Sol Education Abroad - Faculty Led Programs

I had a wonderful time in Costa Rica! I believe it had everything to do with the people involved. My host mother, Janiva, and Leydi were welcoming and made sure that we were comfortable. They were kind, flexible, considerate, and patient. They worked very hard to make sure we would have an enjoyable time.

Before coming to Costa Rica, I was worried about what to eat because I have to eat gluten free. While in Costa Rica Janiva, Leydi, and my host mother made sure that my food was gluten free.

My Spanish knowledge was very limited, but everyone I interacted with was patient with me. By the end of the trip I was able to learn a lot! I was very grateful to have a host mother that knew English because I barely knew Spanish coming into the trip. My host mother was able to communicate with me while helping me learn Spanish. She also was loving which made it so I did not feel homesick at any point! I had a wonderful experience and I am grateful to the people that made it possible!

This experience was truly amazing and one of a kind. I felt like we were completely immersed in the culture of Costa Rica and got to experience fun things. Working with the children was also an amazing time and it was neat to see how differently they do things compared to other children I know. This experience provided opportunities to eat Costa Rican food, stay in a house with a Costa Rican family, meet and teach children, and go on touristy adventures around the country that were truly amazing. We experienced and amazing water rafting experience, zip lining, food tasting and cooking. We even got surprised with a beach trip. This experience was truly on of a kind! Costa Rica is beautiful and even with a mediocre knowledge of the Spanish language communication was possible.

Overall, I think that this trip was really great! I really enjoyed the trip because we not only did things like learn about the culture, visit and learn about the healthcare there, but we also did touristy things to make the trip even better. I also really enjoyed the group that was there: including the professors, the group coordinators, and all of the attending classmates. What I disliked the most was how much forced group activities we had to do. Sometimes I just wanted some space and independence, and more free time to do this would have been very welcome. However, this being my main dislike is minimal. Thank you for creating such a great abroad experience for me.

This trip was great! I love exploring the city of Oaxaca in ways that I would never have had the chance to without this trip. Ena and Priscilla were excellent at planning great activities for us and being translators/tour guides for us, and by the end of the trip, we were all really great friends. I loved being able to tour hospitals and clinics around the city and communicate with the people who live there. It definitely gives me a different perspective of healthcare and makes me feel very fortunate for the resources we have available to us in the US. I would definitely recommend this trip to anyone in the future!

Loved the tour guides and all who were involved making this trip happen. they were all so educated about the area, and worked extremely hard to go above and beyond when taking us to new places. I know this was their first time working with a group of nursing students, but i honestly feel like they had done all of this before. I loved getting to share our knowledge of the nursing world with them, and then getting to share their knowledge of the world with us! I really have no complaints besides the minor miscommunications that took place. (which were more so our fault)

This was my second time attending this SOL Education in Costa Rica and it was exceptional. I liked the whole itinerary and opportunities to learn spontaneously. What I really love is that even when there are small changes or a bump in the road the SOL support team are there to help the students move forward and gain an experience from the whole process. It was a great experience and I feel that the combination of the staff and families as well as Posada de Belen staff created a wonderful experience. One suggestion for the next time is to have a little more structure at Posada de Belen allowing our students to train staff or parents about child development. My favorite memory was visiting/meeting the teen mothers at Posada.

I loved my host family and wish that everyone could stay there. They were so welcoming and ready to learn more about my own culture. The best was probably going and not being just a tourist but being a traveler. I loved when we went to the hot springs and stayed at the hotel it was so beautiful. I wish that we could have stayed at the hotel at least another day to have more relaxation time. Overall my experience was great and would totally do it again.

SOL did an amazing job in delivering a program with a focus in Child & Adolescent Development. Eva was very patient and considerate of our requests.
-The experiences with Saul in la Central de Abastos and el "Diablito de los Libros" was one of the highlights. Perhaps in the future our students can take part in the activities that they conduct with the children in el Mercado.
-CANICA was also a perfect fit for our students teaching their activities. It would have been great if there were more kids present, but we understand that attendance is lower in the summer vacation.
-All the tours and cultural experiences where great.
-Monte Alban is a great way to start the program, the tour guide was very detailed and knowledgeable.
-The lecture with the anthropologist was very informative and ideal for our groups interests.
-This time around we were lucky that all our students understood Spanish. It was comforting to see that if needed all activities could be conducted in English.

My study abroad experience was with Blinn College through Sol Education, and it took place in the summer of 2017 in Granada, Spain. The entire experience was great and truly eye-opening. In the past, I have traveled around the world with my family for vacations, but this particular trip was unlike anything I had experienced before. From beginning to end, whether studying or exploring, the study abroad trip was amazing.

The first few hours in Spain were a little bit shocking, due to the language barrier and new surroundings, but I was immediately mesmerized by the city of Granada and the beauty that it presented. After meeting my host family and settling myself in, I felt more relaxed, and overall it was comforting to know that I wasn't alone in feeling initial discomfort and awkwardness—the other students, the professors, and I were able to constantly communicate through Group Me, and we shared our thoughts, pictures, and individual experiences throughout the entire trip. Not only did I feel like I could depend on the other students and the professors for guidance and support, but I felt the same about the Sol Education staff. Our group's Sol director, Miguel Pinto, plus the rest of the Sol staff, were always available to lend their support or give assistance whenever or wherever needed. I am grateful for all the work that everyone did to make sure our group had a safe, fun, and successful trip abroad.

We were able to see and visit so many beautiful places in Granada and the Andalucia area. Although the summer heat was difficult to endure sometimes, the sights and views of Albaicín, Sierra Nevada, La Alhambra, Sevilla, Córdoba, plus many others, were completely worth the long hikes and sweat.

I want to encourage students to take the opportunity to study abroad, whenever possible, because I do believe it is a great experience to have, but that doesn't imply that everything will be smooth and easy going all of the time. The other students and I took two intermediate level Spanish classes while in Granada (over a span of one month), and it was hard work. It was easy to get sidetracked and forget about studying for class or for exams, especially when we were tired from long days, but it was important to keep pushing ourselves and figure out the best strategy for ourselves as individual students. Although studying abroad is fun and exciting, it's definitely not the time to slack off.

In general, here are some other tips that I would recommend for students planning to study abroad in Spain (or anywhere else where these tips may apply): pack a good pair of tennis shoes to protect your feet while walking and hiking; bring an insulated water bottle so you always have cold water when you're out; bring a decent amount of cash, or plan to withdraw from a trustworthy bank abroad, because shops and restaurants prefer quick payments by cash; pack a small table fan, or bring money to buy one, for the hot days when air conditioner isn't available; pack a power bank charger for your phone so you always have power for pictures or an emergency; consider purchasing an international phone plan for your time abroad, I used Travel Pass through Verizon that cost $10/day for unlimited talk, text, and data; and, bring a secure wallet, purse, or bag to carry in front of you to prevent easy pick pocketing. Also, try researching your abroad city before your departure date to find interesting or fun places to go on some of your free days. Or, ask your host family for suggestions and learn what they enjoy doing in their city.

And, overall, enjoy yourself. The most important thing I feel like I can say is to not be afraid to explore. I believe there is great importance in traveling, especially when there is an opportunity to not only discover a new culture, but also yourself through learning and interacting, or even just observing. Whether you're a student going out to participate in a cultural activity with your abroad group, or just a person going to walk the streets of your new, temporary home, you should always take time to absorb and appreciate whatever surrounds you. It seems there is never enough time to learn and to enjoy what stands in front of you, so fully experience every moment you have.

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.