Classes and Homework

 "But how exactly do the classes work while abroad?" -almost every student who has ever considered studying abroad

Yes, the "study" portion of "study abroad" is important. After all, as much as it may feel like vacation, this  is still college. Below I'll explain how our classes and homework are here in Costa Rica. 

Classes: where, when, and how

    As I have mentioned in other posts, some things have changed for this semester due to the Covid-19 pandemic, including classes. While students usually live with host families and attend in-person classes at Universidad Fidélitas in San José, we are living together at a finca (see my post "Your New Home: A Tour of the Finca" for more about where we are living) and our classes are right here on the patio! In order to decrease the risks associated with Covid-19, we have all of our classes together here at ABC de la Vida in Ciudad Colón. 

    For our first six weeks, a professor from Universidad Fidélitas came and visited us here from 8am to noon on Mondays through Thursdays. Professor Rolo was amazing, and I learned so much from him! We focused primarily on grammar during those weeks, but we also learned about Costa Rican culture, including participating in traditional dance classes, trying Costa Rican fruits, reading about the country's history, and researching folktales and local legends. 

    For the second half of the semester, we have classes with Ro, one of the NAU faculty members who lives here. Ro is such a lively teacher, and his experiences as an author and educator enhance our classes with him. These classes are from 9am to noon for four days per week. 

    Our film and culture class with local movie director Soley Bernal are on the same days as our classes with Ro. From 1:30pm to 5:30pm, we watch Latin-American films and discuss how they reflect the values, traditions, and realities of Costa Rican culture. 

    The best part is that all of our classes are in-person together (creating a class of only seven students),  and they are right outside of my bedroom door!

Homework

    While we have some homework assigned almost every day we attend class, it is always a very manageable amount, and it usually takes me only about 30 minutes to complete each assignment. Homework is often conjugating some verbs, reading an article, or writing a paragraph about a certain topic. However, there are also creative tasks, too, like making posters of different body parts in Spanish, playing board games to practice using passive voice, and predicting the future of your classmates to review the future tense. 

    Like most classes, a syllabus is provided and you can view your grade(s) at any time. There are final exams, which often include an oral presentation and a written, multiple choice portion.

For more information about which classes and how many credits you can take while abroad, check out Programs > The Center for International Education (nau.edu).