I am happy with my improved Spanish, but overall I didn't enjoy the trip. Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The class was boring, not interactive, and was hard to stay focused...this is coming from a student who is very focused.

On-site administration of your program

Disorganized--for example, SOL gave its students a day off from classes on National Flag Day. The students knew this before arriving in Argentina; however, upon arrival they began hearing rumors that they would have to make up class hours from that day. A couple of days before Flag Day the students were given a schedule for mandatory times that they needed to come in to make up these hours (after a regular school day, which was already four hours). However, the students already had SOL Abroad activities scheduled for these times! As a result, the students were incredibly stressed and confused, not only because it was already practically unbearable to sit through a four hour class day (much less a 6-8 hour class day), but also because SOL employees were both telling the students to take mandatory make up classes and to go on mandatory activities in the city, which were both scheduled for the same time. In regards to activities, there was MUCH wasted time, standing around in the streets or waiting outside restaurants for the SOL employees to figure out what the students were going to be doing that day. Additionally, the SOL employees NEVER updated the students on what was happening. The students would literally be walking for over half an hour not knowing where they were going or what was happening.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Host mom was very, very sweet. Unfortunately, the electricity and wifi kept going out throughout the trip and there were very loud riots/political protests in the square outside our apartment which were not only scary but also made it hard to fall asleep at night.

Romamor was a terrible restaurant. It was always overpacked and way too busy. By the time the students were released from class, the staff at Romamor had given away most of the *reserved* tables for the students! Around four students usually had to stand and wait to be seated, and they were almost always seated in a separate part of the restaurant from the rest of their group. The food was bland, the chicken was literally grey, and though the restaurant claims that the menu changes every day, it really offers the same entrees with varying sauces! Every single entree option contained meat, and there were no vegetarian options, even though we registered our daughter as a vegetarian!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

There were riots/political protests every few days in the city. They are very frightening, as the protesters use fire and loud noises (motorcycle horns) and chant. We could hear gunshots ricochet through the streets during rallies both while we were walking in the streets and when we were at our host mom's apartment. The streets are very unsettling (especially for girls), and some people there are not afraid to touch you/mess with you. There are lots of pickpocketers. Another alarming event: the laundry mat two doors down from our apartment caught on fire. When we opened our apartment door to take the stairs down, we were surprised to find smoke. It was hazy and hard to see and began to make us cough. By the time we were outside, we could barely see and had to create an alternative route to take to school.

I have heard of other programs that sound much better, and I wish I had gone with one of those. The classes in this program were so unbearable to get through, and the activities were overall just not exciting enough to counterbalance the boring classes. The trip as a whole wasn't a great experience.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

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• Host Family

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• Host Family
• Other

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• Americans
• Other

• improvement in Spanish skills
• Colonia
• Riding horses in the countryside, also the bookstore El Ateneo

• classes
• organization
• food

The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer