Arcadia University- London Internship Program

Overall, my time in London was great, however, the internship where I was placed was horrible. I would not recommend the internship program solely because of my bosses. I worked at a public relations agency in Oxford Circus. I washed dishes for hours because everyone thought they were too good to wash their own. I was only supposed to work 20 hours a week because of my full course load, but they made me work 25-30 hours. Arcadia was really no help. A lot of personal growth happened because of this, but I learned nothing professionally.

My semester in London was probably some of the best few months of my life. I was lucky enough to intern with Simon & Schuster UK in the editorial fiction department, and being able to learn about the inner workings of a publishing company solidified in my mind that I want to work in one after I graduate. I worked closely on the publication of dozens of books, and it was amazing to get that kind of experience. My classes were all interesting, and I loved how our professors were encouraged to utilize London in their teachings. Two of my professors gave walking tours instead of lectures on different days, and we visited a museum in another of my classes. I lived in Earl's Court, which is a beautiful area, and we even had a maid that cleaned a few times a week. It was such a wonderful experience.

I really enjoyed this program-the professors are very passionate, concerned about giving you a good education but also great people and laid back (for example, we went out to the pub after our last exam.) I lived in Earls Court-the facilities were nice although the only downside was sharing rooms due to there being 6 of us. We had a basement flat in a gorgeous building, swanky area (Chealsea borough) with only about an 8 minute walk to the tube and a 5 minute walk to the nearest bus stop. I took 3 classes in addition to the internship (first with Street Kids UK) The Prince's Trust-I had an issue with placement about 2 weeks in and when I mentioned that it wasn't the experience I anticipated/I didn't think I'd get as much out of it, the staff were very helpful in helping me acquire a different, more suitable placement. As an anthropology major, working with a nonprofit organization was really great; it was a privilege to work for The Prince's Trust since it's so well-known and helps a lot of young people in the UK become employed. I love the work environment in the UK-pleasant people, lots of tea breaks, after work pub time with coworkers and a relaxed attitude. A few trips/events were offered by Arcadia such as Oxford for the day, Wales adventure weekend, Thames River Cruise and Tower of London visit. The interns also had a pub quiz night and farewell night where everyone got 2 free drinks which was nice.

If your looking to take classes and have an internship in London this is the program for you. Arcadia has a great global studies team for outside students and experience dealing with all kinds of study abroad programs. The London team is great as well and students from all over the country use the program. Compared to other programs students get more choices in terms of schools, classes, and living arrangement.

I chose to take classes at both Arcadia and City University London as well as an internship. This let me truly experience living, studying and working in London. I had a single room in central London close to my schools and work. Overall I got the most out of my time abroad and would recommend this program to anyone.

This program was one of the best decisions I've made in college. I got the opportunity to experience classes in a different environment and participate in an internship that was both educational and rewarding. Beyond just the required coursework I had the opportunity to become a Londoner. I was able to take all the opportunities provided by both the school and the city. Though I wish I had more exposure to other foreign students this can be achieved by taking courses at nearby universities. I made both friends and memories I am sure I will have the rest of my life and fell in love with the city of London and England in general.