Program Reviews

My internship with Deskmates Archtiects was amazing. My colleagues are all very dedicated to what they do and very passionate and knowledgeable, as well. They were very welcoming with me not only in their studio, but also making me part of the team. They invited me to their site visits in L'aquila and Gavignano. The also had intentionally planned the work that I would be doing, which made me understand the full scope of the work that they do. Lucy from AIFS was very helpful in Rome. She checked in with me a lot to see how I was doing, and was always prepared ti solve any problems. She was also very generous with her time in our organized activities, such as the photography activity, the beach trip to Santa Marinella, etc. I appreciated very much that she made sure to do the photo session with me individually, because i couldnt make it to the one with the whole group! She always had an energetic demeanor and readiness about her. I also appreciated that she would answer the phone when I would call for a problem, even if the problem wasn't too big!
As far as interning abroad goes, I HIGHLY recommend all the future attendees to already have a good and solid knowledge and practice of the Italian language (if they are interning in Italy). I don't mean being able to say "buongiorno" but to be at a solid B1 level. This will be extremely helpful to not feel lonely, out of place, or unaware of what is going on around you. Also in the office, even if your colleagues talk english to you, they will talk italian with each other, and being aware of the conversations around you will make you feel like part of the team and included.
Also, don't expect to have AIFS make you "immersed in the culture". YOU should immerse yourself in the culture. For example, apart from speaking the language, I also tried to do the same things in Rome as I was doing in the city I normally live: I went to boxing lessons and tennis lessons, I went to church and also their weekly meetings, instead of studying in my apartment, i went to the local library, etc, stuff like these. This even helped me create some solid relationships with the people I was doing these activities with! Again, i couldnt have done these things without speaking the laguage (i wasnt super fluent, either, but fluent enough to carry day-to-day conversations with limited vocabulary. Basically, don't just go there to finish your internship, stay un at night partying, and then get out.

I had an amazing time overall in Sydney, summer 2023, and would recommend it to anyone wanting to study or work abroad. The work mindset here in Sydney is very relax with a good mix of respect and responsibility from your coworkers and supervisors. Having the ability to work a few days a week and have time off for going out and about around the city is a plus. Most supervisors are very nice about letting interns take time off as we’re here for a short time. So, if you do come to Sydney I suggest doing as much as you can during the weekends at markets, museums, and the national parks outside the city. And maybe even visit other cities like Melbourne, Brisbane, and maybe even Tasmania like I did!

I learned so much professionally and about myself during my internship in Sydney. There was a great balance between work and getting to explore. Andrea, our onsite coordinator planned great excursions both in the city and to surrounding areas. My host company was super welcoming and I had many networking opportunities. It was fun to make connections with different employees and companies in a new city. Everyone we interacted with was flexible and accommodating to make sure we got a well rounded experience. Thank you AIFS and Andrea!

My internship experience through AIFS global experiences has been incredible. I found AIFS to be extremely supportive and informative. It would’ve been extremely difficult to find an internship abroad on my own. AIFS paired me with companies that aligned with both my academic studies and career goals. AIFS found me a place to live, set me up with health insurance, taught me how to use the transportation systems, taught me the cultural differences, and much more. AIFS also set up excursions around Australia the allowed us to bond with the other American interns in our cohort and enjoy different areas of Australia that we might have missed otherwise. It was different than study abroad because we gained unique work experiences that will better prepare us for the workforce. I would recommend this program to anyone in college, but especially to those who want to work internationally.

AIFS was great!! Not only do they let you choose your location and field of interest, but they take you on fun excursions you probably would’ve never done by yourself! I had a great experience. Coming to Australia was truly life changing and I am so grateful for the opportunity. I actually had to switch internships because the first one was not a good fit at all. I was miserable, but AIFS helped me find a solution and a new internship. They are very supportive and wanting the best for the interns.

I really enjoyed my internship abroad through AIFS. I believe that it was a great experience and I got to meet so many amazing people. I recommend it to anyone who wants to dive into a new culture and also learn about what their passions may be! It may be scary to visit another country that you may or may not speak the language, but it opens your eyes to a lot of different things. It is also important to know that you are not alone and people will you meet along with people in the program will support you!

My summer internship abroad in Florence, Italy was an amazing experience. It provided me the capability of meeting and networking with so many people, and not only in my job but also everyone else in the program. Doing this allowed me to grow in my communication skills, and being able to focus as I worked remotely. I met so many people and made so many friends which was a great aspect of this program. They provide activities to do with everyone in the program, and also give you all the freelance in the world. Me and my roommates traveled with each other and with others on the weekends getting to see so many amazing things. I highly recommend this program.

Global experiences went beyond my expectations and much more. I was able to meet the best people and be placed in the best place for what I want to do. Amanda and Antonella were awesome and helped with every single problem or situation. They organized super fun things for us to do with our group but still made us feel like we had complete freedom throughout the entire 8 weeks stay. Our housing was perfect and clean, the locations of the apartments were in amazing spots and we were able to see every part of the city. I can’t recommend this program enough!!

While I was abroad I met the most amazing people who I was able to travel all around Italy with! Meeting them through Global experiences allowed us to get to know each other really well. Being able to go to all of the planned events together was super fun…from vineyards to boats, the social events were awesome! I would do it all again if I could! I would say that putting myself out there and showing up as me allowed me to fully embrace this experience and people and helped me grow a lot too! If that’s what you’re looking for totally go abroad!