What should you bring to College?
Life is pretty casual at UWC Costa Rica, but occasionally, you will find a need to dress formally. For most days, however, modest summer clothing is acceptable. The evenings can be cool, so sweaters or jackets are handy, but the usual dress code is comfortable, clean, and modest attire.It is also a good idea to have sturdy shoes for walking, hiking, or climbing, a sleeping bag, and old clothes that you can use
for service projects, orientation, and muddy days. Umbrellas and hats or baseball caps are a good idea, too. Shoes are always required to be worn outside the residence.
The weather in Santa Ana is almost always mild, between 18º and 35º C (or 65º and 95º F.) There are two seasons in Costa Rica: wet and dry. Be prepared for very hot, humid weather, as well as windy and rainy weather. Of course, most days are perfect, but when it rains, it really rains.
Belongings
Some people prefer to sew name tags onto all their clothing, and this is not at all a bad idea. Mark anything that is yours so that if it gets lost, it is easier to claim. It is a good idea to bring towels, personal toiletries, an alarm clock or phone, mosquito repellent, and a plug adapter. However, all of these things may also be purchased here.
Bring anything that will make your room more comfortable for you, and remember that you will be sharing a small space with two other people –probably from an entirely different part of the world than that which you come from–.
All students will need a graphing calculator and laptop for classes. (See below for more details.) We also recommend that you consider taking out insurance on expensive electrical items. The Costa Rican electrical System is 110 volts, the same as in the US or Japan.
Costumes and Flags
Students from our College usually wear their national costumes in different events, so we encourage you to bring your nation’s flag and typical national clothing to represent your country.
You will also need your national costume and flags for the Thematic/Regional Celebrations and Special Events organized by the co-curricular department such as Peace One Day, MUN, Regional thematic weeks, Costa Rica’s Independence Day parade, and more.
Academics
Textbooks are loaned to students for the duration of their course, subject to a deposit. Stationery items may be purchased locally.
Students can bring them with them e.g. binders, paper, and pens. The college aims to reduce its consumption of paper by sharing resources electronically and thus a laptop is mandatory. UWC Costa Rica does not provide students with laptops.
Recommended Laptops specification:
Laptop model of no more than two years, RAM memory of at least 8GB, with a solid-state drive (SSD). We recommend paying for a guarantee with global support that can be claimed in Costa Rica. ( The IT Department does not offer the service of reviewing or fixing students' computers or equipment but will recommend providers that operate near the campus in case the student requires IT support with their own computer.)
Recommended Calculator models:
Students are asked to bring a Texas Instruments model TI-84 Plus CE.
Pocket Money
We do not advise you to bring large amounts of cash with you, nor do we advise you to make arrangements to find colones, the Costa Rican currency, ahead of time.
Many places accept US dollars, banks, ATM machines (make sure that your card is international and it will work in Costa Rica), and cash points are readily available.
Many places accept US dollars, banks, ATM machines (make sure that your card is international and it will work in Costa Rica), and cash points are readily available.
The current exchange rate fluctuates a lot so it is better to keep an eye on it. We suggest that students take into account the need for pocket money, the recommended amount of $700 per year, or more, depending on spending habits.
Sending Packages
Costa Rican customs are dificult. UWC Costa Rica staff is not responsible for retrieving students' packages retained at customs, nor for providing transportation for the procedure. We strongly DO NOT recommend sending or receiving packages. Packages with food, candies, chocolates, used clothes or shoes, medicines, medical items, cosmetics, natural products, and electronic devices (cameras, computers, etc.) would be held for procedures in customs (taxes and additional permission would be required). Sometimes the cost of taxes is higher than what the package contains and then it becomes irrational to pay for it. Other times permits from the Health Ministry and other entities are necessary and it involves bureaucratic procedures that are time-consuming. Also, we have noticed that the majority of the items that are sent to students can be found in Costa Rica.
Our mission: To cultivate in young people the passion and ability to serve humanity and our planet—learning from nature and from each other for a lifetime.
San José, Costa Rica. 10901.
+506 2282 5609 | info@uwccostarica.org
San José, Costa Rica. 10901.
+506 2282 5609 | info@uwccostarica.org
All Rights Reserved | UWC Costa Rica © 2025