Why did you choose this program?
King's College London launched the Global Internships Program for the first time this year, offering 10 places for its students to intern in either Washington DC, Mumbai, or Shanghai.
I applied for an internship in Washington D.C. which was to be entirely taken care of by Global Experiences, and was lucky enough to be selected. As a first year student, finding a 2 month internship in the legal sector is very difficult. This program was a golden opportunity I could not miss out on.
What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?
Global Experiences found my accommodation, organized social events throughout my stay and, most importantly, paired me with a brilliant criminal defense attorney. However, I mostly had to organize the visa application on my own but could ask them some questions if I needed to.
What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?
The most important advice I could give someone going on this program is to plan ahead regarding the visa application. Global Experiences dealt with my sponsor ICLS but the rest was left to me. I thought I would be helped every step of the way and be able to situate where I stood in the timeline.
In reality, it was a struggle and a really stressful process due to the lack of transparency and not enough time to be in a peaceful state of mind. This was the only drawback of my experience. I am proud that I managed to take on this challenge, but I would have liked to have more time when doing it!
What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?
I had a 2 hour commute per day and worked from 10am to 6pm - although my hours varied in the absence of my supervisor. I lived in George Washington University Hall, an accommodation full of students and interns so I never felt alone and always had someone to have dinner with in the evening.
Global Experiences organized several social and cultural events scattered during the seven weeks of my stay in Washington DC. My weekends were spent running around DC to familiarize myself with the city as much as possible, and come back home with as many memories as possible.
Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it and/or how did your views on the issue change?
I had never worked before and interning in DC was my first experience ever. I was really worried as to how I would adjust to working hours. Thankfully, my company welcomed me with open arms and were open to answer any of my questions. In addition, my hours were adjusted to make my stay as comfortable as possible which made the transition between student and worker life very easy.