Central America - Costa Rica on a budget?

me and a small group of med school classmates are planning to go to costa rica in a month or so. it's our last glimmer of happiness before we end up in hell known as "step 1".

i was wondering if people had any tips of what to see or what to do. money is a factor, though, as we're all poor 2nd year med students with large loans.

or if any travel books are recommended, i can start reading those instead of studying school :)

i was wondering if people had any tips of what to see or what to do. money is a factor, though, as we're all poor 2nd year med students with large loans.

or if any travel books are recommended, i can start reading those instead of studying school :)

Public transportation is cheap in CR and if you stay at hostels/backpackers your accommodations costs will be low. Food in CR is not cheap by Central American standards and many items in grocery stores will be more than in the US. However, most hostels have kitchens so if you cook most of your meals food costs will be low.

Lonely Planet is good for an overview and logistics. Go online to Trip Advisor or Hostel World for more up to date info on accommodations.

what destinations are you trying to hit? depending on the places I may have a few tips

searching on ft a little, people seemed to recommend arenal and manuel antonio as a first time goer

If you're planning on becoming a physician, know that some people will expect you to say "classmates and I..." not "Me and..." (just take everyone else out of the sentence if you're not sure; you would not say "me am planning").

That said, you might consider the Monteverde (cloud forest) area; hanging bridges, animals, scenery, zip lines, etc.
These are very affordable for a group: http://www.lospinos.net/ (clean, nice grounds, great location, and kitchens for your self-catering).
Manual Antonio can be pricey.
Lots of options in Arenal; many free fun things, too (check out http://www.arenal.net/arenal-costa-rica-map.htm; there's also a youtube about free hot springs in Arenal, hiking, etc. for the more adventurous, but you have to follow these amusing guys and figure out which one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAVohKwhayw&feature=related)

There's always a way to go anywhere on a budget! (grammatically:), of course)