With Sol, I learned more about myself and the world than I had ever imagined! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I was very comfortable in the classes and feel like a I learned a lot from some of the most caring professors I have ever had. At times, I wish we had been pushed to dig a little deeper, but the lighter work load allowed me to travel and experience the culture, which I am incredibly grateful for.

On-site administration of your program

The directors are fantastic. They were always planning activities and were always there if we had any issues.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Living with my host family was one of the best parts of the entire experience. I had the opportunity to learn and practice spanish every day at home, and my host mom was the sweetest. She went above and beyond to feed me great food and always made sure I was comfortable. It was also great to spend time with the rest of the extended family that would visit every weekend.

The food was fantastic. The fruits in Costa Rica are amazing, there are all kinds of fruits that I never knew existed but now have some new favorites (Guanabana, Granadia, etc.). I ate gallo pinto just about every day and it never really got old for me. I enjoyed the mix of hispanic and Caribbean dishes that I found in Costa Rica

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Living with a host family made me feel like I was part of the local culture. Although with my appearance, it was hard to avoid being immediately recognized as a gringo, I still personally felt like I was living like a local. Heredia is more Americanized than other cities in Latin America but the Ticos came across as being very friendly.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I was fortunate to be very healthy for the majority of my time in Costa Rica. I was just a little sick for about a week but my host mom gave me many different forms of natural medicine and teas to make me feel way better. Some of my classmates had some serious health issues, but from them it seemed that the health programs were very helpful, and our directors were fantastic in that they stayed with the students throughout their health issues. Going in I was very nervous about the prevalence of the Zika virus, but once I got to Costa Rica I almost never even heard it mentioned. There are very few mosquitos in Heredia and I rarely had issues with mosquitos when I traveled.

I pretty much always felt safe in Heredia. During the day I felt safe to walk anywhere. We were advised not to walk on the streets late at night and take taxis instead, which fortunately are very cheap. I stuck to that and never really felt unsafe. There were no major safety incidents among the students while we did here about incidents nearby in the news.

I honestly loved the program. The excursions were some of the best experiences I have ever had. The directors were fantastic and they made it so that the excursions were not only enjoyable but incredibly educative, and have opened my eyes to all kinds of things I didn't know about. I was able to travel way more than I had expected to and that allowed me to see the incredible beauty and diversity of Costa Rica. I am also super grateful that I was able to spend so much time with a fantastic group of classmates/friends/SOLmates.

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

I could go for a whole week without spending a dime if I so chose. While we were in Heredia, our host families offered to make breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day. When we went on excursions there were some additional expenses for food and tips. Most of my money went towards personal travel. I was able to travel somewhere most weekends as the public transportation is very cheap and I was always able to find a hostel for $10-$15 per night. With food prepared for us, it can be very affordable if you want it to.

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

I was always using the language at home, in class, and on my own in town. A lot of english was used among the students when we were together, but our program directors frequently encouraged us to use spanish. It also depended heavily on the student as all levels were represented and some wanted to speak spanish more so than others.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• The excursions and how easy it was to travel most weekends (Costa Rica is so beautiful!)
• My fellow students and the directors
• Living with my host family

• I wish the spanish classes were just a little more demanding
• I wish Heredia was less Americanized
• I wish I wasn't so easily profiled as being a gringo (This last two can't actually be improved, but there's not much that I would realistically improve)

The Avid Adventurer