Program Reviews

I really enjoyed my time in Costa Rica with Sol. I tried a bunch of new things (foods and activities), I spent some awesome time in nature, I met some really cool people, I lived with a kind host family, and I improved my Spanish. I really appreciated that the first several weekends had arranged travel, but then the weekends after that were open for us to travel as we pleased. This arrangement worked well because it gave us time to get acclimated to our surroundings before sending us off on our own. By the end of my time in Costa Rica, I felt that I had grown a lot in independence and courage. I was more willing explore new places on my own, and this is a skill that will serve me well in the rest of my life.
My favorite memory of my trip is swimming in the bottom of La Fortuna waterfall. It was so gorgeous that it almost didn't seem like real life. I'll never forget it.

I was so blessed to be able to live in Granada for a month! This study abroad trip was the best month of my entire life thanks to Sol Education! The classes were challenging, but not terribly hard. I loved getting to live with a host family because it allowed me to communicate and learn Spanish, which I preferred over learning in the classroom. Sol was great at showing my class and I all of the beautiful and fun locations in the south of Spain! Since leaving Granada, I have decided to double major in Communication and Spanish. This trip gave me a new outlook on the world and it was all thanks to the staff at Sol Education.

I have studied abroad seven times during my undergraduate studies and this was the most well-organized and supportive trip in which I have ever taken part. I have so much gratitude for our incredible directors and professors. All of our excursions helped to enrich the experience here and the host families acted as both a resource and support system to facilitate the creation of a home way from home. If you want to truly gain linguistic and cultural proficiency through studying abroad, choose SOL!

I really enjoyed my experience in Granada, Spain with Sol Education Abroad! This was the best life decision I have made so far. I learned so much about different cultures and was able to see so many new places! It was a great experience to meet new people, try new things, and overcome fears! I would love if this program had even more activities!

This trip has been the best time of my life. There are challenges in every situation but overall everything has been great. My family was amazing as were my friends. Granada is a beautiful and fun city and the local people here are extremely friendly. I recommend going to intercambios and meeting as many locals as possible. I wouldn´t change anything that I can think of and advise anybody who has this opportunity to take it.

I am so thankful I had the courage to come to Spain to study for a semester!! Without SOL I would have been totally lost. SOL opened up my world to new customs, traditions, events, and so much more here in Granada. This has been the best experience I have ever been a part of and I can´t believe it has gone by so fast. The staff both in Spain and in the United States are super friendly and helpful. I couldn´t think of a better way to end my first year of college than studying in Granada!

SOL provided me with help throughout my entire study abroad experience. From the application process to the departure process leaving Granada at the end of my semester, SOL directors and SOLmates were there for me. Before studying abroad I had never left the USA, but when boarding my flight to leave for Spain (without knowing very much Spanish) I didn´t feel nervous because I knew I had picked a good program. Throughout the semester SOL provided me with support, very fun activities, a wonderful host family, and my own little Spanish study abroad family.

Sol Education Abroad was the most incredible study abroad experience I could have ever imagined. The courses I took and the cultural activities included allowed me to build relationships with numerous fellow students. The culmination of these relationships was during the last weekend of the first month where I took a trip with about twenty students from my program to see the strait of Gibraltar while making stops at coastal beach towns. My favorite part of the program was the experiences I had with my host family. My host mom always made the best meals, and some of my favorite week nights were spent watching the European soccer tournament with my host father and brother. We cheered Spain on in victory and defeat, and on a couple occasions I got the opportunity to play soccer with my host brother and his friends. This trip was originally intended for me to complete the courses I needed for school, but by the end of the summer I had gained so much more than that!

I spent 3 weeks of my winter break in Costa Rica with SOL Education Abroad. We spent New Year's Eve there, one of the coolest experiences I had on the trip.

We went to la casa de la hija de Mama Tica where we met her daughters, son-in-law, and grandchildren. They only live about 2 minutes away. The house was still decorated for Navidad. Era bellísimo y la familia tambien. Kylie and I felt welcome at Mama Tica’s daughter’s house, the whole family greeted us with a kiss on the cheek which is customary in Costa Rica, but still much appreciated. We ate dinner at about 10:00 at night. I had steak and chicken on tortillas with chimichurri. Interestingly, the chimichurri wasn’t like the sauce I had tried before en los Estados Unidos. It was chopped tomatoes with onions and cilantro, but still delicioso!

We counted down for el año nuevo and Mama Tica literally jumped out of her seat and ran out of the room when we reached zero! We followed her outside to watch fireworks and celebrate in the street. I’ll never forget the view. We stood halfway up a steep hill overlooking downtown Heredia and San José. The lights of two cities were joined by sparks of fireworks on the mountain. The night air was cool and a couple other families in the neighborhood celebrated with drums and firecrackers. We came back inside to have “gelatina” which is jello and rum cake with caramel vanilla ice cream.

Soon we would return home, eager to get some sleep. Before we went to bed, Mama Tica told Kylie and I that we were gems, so close to in such a short amount of time. She is so happy we are able to communicate well with her. She drew the sign of the cross on our foreheads with her thumb, as she does most mornings before we leave the house, and off to bed we went. I hope to stay in touch with Mama Tica for as long as possible! She taught me so much Spanish, sometimes we would talk for hours after dinner (which was always delicious.) This was just one of the many meaningful experiences I had in Costa Rica, I'd be able to fill a whole book with the rest.

My time in Spain with Sol was amazing. I got to so things I never imagined doing in my life. I definelty came out of my shell while studying abroad with Sol Education. Before coming here I never wanted to speak Spanish with anyone, but as I started being here more I started to speak more Spanish, and be a little more comfortable speaking Spanish around others. Additionaly, I got to get to know Granada more because of SOL.