Students
accepted to the San José program receive orientation material from
the University of Kansas while they are still at St. Lawrence. They also will have a couple of on-campus orientation meetings with SLU faculty and past program participants to help them prepare for the program.
In San José, there is a month-long language, history and culture orientation course. The course introduces students to Costa Rica through lectures and field trips. It is designed to help prepare students for the challenges of rigorous academic work in a foreign language and culture. It is not a basic grammar review but, rather, a cultural and historical introduction to Costa Rica, with an emphasis on upper-level academic writing skills. Orientation field trips usually include trips to art museums, the Central Market, the National Theater, volcanoes, the rainforest, and beaches on both Gulf Coast and Pacific shores.
Students are required to participate in all classes and educational activities of the month-long orientation.
Three credits (.83 SLU unit) are awarded for the successful completion of this orientation course.