AIFS Abroad Reviews

The most stressful part is learning the ropes of a new city but this quickly became the most fun and rewarding part. I finally got a routine of waking up, going to a near by Starbucks and then catching the bus to work. Then after work I would either meet up with people somewhere to explore and/or shop or go home and hang out in someones room. I even made friends at work who would invite me out to things. At first you do all the touristy things and feel like any other foreigner, but after a couple weeks you really begin to feel like you live there and that's when me homesickness faded away and my time started going by too fast rather than too slow. I couldn't have asked to learn more at my job and everyone was so understanding of the fact that I was new to the city. I also made so many great friends from the program; some of which already flew down to visit me at school last year!

Overall, my experience was great! The Italian language course was a good start to the program. Don't expect to be proficient but you'll learn a lot of the basics. Although the class was only about 3-4 weeks long, I made incredible friends that I continued to spend time with throughout my stay in Florence. All of us "GE kids" (the nickname given to us from our classmates/friends) got along well and became good friends. And the trips we took together as part of the GE program were always fun. Do not miss out on those trips! As far as my internship placement goes, personally I had a few ups and downs in the beginning. My first placement did not work out so well (language barrier). So I switched and my new placement turned out to be better and I enjoyed it far more. But don't let that scare you, it is rare to switch placements!!!! There's more to the story for why I switched so don't hesitate about joining GE. They were helpful in setting me up at my new placement. I interned at a printmaking studio/gallery that related to my college degree and I enjoyed the working environment. I learned a lot of new techniques with the printmaking medium and it was enriching. In the end, any new experience is what you make of it!

My experience in Florence through Global Experiences was great. I had never left the country before this trip and was a bit nervous as expected. GE was really helpful in not only preparing me, but in placing me with my employer and providing on-the-ground assistance. I was matched with a student travel agency where I was a communications intern. GE was great with preparing me for my interview. I got to experience real life office environment, the flow of communication between employees, overcoming challenging tasks and the overall camaraderie of a workplace. Aside from all of this was the intimidating language barrier and cultural differences. I definitely came back to the states more confident in my abilities. Another cool thing about GE were the trips included in the program cost. We saw some beautiful regions of Italy. I also made some great friends from the housing GE provided. We all spent a lot of time together in class, exploring the city and museums , checking out nightlife, the awesome culinary scene and just relaxing after work. I really had an unforgettable experience in Florence.

Everything from the application process, to job placement, to getting housing set up was a totally smooth and easy process. And once in London, Melissa (the on-site GE coordinator) was really invested in making sure we got the most out of our time abroad with helpful seminars, networking mixers,and fun weekend outings. It was really great having her in my corner in a place so far from home.

Overall, I had the best possible summer in London. Living abroad was exhilarating, the internship was great and helped to kickstart my job search once I got back home, and I made some great friends with my fellow interns while there. I definitely would recommend this experience.

My summer internship with Global Experiences during the summer of 2012 was immense. It was a fantastic opportunity to see what it is like to live and work in one of the most vibrant cities in the world. The people that I met were welcoming, intelligent, and interesting. The staff could not have been more supportive. In addition to having an incredible time, I also was able to work hard to build up my experience, which was enough to help me get into masters and doctoral programs.
I could not recommend Global Experiences more.
They work hard to tailor internships and find the perfect placement for each individual intern. I have never heard of a company like it - and would not change my experience for anything.

My Global Experiences internship was the perfect transition from university to the real world and getting to do so in a city like London was amazing.
My internship allowed me to put the marketing skills I learned in school to use and I was able to really appreciate the industry in London.
I fell in love with the city and am currently still living and working here, and I definitely think my Global Experiences internship helped me secure my current job here.

I was enrolled in the internship program where I worked at a UK company. It was an awesome experience and really makes my resume stand out.
The only downside was the one actual class I did take from the school. But, if you enjoy writing 3,000 word essays than this is your university!
This was by far the best semester of college, and I didn't want to go back home! I definitely recommend studying abroad, you won't regret it!

I really like Eleonora who is one of the staffs in Milan, and she organizes trips for us to travel around. She has been really helpful! Whenever we need help, she's there and I can tell she tries her best to satisfy our needs and help us get through problems.

I very much enjoyed my experience in Milan; there were however some ups and downs, as expected! The support I had from my representative in Milan was excellent. I initially struggled with the Italian language classes as the teachers did not speak any English during the lessons; this meant I did not enjoy the lessons for the first couple of weeks. I did also have some issues with my housing situation- this was advertised as a flat share, however on my arrival the landlord herself actually lived there also which was more like a home stay; there were times when I didn't feel very comfortable where I lived, due to this I had to speak with the school about moving accommodation. The organised events were good and allowed me to visit more of Italy which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Whenever people ask me where I studied abroad in Spain, it always saddens me that most have never heard of the wonderful city of Salamanca. The experience I had in Salamanca with AIFS was amazing. The staff from AIFS are warm and always keeping you up to date on what's going on. I highly recommend taking the AIFS only classes at the university, especially the writing course, because I found them more challenging and rewarding than the regular classes the university offered. The town itself is wonderful, very easy to navigate and has lots to explore. I stayed at a homestay and loved my senora immensely, I grew close to her wonderful family who visited every weekend and she cooked amazing food! I really liked that there were so many excursions already included in our AIFS package, because I didn't have the resources to travel as much as others did on the weekends. Another thing I recommend is to take the opportunity to get involved with the people in Salamanca, for example with the help of the AIFS staff I joined a local church choir and also volunteered at a school nearby twice a day. I also used a recommended website from the staff to arrange intercambios with local Spanish students-it's totally terrifying at first, but really worth the extra practice! Ultimately, this experience was really worth it and I highly recommend it.