Program Reviews

I enjoyed my time in Argentina immensely. I was able to take great classes with a great professor. I came in with an intermediate to advanced level of Spanish already, so my review might be a bit different from another's experience. However, I had never taken a college-level Spanish class before. Now that I am back at my university, SOL's classes actually taught me more than advertised (this might have also been because our class at SOL went a bit beyond the book for our level).

I had a great homestay experience, and SOL was really helpful in finding us places during the holidays especially.

Here are some things that SOL did not have control over, but that people should know.

Future participants should know that if they are also a racial/ethnic minority, they will have a different experience, too. I am Asian-American, and this did affect my experience. When I would travel to places later in the day or in the evening, sometimes with friends, and I would hear people saying racial slurs about me. I knew it was about me because I was the only Asian on the metro platform, for instance. However, Buenos Aires also has a Chinatown and Korean neighborhood, so there are places where support can be found.

Really, take the time to explore Buenos Aires' various communities. Some of my favorite memories were meeting Armenian, Chinese, and Venezuelan immigrants in Buenos Aires. Some might say that Argentina is not really Latin America, but its history of immigration, treatment of the indigenous, and cultural mixing demonstrate how it is a New World country.

Buenos Aires is a beautiful city full of culture! I did a 3 week program with SOL from late December to mid January. It´s summer time in Argentina, so the weather was very warm! I loved living with a host family and doing all of the included cultural activities with SOL! Raul, Kevin, and Beatriz were so helpful and knowledgeable of this beautiful city! My eyes were opened to a whole new culture (and accent) when I studied abroad in Argentina! I made some amazing friends and memories. Some of my favorite memories were visiting Colonia, Uruguay and La Boca. I also loved El Cementerio in Recoleta. If you choose to do this program, bring lots of spending money because there are amazing markets (ferías) every weekend in Palermo, Recoleta, and San Telmo! Not only did my Spanish skills improve, but also my navigation skills!

I had never been out of the country on my own before traveling to Costa Rica last spring semester with Sol Education. I was nervous, especially for the home stay, but my time spent abroad was one of the most incredible experiences of my life and something that has impacted my day to day since I returned. My host family was generous and kind, my program directors were supportive and amazing resources, and the friends that I met through the program changed my life. Throughout my four months in Costa Rica, I attended regular classes, both focusing on the Spanish language with students in my program, as well as classes with locals at the Universidad Latina. After class and on weekends I spent time with the people in my program, either in formal organized activities by Sol or extra trips planned by my friends and I. I am so thankful to Sol for the opportunity to get to know a different culture and immerse myself in a variety of experiences I would never had dreamed possible in the U.S.

I lived in the Center of Oaxaca so I was able to see almost all museums, coffee shops, and galleries. Met the best people in Oaxaca, I was able to be part of the community clubs as well. I loved the Oaxaca food. I liked my home and school! I enjoyed all activities and used all of my time to explore the city. I loved hanging out with the other students that were also studying abroad. I bought so many souvenirs but it must be lived! You will never regret it!

At the end of this trip, I told everybody that this was the greatest three weeks of my life. By far the best decision that I have ever made was studying abroad with Sol Education Abroad in Costa Rica. I began the program not knowing to much spanish but that changed exponentially by the end of the trip. I plan to pursue an internship in Costa Rica because I fell in love with the country and I owe this great experience to Sol Education Abroad and cannot thank my program directors enough for this opportunity.

I absolutely loved my time in Granada. The city is absolutely beautiful, but Sol helps you really plug into the city and help you experience it on a more personal level. For example, they surround you with the most loving and supportive people. The directors, teachers and host families were all so genuinely caring and made a huge impact on my experience there. This made the classes so enjoyable and productive. I improved in my spanish exponentially in my time there, and I had fun while in the classroom. It was truly an unforgettable experience that I’m forever grateful for.

After studying in Granada, Spain this winter break, I realized that I wanted to share my amazing experience abroad with other students. I learned so much in such a short period of time and gained invaluable memories with other students in my program. Not only did I improve my Spanish significantly, I was able to immerse myself in the vibrant Spanish culture. During this experience, I received a lot of support and guidance from my program directors and teachers. I would like to share my experiences and recommend this program to others.

Sol study abroad was an amazing experience and being in high school still, people in the program did a fantastic job with helping me along the way. I became a family with my host family and I always felt welcome and safe. The director made one on one relations with her students and truly cared for us. I had great teachers, enhancing my spanish language and culture by challenging me to learn and broaden my horizons. Also, the excursions were some of the best times of my life.

TRANSLATION:

These 3 months I've lived in Granada have been fantastic, I have met wonderful people and made great friends. The trips I made with my friends and with the program were unforgettable experiences. I really enjoyed traveling to Morocco because it is a culture very different from the other countries I have known. I would tell future participants to not be afraid of traveling and meeting new friends. Granada is a great city to live in, people are very friendly and there are many places with a lot of history to visit. Granada is a very safe city too and I liked that a lot.

ORIGINAL REVIEW:

Estos 3 meses que he vivido en Granada han sido fantásticos, he conocido gente maravillo y he conocido grandes amigos. Los viajes que hice con mis amigos y con el programa fueron experiencias inolvidables. Me gusto mucho haber viajado a Marruecos porque es una cultura muy diferente a los otros países que he conocido. Les diría a los futuros participantes que no tengan miedo a viajar y conocer nuevos amigos. Granada es una gran ciudad para vivir, la gente es muy simpática y hay muchos lugares cheveres con mucha historia para visitar. Granada, es una ciudad muy segura también y eso me gusto mucho.

This was the most exciting adventure I am yet to undertake. Going to a new country,and learning a new language has its difficulties but I wouldn’t trade the experience I’ve had for anything in the world. I want anyone thinking about coming to Spain to definitely try as hard as you can to get over here! The food, culture and people are incredible and interesting. Learning another culture will really open your eyes to know that there is more out there in the world.