FIE London: Semester & Summer Internships

Don't get me wrong London itself is amazing. However, I feel like I am not able to see enough of it between my internship and all the homework assigned in my classes. I am only taking one class and an internship placement class and I still feel like there is more work assigned than back at my home university while taking 5 classes. Not only are the other students taken aback by it, but even the two professors admitted they are uncomfortable with the amount of work FIE requires them to assign. The internship placement course fails to relate to my internship at all, provides bad advice on how to handle an internship according to "British standards" (such as, don't ask your internship supervisors to clarify assignments) and packs a 6 week's syllabus into 5 weeks. I was lucky enough to get an internship I enjoy, but that seems rare amongst others I've talked to. In addition, housing 10 girls in 1 flat is too many. It gets dirty quickly; we're pressed for space and it is always too loud for you to get your homework done or sleep, especially since we were warned this building doesn't provide noise control. Yet the two boys in my program share a flat of the same size with one other boy (not to mention they live on the first floor and we all had to carry our heavy suitcases up 5 flights of stairs because there is no elevator). I understand the lack of elevator is not in FIE's control but even providing people to help you carry your bags would be better. There is no staff to greet you when you arrive which seemed pretty odd to me, and I haven't seen any FIE staff since orientation weekend. I wish there was a packing list that was more reliable because I packed all professional clothes for an internship that is casual, and I failed to pack towels, hand towels, hand soap, pillow, a fan, etc. which I had to purchase here. I am only 3 weeks into this 8 week program and for the amount of money I paid, I hope it improves. I guess I just expected more.

I had the best time studying abroad and FIE truly helped me with that. This program allowed us to have the study abroad experience with an internship abroad which is very rare to see on a resume so I jumped at the opportunity! My internship started half way through the semester and after starting it, I wish it would have been concurrent with my entire semester there because I loved it so much! I know it sounds cheesy to say but my internship supervisor and co-workers were some of the nicest and sweetest people that even a year later I'm still in contact with. Yes it was tough to get up in the morning sometimes but once the semester was coming to an end I wish I could have stayed longer. Something I wish I would have done more is go out and explore London. I got to visit amazing countries but I barely scratched the surface with London. Although, if I were to do it again I wouldn't change a thing.

Along with studying abroad, I was also able to intern for 7 weeks. I never had much work experience so I was excited to have this "job". I was nervous since it was in another country and worried about the cultural difference.

I liked how FIE was able to set us up with an internship placement and made the interview process non competitive. There was also a seminar class that went along with this internship to help us check in weekly.

I am glad I had this opportunity to intern internationally. I believe I have learned more about the way I work and how to adapt. For my future career, I hope to work abroad as well and I think this internship prepared me.

Although the time was not long for an internship, I was still able to learn and gain skills from this.

FIE london grants you the special opportunity to live in the heart of the English capital. In walking distance is the gardens where Princess Diana started her famous gardens, as well as the palace where in they reside. Just a quick tube stop to many famous locations including Piccadilly Circus, Parliament, Portobello Road market and the South Bank. FIE offers a competent class schedule, as well as a wonderful and responsible staff. If you were ever thinking about exploring London on a study abroad trip, I would recommend it heartily!

You know when you look forward to something all your life and when it happens, its a disappointment?
Well this was the complete opposite. I had been dreaming of living in London all my life and the program exceeded all expectations. I cannot stress enough how much London has impacted. I went in the Fall.

FIE is set up in a way that half the time you are studying with professors and half the time you are placed in an internship. For the studying portion, I had really great professors like Dr. Carolina Valiente who was great Finance professor. I also had the chance to fulfil a passion of mine and take street photography. Because of that class, I realized how much I had been keeping my creative side dormant and now I even have my own graphic design freelance business on the side!

For internship portion, they say we will get to experience diverse professional settings and boy did I ever. I was placed in Mercato Metrapolitano-an vibrant food market- where I got to work with Italians who fed me and talk me essential Italian phrases like dov'è il bagno or Posso avere più vino. It so happens that an independent cinema owner-Backyard Cinema (recommend everyone attends a showing) also shared space in the market. Me as a cinema lover was so excited with the unique experience that I asked if I could also work with them in my time off so I can attend showings and in no time I was participating in the brainstorming of their next season! It was so exciting, I still keep up with them from time to time. Don't be afraid to ask for opportunities, the worst thing they can do is say no.

