Sol Education Abroad: Study in Oaxaca, Mexico

I arrived in Oaxaca exausted after 2 weeks in a dirty uncomforable hostel in Puerta Vallarta. Any nervousness I had was immidately assuaged when I met Yeyo (my program director) and was driven in a van with someone else in my program to my homestay. I was flooded with excitement when I saw my homestay and met my host mom. She was so sweet and kind and showed me to a big room with a balcony that would be mine for the program. From then on I didnt have a single bad experiance in Oaxaca. Its a beautiful and facinating city and there was always plenty to do between numerous markets and rooftop bars and churches and museums. Sol took us on excursions to incredible ruins and giant markets and our director even helped us organize excursions outside of our planned ones for additional things we wanted to do. And my host mom took my roommate (who is now one of my closest friends) and I to even more amazing places on her freetime and helped us with Taxis and busses. Sol in Oaxaca was absolutely one of the most amazing trips of my life and I plan to do Sol Costa Rica, Spain, and Oaxaca again in the future.

This was my first trip out of the country, and I honestly couldn't have dreamed of a better adventure this winter. From landing in Oaxaca to taking off again, everything was fantastic. Our program director Sergio was so great, he made me feel so at home and so welcome not only in our program but in the city of Oaxaca. The food was better than I could've imagined, the class I got to take (which was one on one, by the way) was maybe the best/most fun class I've taken in my Spanish career, and the city was beautiful. I made so many great friends that will be with me for the rest of my life, and I cannot wait to return to Oaxaca someday soon and for my next adventure with Sol!

As soon as I landed at the airport, I felt the city of Oaxaca embrace me with love! I immediately met my director and we were off. As my journey continued, I met some amazing students from across the country and professors just as diverse. The automatic mesh with the entire program affiliates made me forget I stood hundreds of miles away from home. I was able to experience the Earth's breathtaking natural formations such as Hierve el Agua and Arbol de Tule to the finding of secrets from ancient ruins and civilizations such as Mitla and Monte Alban. With the exploration comes the dining, the sabor of the traditional Oaxacan dishes has left me spoiled for eternity. I can only aspire to share the tradition into my own home to remind me of my warm loving host family back in Oaxaca. Cooking classes, submersion, academic learning, exploration, loving language, colorful culture, tasteful food, detailed textiles, perfect weather and compassion amongst my group is a sum of my experience in a nutshell and yet it still doesn't give justice the fact Oaxaca has a place in my heart forever. Thank you Sol Education for this unforgettable experience.

I have studied abroad in both the Costa Rica and Oaxaca programs. I absolutely loved it both times. The host families in both places were so nice and welcoming. Their top priority is making sure you feel comfortable and welcome in their home. The immersion experience is what every Spanish student needs in order to start talking comfortably in Spanish. The professors were nice and friendly and very qualified in their fields. The excursions made the study abroad experience more like a vacation. This program is so worth the money! The memories will last a lifetime!

Well my favorite thing about Oaxaca was the people and how they were also so kind and welcoming with me. One time I was shopping in the center where there are puestos (small pop out stores) , i had just bought Alebrijes from this vender when a student from my program saw me shopping. We talked and the student was asking about a place where bathrooms are for free in the center. Well in México people pay anywhere from 2-5 pesos to use the bathroom which is like 5¢ to 25¢. I asked the vender how my friend didn't want to spend money but was looking for a feee bathroom to use. The vender then took out 5 pesos and gave it to my fellow classmate without hesitation and told him to use the bathroom. He didn't have to do that for my cheap classmet who didn't want to spend 25¢ on a bathroom. Nor did the student buy a product from him either. It was the goodness of his heart to do something kind for my classmate. I love Oaxaca! It's a magically place you don't wanna miss out on this once in a life time experience! You won't regret it! :D

I went to Oaxaca City, Mexico through Sol Abroad for two months and had a great experience. My host family was absolutely amazing. Their home was clean and my host mom was so kind, and cooked the best meals. I had my own bedroom and bathroom in the house, and a very cheap (about $1 per load) and easy laundry service maybe 5 minutes from the house. I had one roommate from another program, a 25 year old college student from Canada. I think Sol should have mentioned before the program that you may be sharing the home with a student from another program. It wasn't a problem, and I got along great with my roommate, but it was a bit weird to hear two weeks in that someone new was coming to live with us without any mention of this beforehand.

As for the school, I had two classes with only me and one other girl. The small classes were great. The teacher in the first class was okay-- she was on her phone sometimes and occasionally made errors, which was frustrating. She wasn't the most engaging teacher but she was super friendly. The other teacher was incredible-- probably the best Spanish teacher I've had. I think that most people have great experiences with the teachers, so maybe I just got a little unlucky with the first teacher. Most people seemed really happy with their classes.

Oaxaca is an amazing city, and Mexico is an amazing country. Don't listen to anyone who tells you otherwise. The people are friendly, the food is incredible, the culture is so unique, the Spanish language is amazing-- seriously, I could go on forever. I have been all over the world but Mexico is one of my favorite places. As long as you use your street smarts (don't walk alone at night, don't wave around a flashy camera, avoid dangerous areas, etc), Oaxaca is perfectly safe. I walked around alone and rode the bus alone and didn't feel unsafe at all. I was lucky enough to be in Oaxaca during Day of the Dead, and it was one of the most unique, weird, and amazing experiences of my life. People literally dance and eat tacos and play mariachi music in cemeteries. It's so cool.

Sol Education Abroad is set up really nicely for college students. Sol's website, however, advertises "gap year" programs, which made me think that the program would be flexible for non-university students. I paid for two intensive months, which I was lead to believe included 8 weeks of Spanish classes. After 6 weeks, however, one of the classes ended, and I was informed that I had completed all of the "classroom credit hours" for what I had paid for, and I could no longer attend classes at the school. What??? I was allowed to sit in on a class, but it was just a random history class, not a Spanish class like I had wanted. Super weird. Paid for 8 weeks, but only got 6 real weeks of Spanish classes. Felt very frustrated. Sol's website also advertises help finding volunteer opportunities. When me and another student asked about this, the program leader seemed confused and did not really know how to help, despite the website boasting tons of volunteer connections throughout the city.

Other than that, my host family was great, the program director was friendly and helpful, and all the students in the program were really nice and welcoming. Sol Education Abroad is a great program I think for college students, and for other people as well-- just make sure you ask the right questions at the beginning. Oaxaca City is incredible, and I can't recommend living abroad enough-- whether you're a university student, a gap year person like me, or just an adult looking to learn a new language.

I was honestly a bit nervous for my first experience abroad, but Oaxaca, Mexico - the people, the mountains, the vibrant color, and magical festivals radically changed my life. I learned, over the course of 3 1/2 months to appreciate the people I was surrounded by, to ask more questions, to explore with more enthusiasm, to open my mind and my heart to a new culture and language, to be silly, make mistakes, and to experience the richness of the world in a new light. Of all of the memories that I have from my time in college, my study abroad experience in Oaxaca, with SOL, stands far above the rest!

Oaxaca is such a wonderful experience of the culture in Mexico and the people are incredibly warm and hospitable. Studying Abroad with SOL Education Abroad was such a good experience because they are very well organized, the program is not overpriced and the experiences have been priceless. I have such a different perspective of people in general after traveling for a longer period of time than in the past. I think that's what studying abroad does for you. You experience a different perspective of life which can bring such a beautiful change in our minds and hearts. I would do the program again!