AIFS Abroad Reviews

I was extremely scared and anxious to study abroad, but I am so happy that I did. The people that I met and the ability to travel somewhere new was worth it. I gained valuable life skills to last forever!

My most memorable experience was the trip we took to Chianti in Italy. We were able to hike through vineyards, learn about wine-making and then had lunch and a tasting with one of the wine-makers.

Before leaving, I never thought I'd ever consider another place other than Melbourne, my home. Now New York is the only place I would like to be, and the support of Global Experiences played a big role in that.

Leading up to my departure, I received much support from the Global Experiences staff. Every question I had, every concern they answered and quelled. They were also very patient with me, as I was rather slow with my replies and lodging of paper-work. They were always so warming and welcoming it made the process much easier.

GE were able to set me up with the perfect internship. They set me up with a small business events management firm that was right up my alley. There, I learnt skills that I would not have been able to gain through my university books. I assisted in creating, holding and breaking down monthly business networking events. It was a perfect match.

My stay in New York was ABSOLUTELY amazing. Living at the 92Y made me feel safe at all times. There was 24hr front desk security, who were also very warming and welcoming. It was also pleasant living with other students and interns, so I never felt alone. I've also made life long friends living there.

But it was mainly the Global Experiences staff who made the experience. With a caretaker (I guess that what we can call him) he guided us around the city with weekly or bi-weekly social events. Here, the other interns part of GE met up and shared stories and became friends. Sounds almost cheesy but its true! Dom (caretaker), always asked where we would like to go, or what we would like to see and experience and planned an elaborate social calendar over the 13 weeks. He was very engaging and absolutely amazing!

BUT it didn't stop there!

For one weekend, my friend (who was also part of the GE program) ventured off to Washington DC. There, the Washington DC GE staff met up with us and showed us around George Town. We walked around and they gave us a little friendly tour of the town. The GE hospitality extends far and wide!

This is an amazing (an overly used but honest word) program! I would recommend it to all who are willing to be adventurous and ambitious.

Though this experience, I have made life-long friends from around the world. I now have knowledge and certain skill-set that would've have taken me years to gain. And to top it off, I have a lifetime of memories. I never thought I would ever utter such cheeesy words, but its nothing but the truth!

This is my second time joining the Global Experiences team and completing another internship aboard. I must say this was the best decision. GE was great the second time around going over my growths since my first internship and finding the best match for me in Dublin. The support team here in Dublin is great, they are always there for you! i recommend the Global Experiences to everyone! believe the second time around was even better!

I will never forgot my summer in Sydney! It was amazing. Global experiences did an amazing job finding the perfect internship for me. The accommodations were perfect and the group trips were great. I had the best time of my life that summer and that is why I teamed up with Global Experiences for a second time for an internship in Dublin. I recommend Global Experiences to everyone!

I really enjoyed my internship here in Milan. I came in here with little expectations because I knew that Italy being the fashion capital I would probably not get a big named company. But instead I ended up working with a big fashion company with great coworkers. I was given more and more responsibility as time went on and now I feel confident that I will have a lot to offer in my next internship. My tasks included help selling during the buying season, preparing contracts for buyers, inputting orders, all things I will very much need in my future internships/jobs. This internship was exactly what I hope to work in after graduation so I feel that it more than prepared me for the fashion industry along with a new perspective on a different culture. I feel that I will be able to work well in any environment because coming to Milan I really stepped outside of my comfort zone and only excelled. I had two bosses who both have played a big part in my experience because they both were like a mentor to me and I plan to keep in touch with them when I leave.

Biggest difficulty was the language barrier with staff and locals. Other than that the city is beautiful and a great place to learn on your own. Most of the days are spend packed with different activities.

AIFS has a super helpful staff who prepare you fully pre-departure, offer a variety of excursions and trips around not only Rome but all of Italy and answer any questions you have. The majority of the classes provided go to on-site visits for lectures so you really get the full experience.

AIFS was a great program. The golden triangle trip at the beginning of the program provided an opportunity to see some of the highlights of India. We also learned about how to travel in India.

The program director was wonderful. She was available and very helpful.

There were problems with the academics. One professor was a truly amazing individual, however other professors canceled classes frequently or just didn't show up.

Dorm/hostel life provided air conditioned living and all meals. The rooms were like cells and beds very hard. However there were always traveling companions available.

The hostel manager was a great help booking train tickets or ordering a taxi.

It was a life changing experience.

I didn't know quite what to expect when flying to the other side of the world to embark on a full time internship in a city I had never visited, however it was by far the best experience I have had so far. That may sound very cliched, however I genuinely did enjoy every moment of my Global Experiences internship. I had applied to the internship program back in December 2012 and considering I had simply typed into google 'internships in Australia' and GE was the first to come up there was some doubt in both mine and everyone's heads around me about how this would turn out. However from the outset the support I have received from the Global Experiences staff whether this was all the preparation prior to arriving in Sydney or on the ground making sure we were all doing well was next to nothing. I can't think of anything to really fault them on.

I felt well prepared arriving in Sydney in January with an internship at a legal organisation arranged for me. Although I come from a politics background I have always been interested by the legal system and even at one point considered going into law and although this internship made me realise that may not be the immediate path I want to go down I still gained a great amount of invaluable experience that I am thoroughly thankful for.

On a day-to-day basis I assisted the senior solicitors with some of their legal submissions and even had the opportunity to work closely with some of their clients. Aside from this I also did administrative work and reception cover. Although you may think that they are stereotypical intern tasks, it has given me the experience there that I can at least put down on my CV as a skill that I possess. Overall I learnt so much from my twelve weeks and also made a some great connections and friends within the company.

Of course my experience wasn't only moulded by internship but also the social aspect. I have made some great, life long friends through living with my fellow interns and as I always say you get free accommodation around the world. Having the opportunity to live alongside the other interns in the program was great and as we were all in the same boat we were able to help each other through any problems we had whether this was homesickness or simply trying to understand the Aussie lingo. Global Experiences also provided us with a number of activities that we did as a group organised by our location coordinator. These were executed well with the excursions showing us a great array of Australian culture and definitely being aimed at what our age group would be interested in. This included a paddle board lesson, a tour around the opera house, a trip to the blue mountains, the chance to meet koala's at the wildlife park and even a professional netball game. Having these activities allowed us to see around Sydney and do all the touristy type things but at the same time we weren't overrun by too many organised activities. There was definitely just the right amount so that we had our own time to just chill after a full working week or explore and hang out with friends. It was definitely a great balance.

I hope this has given you just a little bit of an insight into my amazing time in Sydney and honestly I would do it a hundred times over if I got the chance. If you are interested in doing an internship abroad I would say go for it and I would thoroughly recommend you considering to do it through GE.

I was looking into several different groups to take me overseas to an internship. Global Experiences stood out for a few different reasons.

First of all, someone was able to talk to me and give me real details about the program and what I would be doing before I even paid a cent. Other companies require you to put down a deposit before they can give you anything. In particular, Kevin Pickett was kind and understanding when it came to what I wanted to do.

After I secured an internship, Emily Oliver talked with me whenever I needed and went the extra mile when I needed help. She was always on Skype when I was and responded to emails within a few hours. I wouldn't have had any peace of mind if it wasn't for her.

All of this was even before I got to Australia. I have to say that my internship in video production has taught me more than any class at my university. Global Experiences hooked me up with an amazing company with an incredible boss where I got so much more than I thought possible. I can honestly say that I am prepared for a real job back in the states and I wouldn't be here if not for the amazing people at Global Experiences. Thank you!