The best recommendation I can give anyone is to not be afraid to experience. I went to 7 countries in the short four months I was there and trust me, if I had more time the number would have doubled. I recommend if you are booking a flight, not to be afraid of using nearby airports like Gatwick, Luton or Stansted because tickets tend to be cheaper even if you include the transportation cost of going back to South Kensington. Explore beyond South Kensington, places like Elephant and Castle and Brixton are gems of their own. Never check bags, it is time consuming and stay in hostels! I met so many great people who went exploring with me around the different cities!

Also, don't be afraid to go by yourself to the study abroad trip. You will make friends with the people you live. I knew nobody coming to London and to this day, my flatmate became my best friend. In fact my favorite memory was in one of those nights out, we went out to celebrate, got lost in the process, figured out the bus system (back when Piccadilly line was not 24-hours) and bar hops around London.

All in all, use all the time you have, it is gone in an instant!

Studying abroad and interning with FIE was incredible. I made some of the most amazing, kind, adventurous friends in the world, see things I’d only dreamed of seeing, and gain international work experience on top of that. I couldn’t imagine a better program, honestly. I loved every minute of it and wish I could do it all over again.

I think what I’d tell future students is whatever city you’re studying in, let that city become home. Let yourself be comfortable there, do your best to live how a native Londoner, etc. lives. That makes it feel like you have a home to go back to across the globe from where you’re from. It’s a feeling unlike anything I anticipated when I left for my study abroad experience.

I have studied abroad before, which was the best experience of my life. I was very exited for the opportunity to study abroad again, especially with an internship. The school is located in a great area, but the housing itself desperately needs updating. The school crams as many students as possible into each flat. There are cleaning staff that clean the flats each week but they barely touch anything and the house got so dirty to the point that several girls were grossed out walking into the common areas. The classes themselves were okay (lots of field trips) except that the school does not have many accreditations and so a lot of the classes offered were not accepted by my school. The internship office is not as good as they make it out to be. Only 10% of the people from the program were satisfied with their internships. Several of us got such poor internship placements that we cannot put them on our resume. This is the sole reason that I chose this program, but had I know the truth I definitely would have not done it. The social scene is good. If you find the right group of people, then you will have a great time- there is always plenty of things to do in London. They give you a free oyster card which saves a lot of money! If you are looking to go somewhere just for fun, this is the right program. However, if you are looking for a program that will help you to grow personally and professionally, this is definitely not the right program. Although I did enjoy myself, I was thoroughly misled and dissapointed by my experience in this program.

Where can I even start with this review?? My summer in London was truly an unforgettable one. First of all, South Kensington was an absolutely lovely place to be. I never for one second doubted my safety. There were also so many restaurants around that were affordable, welcoming, and most importantly - delicious. (Bella Italia, SCOOP, and Dozo to name a few). We were super close to Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens which are both adventures ready to be taken on in themselves, and I loved every second of it. One of my favorite memories was watching my friends roll down the hills outside Kensington Palace (and yes I said watch them- I didn't join for fear of grass stains). We also had so much fun experiencing and discovering the night life in London. However, for those of you that are not too keen on this, I never once felt like I had to go out. There are SOOOO many things to do in London besides indulge in the perks of being of drinking age. We went to pretty much all of the extracurricular events provided by FIE-. This includes plays (my personal favorite), rooftop mini golf, and the London Eye. London is huge and the possibilities for adventures are truly endless.

The classes we took during our time in London were incredible. I took British Life in Business, which was learning about business in England and the England culture overall. This class also included a ton of field trips. I was so so excited to take our field trip to Parliament and it's safe to say the trip went above and beyond my expectations. And of course the field trip to the brewery was super fun!! (Going to Wimbledon was also something I was crazy about!!). The internship class was also an incredible experience because it helped to actually take our internship and put into words how it was helping us grow professionally. I personally love professional development which was mainly the focus of the class. In addition, each professor I had was truly amazing in their own way. They both cared passionately about us and the topics we were covering, and personally made me feel comfortable talking to them if I ever needed to.
The internship was also something I will never forget. It was a phenomenal experience. I had never had an internship before, but it didn't matter because the FIE staff worked tirelessly to make sure every student got the best internship placement possible.

I encourage anyone considering studying with FIE to GO FOR IT!!! It was scary, and intimidating, and pushed me out of my comfort zone. But it was also exciting, fun, and challenged me in ways I'd never thought possible. I grew immensely from this experience and any bump in the road I encountered was put out of my mind because everything else was so amazing. The FIE staff truly cared about our well being and was there if we ever needed anything. I promise you, doing this will not be something you regret.