and Healthcare in Costa Rica. The classes are very participation-based and do not have a lot of work required outside of class. Classes are not held on Fridays, which gives us three-day weekends.  The classes are held ...

5 New Fruits!

Costa Rica is incredibly biodiverse and is also the home to many different microclimates. These microclimates are home to an array of fresh fruits, vegetables, and livestock that supply the Costa Rican population throughout the year. During my time here, I have tried many different foods, including some fruits that I personally had never had ...

Learning about Vulnerable Populations

Apart from all of the fun I have had traveling so far during my time abroad, one of the main aspects of studying abroad is the studying. Currently, I am taking four classes that are the equivalent of 16 credits using Drexel’s system. These classes include Economics of Healthcare, Healthcare in Costa Rica, Spanish, and ...

Things I Wish I Knew before Studying Abroad

I cannot believe that it has already been four weeks of being in the country! I have already learned so much and upon reflecting on my time so far, I can comfortably say that my transition has been very smooth. However, there are a handful of hurdles that would have been easier to overcome had ...