Your Costa Rican host families!

Participating in Study Abroad programs gives you a lifetime opportunity to live with a host family and experience what a real cultural immersion is. However, we know that living with a new group of people may seem daunting at the beginning. That's why ICDS Costa Rica has some tips and insights for you.

How to decide if living with a host family is the right choice for me?

First ask yourself, what do I want to learn from my study abroad experience? To answer that question, take into account the following aspects:

• Homestays provide an instant support system.
• They help you to improve your Spanish.
• Facilitates cultural immersion.

What are the challenges of living with a host family?

“At times it was very challenging and that is when I was able to see myself growing as a person” ICDS alumni

Living with a host family comes with a few challenges, here are some of the most common ones:

Food, occasionally families struggle getting the right food for every restriction, but if you explain in advance ICDS will find the right family that adjusts to your needs.

Independence, students are often concerned with losing their independence but, on the contrary, Costa Rican families are flexible and respectful of your independence

Integrating, families respect your space while enabling you to integrate as much as wish. 

It’s a different experience from what you’re used to, but isn’t that why you want to study abroad? 

Create new memories with ICDS and your Costa Rican host family!

The ICDS Team.