Getting ready to study abroad in Costa Rica?

If you're getting ready to study abroad in Costa Rica, there is some things you should know!

• Ladies, bring tampons!! They are not impossible to find but they are definitely a pain in the butt to find!
• Bring a black belt to hold up your pants! Ladies belts here are only for fashion! (For the most part, of course :)
• If you're studying during rainy season (Sept-Dec), bring an umbrella and a rain coat!!! It will pour and pour and pour (no joke). You should mentally prepare for the rain so that you don't complain the whole time!
• Bring hiking shoes!! There will be many adventures to go on and when you go into those rainy cloud forests, it's best to bring good shoes!
• Ladies, bring mascara! It's expensive here and harder to find then I thought, so bring your favorite brand :)
• Budget your money from Day 1! What I did (at a later point) was wrap money for each week in a piece of paper and wrote down the amount I could spend for that week!
• Bring school supplies (they are a bit tough to find and more on the pricey side!) I suggest white lined paper or a notebook will do :)
• By the way most things here are not cheap (don't get the wrong impression just because it's a latin country).
• If you are studying in San Jose, take the safety measures seriously (many students have been robbed), just use some common sense and don't walk alone! Take a taxi if need be...I don't know know how much more everyone here could emphasize it, but people still don't listen.

I'll keep on adding to the list when I can remember more information! Just remember to be safe, keep up with your school work, and enjoy the beauties of this country :):)