Program Reviews

In a span of six weeks, there will not be a time where you wouldn't know what to do. The first two weeks include taking online classes taught by experts in the industry and the next four weeks is where you are paired to a company for an internship. While this time is great to learn new skills, it is also a time where I explored the beauty of Cape Town, South Africa. During my time, I did many things out of my comfort zone such as skydiving, surfing, hiking, paragliding, and more. It's definitely a great time to learn and explore!

I attended the Lisbon summer internship program with Amy Buczynski and Jakes van Aarde, two great managers. For many of us, this was our first abroad program, and for some, our first work experience. Amy and Jakes built a home away from home for 30 students of diverse backgrounds and adopted the role of older siblings and mentors for six weeks. Not only did they support us throughout our internship experiences, but Amy and Jakes always made sure we were having fun abroad. Between boat trips, restaurant outings, and field trips around the city, nobody in the program had time to be homesick! I'm so grateful that their guidance and care enabled us to become such a close-knit group; I know I'll always keep in touch with my favorite mentors.

Through the opportunities provided by iXperience and the support of Amy and Jakes, I learned a lot of skills and knowledge from my course and internship and had a great time exploring the city of Lisbon. Amy and Jakes were always available if anyone had questions regarding their internship or career paths. Through weekend excursions planned by Amy and Jakes, such as trips to Sintra and wine tasting, students got a deeper understanding of the local culture. They ensured that everyone felt included, had fun, and was safe.

Pros:
- Great support team for internship
- Provide nice working space for classes and internship
- Classes generally helped prepare for internship work; software engineering instructors and teaching fellows were pretty good
- Provides useful resume feedback
- Chose a nice location for stay and convenient for work travel too
- Very responsive to feedback and any problems that you may encounter during the program

Cons:
- You will be photographed and videotaped by program managers a lot, sometimes even when you are not aware
- Boundaries of professionality were not always maintained between program managers and students

Hey YOU! I know you're looking for something to do over the summer, so I'm here to convince you join iXperience because doing so was one of the best decisions I've ever made. In 6 weeks, you can benefit from cutting-edge courses and internships, all while traveling to places that you couldn't even begin to dream of! So, if you're adventurous and want to gain pre-professional experience (with no qualifications necessary), iXperience is the program that you've been looking for! It's 100% worth it!

This program is the best way to build your resume through an internship and explore a city. The staff at iX is beyond helpful and provided plentiful support both in the internship and in our careers. I took the Software Engineering course in Lisbon and learned a lot about full-stack coding. My internship taught me key skills in teamwork and technical frameworks. What made my experience truly exceptional was my program directors Amy Buczynski and Jakes van Aardee. They ensured that we had a plethora of events to do around the city that let us get immersed in Lisbon culture and travel the city. Furthermore, they provided a support system in which I truly felt safe, included, and heard. I had an unforgettable summer that I will cherish forever.

I was a bit nervous at first because I had found this program through Facebook. However, the course was definitely challenging and being in Lisbon was an amazing experience. I'm grateful for the rigor provided as the program didn't just encourage pure memorization of CS concepts but rather the applications and self-learning (ex. asking instructors, Google, and peers). More importantly, this course empowered me to keep learning and creating as personal projects are great ways to dive into a topic. I also made great friends from other universities and explored and ate through what Portugal had to offer, from the seafood delicacies to amazing chicken at Frangasqueira Nacional. Lisbon is such a walking-friendly town and the cost of living is quite reasonable. Honestly, this summer was the perfect balance of work and fun.

I think it was a great learning experience, not just academically speaking, but personally as well. I took the data science course and I learned quite a lot but I suggest you learn a bit of python (or the language you will use) before coming because you will not be able to keep up if you don't. Learning so much content in such a short amount of time is not ideal. There are definitely a lot of things they should improve but I am glad I was exposed to important aspects of machine learning and that I got to apply some of the concepts through the internship. It's a great opportunity if it's what you need.

It was also a great experience to learn more about another country, others and especially yourself!! You will definitely grow as a person!!

This past summer I participated in iXperience's inaugural Immerse program in Cape Town, South Africa. The first four weeks of this program entailed a UVa Global Studies portion incorporating an art, archaeology or astronomy, conservation, and history element. During the next six weeks, I took the Management Consulting course. Collectively the liberal arts program and pre-professional program make iXperience a study abroad program like no other. The former instills an appreciation for South Africa, its inhabitants, and the country’s vibrant culture. All the while, the latter provides you with an opportunity to build a foundation in an area of your choice with industry experts (in my case a former project manager at McKinsey’s Johannesburg Office).
In the management consulting program, the clients are primarily South African startups with the governing logic being the smaller the firm the more likely that you, the students, get delegated meaningful work and that your final recommendations will be implemented. In my case, we consulted for a behavioral design agency that worked predominantly in the advertising space to develop a financial inclusion project that would enable township-based entrepreneurs to access their services. We delivered a business model which our client is moving to pilot this month.
Prospect students should be assured that they will have a great opportunity to experience personal growth and professional development while having ample time to take advantage of all of Cape Town’s recreational activities. Parents should know that their students will be working hard contrary to the reputation of most study abroad programs. Moreover, they are able to expand their network to include the iX staff, industry experts, and other students at some of the world’s most prestigious universities. The iXperience program is truly one of a kind and I imagine that it will only get better as they learn how to better integrate UVa’s institutional aims into their curriculum.

When I found out about iXperience and the amazing opportunity it provided to not only study but also work abroad, I was immediately sold. I love traveling and exploring new places, but I thought that I needed to get some real work experience the summer after my sophomore year of college. iXperience allowed me to combine both in one summer. I met some of the most amazing people, explored some really cool spots around Portugal and made so many great memories. Our classes were interesting, but never too intense or overloaded with work, and the internships provided so many cool opportunities to learn a huge variety of skills. As well, the program made sure to provide us with plenty of opportunities to explore Lisbon on our own and through outings they planned. I will never forget this truly incredible summer with iXperience.