Program Reviews

Hi! I was apart of the Spring 2024 intern abroad program in Florence. I had the best time ever! I will be honest though, the experience is not easy. As an intern abroad you have to balance time very well with social life and work life. I worked 40 hours weeks most weeks and traveled on the weekends. It is exhausting. Luckily I had a great group of girls I was living with and we really bonded over our experience in the program and helped each other vent and get through the hard parts. The placement I had was the perfect type of internship, which is great because I needed the experience. Although, working in a different countries does have some hardships. I am a pretty personable person and the language barrier made it very hard for me to make connections with the people in the office with me, a lot of the time they would speak in Italian and I knew very little. It felt a little lonely and I have never been in a work environment where I wasn’t friends with those who I was working with. It definitely became a really tiresome feeling and I dreaded going to the internship towards the end. I also did not need credit and was doing this for experience so working as much as I did burnt me out kind of fast. I had hoped there was a part time position or option but that was not possible. But in all I had a really great time, the experience was once in a lifetime and I would definitely recommend!

I had a great experience while interning abroad in Milan, Italy. I felt very supported while abroad by both AISF advisors, Amanda and Antonella. They went above and beyond to make my stay as comfortable as possible and catered to our needs. My internship placement was fantastic, I was often tasked with projects that can be used in my portfolio and I was fortunate enough to experience Milan Fashion Week and attend some of the events. Overall, I definitely enjoyed my experience and I will continue to remember this trip for years to come.

Overall, I had a great experience in Milan and am very grateful for the support and guidance offered by our program advisors. Although my internship was not the professional experience I had hoped for, living abroad and immersing myself in a new culture made the program worth it. If there had been clearer expectations about my role as an intern I think this could have helped me have a more valuable work experience. I would highly recommend this program to anyone looking for the opportunity to live abroad in a major city.

Overall, this experience abroad was eye opening and amazing! I couldn't have asked for better program advisors, Antonella and Amanda. They were super welcoming and responsive. During my time, I was able to travel outside of Italy and explore Milan which was one of my favorite parts about being here. However, my internship was not something I got to excel in professionally. I think the employer should be more honest on what the job entails to the intern and to AIFS because my responsibilities did not align with what I actually did during my internship.

I was working abroad with 5 other girls. Our advisors, Amanda and Antonella, were the glue of our program and had the solution to every problem. They are extremely supportive and could not have asked for better advisors. I loved the people in my program and was able to travel on the weekends to different countries. On the other hand, my internship was busy work consisted of getting clients coffee and sending emails 9-5 every day. I didn't grow professionally but the friends and travel opportunities made the program worth it.

Great time with my host company and program coordinator, I am happy with the people I was assigned. I appreciate helphousing and Lourdes a lot, they made my experience worthwhile.

Only things that I wish were different were the small housing issues we had to deal with during the entire time here, but I appreciate all of the efforts of the staff to fix things as much as possible.

Great time with my host company and program coordinator, I am happy with the people I was assigned. I appreciate helphousing and Lourdes a lot, they made my experience worthwhile.

Only things that I wish were different were the small housing issues we had to deal with during the entire time here, but I appreciate all of the efforts of the staff to fix things as much as possible.

My experience was unique because I was the only person on my program who had a remote internship. I feel as though I got off on the wrong foot because I was the only person who had Italian experience, so I was in a different class than the rest of the people in my program. This was no one’s fault, but I wasn’t able to get to know them as we were all on different schedules. The on-site staff, Antonella and Amanda, were so helpful in making all of us feel included and planning great events for us.

This was one of the best opportunities I have ever participated in. I was a bit nervous because it was my first time traveling abroad alone, but since I opted into AIFS booking my travel, the AIFS program did a super job coordinating everything. The orientation set up expectations and helped me get over my second anxiety, public transport. Getting around independently becomes a breeze once it is explained to you and they give you the resources.

The class I took while I was there was very engaging, and the teacher took a real interest in our interests and learning. She wanted to make sure we had the best opportunity in Berlin while getting the most out of our learning experience.

Berlin was great! I really enjoyed how welcoming the staff were and how engaging the classes were. I participated in two classes during my time at Humboldt Universität. I took a German language course and an Economic Urban Development course. The professors were very engaging and directions for completing in-class tasks/assignments were crystal clear. In addition, the excursions planned by AIFS were entertaining, engaging, and very informative! I would definitely recommend! One more thing, please check the restroom and shower to make sure everything is in good condition. My shower drain was clogged and it would result in water oozing towards the kitchen area. Nonetheless, AIFS fixed this problem and the rest of the program was great!

My semester in Salamanca was one of the best times of my life. It was a peaceful and fun time that created life-long memories and friends.

My international business classes were interesting, my professors were great, the city is beautiful, its people are very friendly, the food was delicious, and the night-life was fun. I still miss walking around that city to this.

Overall, I recommend a semester with AIFS Salamanca to anyone at all interested in experiencing Spanish culture in a beautiful walkable city or looking to learn international business in a foreign country.