Sharon Said:

What gift should I ask for from Puerto Rico?

We Answered:

you could ask for the native candies, coqui stuff, or better yet a hamack homemade in PR, also arty stuff like carved woods or handmade crafts.

Perry Said:

Study abroad in Puerto Rico?

We Answered:

Hello. Studying in Puerto Rico is a great idea. PR is a nice place to spend time. Do you speak any spanish?? UPR is a great school but most classes are in spanish. If you want english courses I suggest InterAmerican University also in Rio Piedras. Here we dont say Flats do that will sound wierd to people. You can rent a casa(house) or an apartamento/condo or maybe you can stay in a dorm with students. Rio Piedras isnt the best part of San Juan but it has good parts near the University. Food is about the same price as in the US. San Juan has transportation, outside San Juan does not really have any. Please look below for rentals. GOODLUCK!

http://www.clasificadosonline.com/Rental…

Nina Said:

How can I do a study abroad kind of thing?

We Answered:

you can either try searching for a program online such as
www.goabroad.com or www.studyabroad.com

or you could try talking to a school counselor..
sometimes schools offer programs like that .

Leslie Said:

Puerto Rico Youth homes or dormitiories?

We Answered:

Study in Vieques?
You mean studying up to High School. There are no colleges or universities at Vieques.

Young people from Vieques finish the HS there and then apply to the universities or colleges at Rio Piedras, Mayaguez, Humacao,etc.

Warren Said:

I am studying in Puerto Rico, but am having a hard time with the Spanish here. Any tips or advice?

We Answered:

Hey, I'm an exchange student too. I'm in Germany. I didn't know anything when I arrived so being able to read and write gives you a very good start. I know how little it can help with speaking/listening though: I can communicate fairly well in written French but since nearly all my study focussed on the written language, I have a very hard time speaking or understanding spoken French. It's not exactly the same, but I do know how one can find understanding spoken language a lot harder than written language.

Sadly, the only way to understand is to do what you don't want to do: make people speak it. You need to "get an ear for the language". For me, that was the hardest part of German. I heard it all the time, and slowly it turned from a jumble, to a bunch of distinct words (I didn't understand the words but I could tell where they began and ended most of the time), and only lately have I been able to start understanding a lot (when spoken to... it's a lot harder to follow other people's conversations than to be IN a conversation myself). My New Year's resolution was to cut out English by February (with exceptions, like English class or being online), and I can proudly say I am pretty close to making good on that. I barely speak English now, and since I told people I don't want to speak English, they are trying more and more to remember to speak to me in slow and simple German instead. And it has been AMAZING for my language; when you force yourself to speak only your foreign language, you start getting it wayyy faster. I too initially made my friends in English, but there has to come a period where you need to put aside friendship for language. I mean, of course they are still your friends, but when you tell people to stop speaking English, you are going to go through a period where communication with your friends is cut back to the level you can understand. But you really will soon find yourself understanding more and more.

If you have only been there a few weeks, then don't worry too much, where as if you have been there for months already, it may be time to cut the English. Think of it as "cutting the apron strings"... English is your safe comfy lovely mother, but it's time to go out and do things on your own in a Spanish world.