A Life-Changing Experience in Medellin, Colombia Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I was paired with a process engineering internship in a local factory where I got to work right alongside the machine operators and my department team members. My project was thorough and challenging and at the end of the internship I was proud to present what I had created to the factory managers. I expanded my skills as an engineer and got real engineering field experience in a unique and friendly environment.

On-site administration of your program

The in-country hosts were absolutely wonderful. The ladies were always on-call and available when we needed them, as well as available for lunch or other fun activities throughout our visit. They were all very passionate about sharing the culture of their country and making sure all of the interns felt safe and welcome.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I stayed in an apartment in Ciudad del Rio with two other roommates. The apartment was located a 20 minute bus ride from my job location and directly in the middle of a beautiful park that never lacked a hip crowd of locals, day and night. The apartment was nothing fancy but it was clean, safe, and comfortable and we had a maid provided that came once a week to tidy up, which was fantastic.

You've never lived until you've had a bandeja paisa or an arepa de queso. The food everywhere was absolutely incredible at a third of the price it would be in the US. I would highly recommend the food carts and trucks, you can never go wrong with some street empanadas.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Even my first day in the city I was meeting new people. The in-country hosts very quickly pull you into their culture by bringing you out to the clubs or local restaurants. All of my coworkers were also incredibly kind and friendly. One of the easiest ways to see the city like a local is to go out with your coworkers after work, they all know the best places to spend the evening.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The program has on-call nurses that come to you in multiple cities when you need medical attention. I found myself very ill at work one day and a medic came to my place of work and treated me there.

Contrary to popular belief, the city of Medellin can be an absolutely safe place to visit. It is important to have common sense in the ways that you present yourself in public and the places you visit, just like any city, but I never felt unsafe in the city with other interns around. Keep a buddy with you and listen to the hosts when they tell you where you shouldn't go and you will have no trouble at all.

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

Everything in-country is incredibly cheap. Transportation, food, and even clothing can be found almost anywhere for well under half the price of what you're used to. This, however, makes it surprisingly easy to overspend if you are not careful. If you keep track of your spending you should have no probably keeping a minimal-cost budget.

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

I spoke only Spanish outside of the apartment for the most part. Not many locals spoke any English, strongly encouraging me to practice my Spanish even among the interns. I also worked under a boss and alongside coworkers who spoke no English, so my daily job duties were carried out solely in the Spanish language, which was incredibly helpful in growing my confidence as a Spanish speaker.

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• Apartment

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• International Students

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• International Students

• The people
• The food
• The culture

• The cost

The Academic or Linguist