University of Wisconsin–Madison

Costa Rica: Eliana Bernat

Program: UW Spanish Language in Costa Rica, Winter Intersession

Eliana’s Major: Chemistry

Eliana standing on a balcony overlooking coffee fields. Mountains are in the distance.
Máximo Nivel took us to a cafe up in the mountains before going to the Poaz Volcano and the Paz Waterfall. The views of the mountains and the coffee fields were beautiful!

How were your program academics similar or different from taking classes at UW-Madison?

The classes felt much different because they were much smaller. I took the advanced Spanish conversation class and I was one of two students in the class. Because of the small class sizes, we both had the opportunity to practice our speaking a lot and really engage with the discussions. Our teacher was also very helpful in giving us feedback to improve our speaking. I learned so much about Costa Rican culture and Spanish language.

Máximo Nivel is amazing and everything they planned was a great experience, from the Spanish classes to the field trips to the cooking and dance classes.

How will your experience benefit you in the future? How might it affect your future career or studies?

I am very grateful for this study abroad experience because it has greatly improved my Spanish and given me a glimpse into the culture and history of Costa Rica. This experience definitely made me more motivated to continue learning Spanish and using it in my career.

What is your advice for someone considering your program?

Go for it! Be open to traveling around Costa Rica and exploring the city – there’s a lot to see! Máximo Nivel is amazing and everything they planned was a great experience, from the Spanish classes to the field trips to the cooking and dance classes. The people are so friendly here and your Spanish will improve so much even in just the 3 weeks. The program was very well organized and I would highly recommend going.