The school I am attending is called Veritas University. It's hard to believe, but it's even smaller than Saint Mike's. Veritas is an art school though. This means every detail of the college is taken into account very carefully. The architecture is edgy, theres hammocks to lay on in the patio, plants line every corner, and beautiful pictures take over the walls. There is even a sitting area inside that makes you feel as though you were in the middle of the rainforest, with trees and plants all around you. Not only the school itself is interesting but I have never met so many energized professors that genuinely care about your cultural experience and immersion before. They strive for you to create some sort of an interest that bonds you with the classes. Pura Vida represents the Costa Rican lifestyle and people perfectly. My professors emulate Pura Vida through all parts of class.
I am taking Spanish for Health Professions, Cultural Photography, Costa Rican Health Care Systems, and Tropical Marine Biology right now. I have only had each class a few times but the professors keep you interested in what you are learning throughout the whole time. Another positive part of these classes is that they all contain excursions we must go on. This practically means traveling and exploring the country with people who specialize in those areas (the people you really want to travel with). For the Health Professions class we do lots of hands-on activities such as taking blood pressure, how to greet a patient and carry-out conversation, how to diagnose, treat, and do certain exams...all in Spanish. It's not always the easiest but we are learning so much in just a short amount of time. We will also be traveling to hospitals and private clinics to see what the health care systems are like here.
My Cultural Photography teacher emphasized that this class is not for tourists. We need to immerse ourselves in the culture not as a tourist but someone who truly wants to be a part of Costa Rica. By the end of the class we have to be able to present five pictures from the whole semester called a photo essay. These five photos have to envelope our whole experience here in Costa Rica. In my Tropical Marine Biology class we will be going on two weekend excursions to take samples, observe, snorkel, and learn. One of the excursions is to Canuita- Manzanillo and the other to Marino Ballena which is known for dolphins and whales. Needless to say I can barely wait to get into the water.
My Health Care Systems and Alternative Medicine class will also be traveling to hospitals and clinics in the area and the teacher even mentioned going to a certain maternity clinic for lower class Ticas where we can watch the birth of infants. Something interesting at the end of this class is that my professor who is also a doctor, Ricardo, has us stand in a circle and hold hands. He announces that he respects all denominations and asks for our approval if he could say a little prayer. Nonetheless we all bowed our heads while he spoke genuinely from the heart. He prayed for our safety, the amazing opportunity we are given for life, and for God to watch over us. Ricardo is a true Tico who when entering the room you feel an energy that emits and let me tell you, it's contagious. The opportunities feel endless here and the excursions I have talked about don't even include the one's I will be going on with my program. I wanted an adventure and that is exactly what I am getting. ¡Pura Vida!
I am taking Spanish for Health Professions, Cultural Photography, Costa Rican Health Care Systems, and Tropical Marine Biology right now. I have only had each class a few times but the professors keep you interested in what you are learning throughout the whole time. Another positive part of these classes is that they all contain excursions we must go on. This practically means traveling and exploring the country with people who specialize in those areas (the people you really want to travel with). For the Health Professions class we do lots of hands-on activities such as taking blood pressure, how to greet a patient and carry-out conversation, how to diagnose, treat, and do certain exams...all in Spanish. It's not always the easiest but we are learning so much in just a short amount of time. We will also be traveling to hospitals and private clinics to see what the health care systems are like here.
My Cultural Photography teacher emphasized that this class is not for tourists. We need to immerse ourselves in the culture not as a tourist but someone who truly wants to be a part of Costa Rica. By the end of the class we have to be able to present five pictures from the whole semester called a photo essay. These five photos have to envelope our whole experience here in Costa Rica. In my Tropical Marine Biology class we will be going on two weekend excursions to take samples, observe, snorkel, and learn. One of the excursions is to Canuita- Manzanillo and the other to Marino Ballena which is known for dolphins and whales. Needless to say I can barely wait to get into the water.
My Health Care Systems and Alternative Medicine class will also be traveling to hospitals and clinics in the area and the teacher even mentioned going to a certain maternity clinic for lower class Ticas where we can watch the birth of infants. Something interesting at the end of this class is that my professor who is also a doctor, Ricardo, has us stand in a circle and hold hands. He announces that he respects all denominations and asks for our approval if he could say a little prayer. Nonetheless we all bowed our heads while he spoke genuinely from the heart. He prayed for our safety, the amazing opportunity we are given for life, and for God to watch over us. Ricardo is a true Tico who when entering the room you feel an energy that emits and let me tell you, it's contagious. The opportunities feel endless here and the excursions I have talked about don't even include the one's I will be going on with my program. I wanted an adventure and that is exactly what I am getting. ¡Pura Vida!