Our first week in San Isidro
I arrived in San José at night, about the same time as the students who had taken the joint flight organized by Kulturstudier, and travelled to San Isidro with the joint bus waiting for us.
We were all quite tired from traveling, and the four hour ride went by quickly as most of us in fell asleep on the bus.
I am starting my stay in San Isidro living with a host family, and our host mom stayed up to greet us even though we arrived very late at night.
After a long day (and night) of traveling, both me and my housemate slept great!
The next morning we woke up and got to have delicious breakfast with our host mom before unpacking a little bit and heading down to join the the welcome meeting with our program coordinators.
We were served pizza and got to properly meet our new classmates. The meeting was at Hotel Zima, a hotel Kulturstudier cooperates with, and they allow students to freely use both their pool and gym equipment.
The first day of school is dedicated to getting to know the campus, as well as taking a new Spanish test to make sure you are placed in the right level. Before my departure, I was quite nervous that starting school so quickly after arriving would be overwhelming.
This first day really helped me, as we got to see all of our teachers and got to know the other students a little bit before starting our classes.
The next day, classes began, and after a few days it became very comforting to have a set schedule, as there are so many new things happening in our surroundings.
The teachers are very sweet and want to help us as best as possible. The classes are quite small, and because of this, the teachers have time to support all the students and make sure everyone is on the same page.
If you feel that you are at the wrong level it is easy to switch to something that fits you better within the first weeks. Don’t be afraid to try taking a level that might be too difficult, you will learn a lot from listening and the teachers are great at repeating or rephrasing if someone is struggling to understand.
I usually start school at eight in the morning, and this is perfect for walking to school before the sun gets too strong. Starting the day with a peaceful walk surrounded by greenery has been amazing!
So far my favorite things about San Isidro are the nature and the people. The school is surrounded by trees and beautiful nature, and I have seen so many beautiful flowers here! Another bonus is the butterflies that come by when you are relaxing in the outside areas on campus.
The people are also very nice and welcoming. We have found that people are very happy to help you, for example by directions or tips on where in the river it is best to swim, and talking to the locals is a great way to practice Spanish.
Kulturstudier also hosted a welcome party on one of the first days here. This was an amazing opportunity to get to know both the other students and the teachers better. We played some games, ate good food, sang karaoke and danced.
My impression is that everyone who comes here are very open to both new people and new experiences, and for me this has made the first days very fun. Of course, the nice weather and sun is also great!
