A Life Abroad Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Sol has somehow managed to strike a fine balance between being an academically rigorous program, and a program that allows its students enough time to live life beyond being a student while staying in Heredia, Costa Rica. The curriculum is diverse and has an emphasis on projects, which were our 'finals.' Ultimately, however, the student can learn as much as they wish. I had opportunities to study aspects of the spanish language that I was not comfortable with or did not really know at all with native speakers - my host family. Taking advantage of this was the best decision I made. Not ever student in my program did this, because it's a choice you have to make. I still had time to go out at night and on the weekends with my fellow students and spend time with my host family. It's about balance.

On-site administration of your program

Administration was perfect; I once ended up getting lost during a tour of San Jose, the capital, but I didn't panic because I didn't need to. I called administration back at the university and the program director, Janiva, answered immediately. We figured out where the tour group was going from where I was, and how I could get there, and that's where I went. Every effort was made from the higher level to ensure that I learned and was safe both within the classroom and without.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I feel like I may have gotten lucky because of how well I integrated with my host family, but I give five stars because of the fact that we are immersed in the spanish language; we live with native speakers. You can't really replicate an experience like that. Consider this program only if you really, really want to improve your spanish. If you're unfocused, don't make an effort, or give up on learning the language because it's difficult (and it will be), maybe this program is not right for you at this time. Even if those don't apply to you and you have a passion for learning, you may not get along with your family well. Sol does its best to match you up, but you need to adapt. You're in their home and their country.

I am a vegetarian, and I have two great things to say about this program: 1: I was able to let my host mom know this well before I arrived via Sol, so that she could accommodate me. She accommodated me extremely well; I had a diverse and delicious array of food, but I think this is due to the fact that even though I abstain from eating meat, fish, and poultry (and gelatin depending on the day), I gladly ate dairy products, of which Costa Rica has lots of. I was not afraid to try new things. 2: Costa Rican cuisine and the restaurants in the country are both in general very vegetarian friendly, with many explicitly stating that they have vegetarian options. A word of caution for vegans: Costa Rica is very big on dairy, both with eggs and the use of milk products. I know there were at least one or two vegans on my trip, but I did not get to speak to them to find out about their experience, so I have no idea what their life was like in Costa Rica. My impression is that being a vegan in Costa Rica with a host family is doable, but difficult.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt extremely integrated with the local, and the central aspect of this was living with my host family. However, I'd like to note here that I put in lots of effort to learn the language and communicate with my host family. The more that we could communicate, the more that they could share with me, and vice versa. So this is kind of related to the education question. Many U.S. students wanted to spend most of their time hanging out together, and spoke almost exclusively English together. On the one hand, I understand why this is important and necessary, but I want to stress that you cannot let this get in the way of the time you must spend with your host family. Get to know your host family, whoever they are. Make an effort to communicate well. Take a dictionary, or download a spanish dictionary app for your phone so you can translate words as you need them. What you get here is what you put in.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

During my final week of classes I came down with some kind of allergic reaction that was resulting in a rash all over my body, and I had some kind of virus in my throat that made swallowing hurt a little. I noticed that neither was going away after two days, so I immediately contacted my program supervisor, Janiva, and we went to a local clinic. The local healthcare system that Sol is partnered with is comparable in quality to what we have in the United States, and for me seemed more efficient. Janiva was able to translate what the doctors and nurses said if I didn't understand them, and I received a vaccine and a prescription for three medicines to deal with my ailments. All within the span of maybe twenty minutes. Within a few days my throat was feeling much better and my rash was clearing up. Within Costa Rica currently, there's some concern over Zika in some of the more rural parts of the country, and there are tropical diseases like Dengue or Chikungunya, but I was up to date on my vaccines before I left for Costa Rica so none of these presented any issues. However, if you are not up to date, you will need to get whatever you nee before coming.

Heredia is a very, very safe city and all of the host families are in very safe, middle class areas. Taxi stops are abundant, so walking home at night is never really a necessity. If I had any advice, it's this: use common sense. Don't get plastered with alcohol and then be surprised when something bad happens. But this is the same thing in the United States, or anywhere, I'd imagine. Always stay in groups at night with fellow students or with your host family members. Know where you are going before you leave. Know how to get there, or at least a general idea. If you're going to drink (and there is nothing wrong with drinking, I actually want to encourage you to try the national beer, Imperial), don't be stupid about it; drink with your host family members or other students, and keep an eye on each other. When you go out to clubs, especially keep an eye on your drinks and on one another. Costa Rican men in clubs and bars like meeting American girls, but the reverse is not always true, and they can be aggressive in trying to dance with or talk to you.

Sol offers the best experience I could have asked for. I now have a family and a home in Costa Rica, and that family now has a family and home in the United States. Plus, I am much more comfortable and knowledgeable about spanish now than when I started. Plus, going abroad and getting outside of your home, your comfort zone, and your language forces a new perspective on you. I still can't entirely explain it, but now I have a much clearer picture of what I am thankful for, and what I want for my own life.

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

The first few weeks, I went out a lot with my friends, and alcohol costs money. So naturally, the first few weeks I spent more money then I planned on. I budgeted well but was still running up against what I had allotted for each week, which was $100. Further, because I took two additional trips, I withdrew more cash than I originally brought so that having cash on hand would not be an issue in those places. The last week and a half or so I didn't really go out at all in the sense of drinking, so I was able to live with minimal costs because my host family prepared my meals. Again, this is ultimately up to the student.

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

Spanish immersion is heavily encouraged. And you will be mostly immersed because of your classes and your family. But often times, the students will resort to speaking english. Again, this is understandable, but I tried to stick with other students who wanted to practice their spanish together, because by doing so we were truly immersed in the language.

Select all that apply

• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Americans

• -The host family
• -The emphasis on language immersion
• -The diverse array of activities

• -Push the students to speak more spanish!
• -Keep emphasizing that students will get out of the experience what they put in
• -Not much else- this is a stellar program.

The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer