Students who study abroad, exploring new places and meeting new people, say over and over again that the experience helped them grow personally, and even changed their lives. It’s a great way to broaden your experiences, and in the process, you’ll become more independent, develop networking relationships, and engage in cross-cultural exchange. Life-changing experiences aside, another reason to study abroad is that our society and workforce are becoming global. Colleges recognize this and encourage students to travel, giving their graduates a competitive edge in the marketplace.
If you’re interested in studying abroad, you need to start the process early. Begin by researching your destination and starting an application. One consideration to take into account is the GPA requirements of your institution – often, you’ll need a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher, and you need to be in good standing – and remain that way – with regards to student conduct.
There’s also a cost to study abroad, and these fees vary depending upon the tuition and cost of living in the region you select. Other expenses to take into account are medical vaccinations and travel costs to and from your program. Since you’re starting the research process early, you’ll have time to apply for grants and loans to pay for the program and look for scholarships. If waiting and placing your hopes on loans and scholarships doesn’t appeal to you, there are creative ways to fundraise – like using Volunteer Forever to crowdfund for your trip.
Studying Abroad in Costa Rica
When you choose to spend the summer or a semester abroad in Costa Rica, you’ll learn and have the opportunity to give back to this paradise in Latin America. Through immersive study abroad, intern abroad, and volunteer abroad programs, you can learn Spanish, get hands-on experience with rainforest and marine conservation, and even learn about human rights and business development, all to enhance your education and career.
Costa Rica packs a lot into its 20,000 square miles. From the bustling markets of San Jose to the Zen-like tranquility of the emerald rainforests, the country offers surprising opportunities around every corner. Costa Rica also has about 1,000 miles of brilliant sandy coastline, making it a favorite destination for surfers and sun-seekers. This is a beautiful country stationed between Nicaragua and Panama. In addition to its land borders, it finds itself sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Despite its large and diverse landscape, only 4.5 million people live in the country full time.
Volunteer Forever · Guest Author Contribution
The mission of Volunteer Forever is to make it easier for people to volunteer, teach, intern, and travel around the world by helping them find and fund their trips abroad.