AIFS Abroad Reviews

My experience overall in Milan through Global Experiences was one that I do not regret. Although our program was fairly small (and felt this way at times), it was a way for me to form close relationships with my roommates. The first two weeks we were enrolled in half day language classes which gave us a lot of free time to explore and get situated with the trams and public transportation, as well as the layout of the city. After this, each of our individual internships picked up and occupied most of our time. Because of this, we traveled to various countries early on in the program as we had the time to do so. My internship placement was okay, and although I had some complaints and difficulties, overall I know that I learned a lot and will be able to use this experience as a stepping stone in whatever career path I take. The city is lively and there’s definitely stuff to do, but you have to look for it. Although not the typical study abroad experience with easy classes and partying, this I felt was the perfect happy medium of an abroad experience I missed out on due to COVID while also incorporating a job/internship/career jumper experience.

Best internship I’ve ever had. I visited a lot of Spain it was great. The program did an overall great job planning fun activities for me to do, and places to visit. A great experience and would reccomend to all students who want to intern abroad, Madrid was a great city to live in. It Was a fun three months for me, a great experience. I learned a lot about myself. I learned a lot about Spanish culture. Could be a life changing experience for some people. I got to travel all over Spain and I enjoyed that very much. The internship was my favorite, I have interned at multiple companies in the US and this internship in Madrid has been the best in office experience yet.

It was such a great experience! I was able to really dive into the culture and make friends with locals. My internship was so much fun and i was so fortunate for my boss. She was like my Italian mother and was so kind and caring. I absolutely loved working at her clothing boutique. My advice would be to say yes to any opportunity that arises; you’ll grow so much if you do. I learned so much about my wants and needs by coming here. I made friends for a lifetime and made connections around Europe as well.

I did the Milan program for september-november 2022. It was most definitely an experience. I did enjoy it, and made some lifelong friends with other students there. Though, it was very expensive in the end. With no way to make income while living there, running out of funds was not uncommon.
The internship was definitely not what I would have expected or wanted, though it was to no fault of GE or the coordinators. It was an issue with the company and bosses.
In retrospect, this experience was worth it, though be careful with your funds and ability to live independently. Do this trip if you want to experience new culture, meet new people, and see new things. Do NOT do this trip just in the name of credits or just the internship. The internship is part of why you are here, but it isn’t meant to be the ONLY reason you are here.

Through my 3 month experience in Florence Italy, I was able to build my resume while simultaneously creating the best memories and friendships possible. As a psychology major, I was able to work first-hand with a psychotherapist who taught me a lot about the occupational field, as well as a lot about myself. My boss was a therapist who primarily worked with young adults. Because I am a young adult myself, this was very beneficial to me. I was able to take lessons from his clients and apply it to myself, which was very enlightening. I also had never been able to observe this particular realm of the psychological field, so I learned a lot from that aspect as well. Overall, the individualistic attention from my work experience only benefit my resume, as well as my understanding of the work realm.
In terms of the social life, I was far from bored. Although I came to Florence primarily for the work experience, I also created many friendships and memories that I will never forget. I spent a lot of time with the other individuals in the program, and we all eventually became very close. Time spent together ranged from shopping, getting dinner, exploring, or even just watching Halloween movies together on Netflix! On top of all of the excitement Florence has to offer, we were also able to travel outside of Florence to get the full Italian experience. From wine tastings, to day trips to surrounding cities, there were always activities available to participate in (regardless of the location). I am forever thankful to Global Experiences for the amazing opportunity and memories that will last forever!

This abroad internship was an experience of a lifetime! It helped me learn more about myself as a person and a working professional. It also helped me experience life abroad and working among locals without having to commit to a full time job. This program helped me prepare for the future in my career and I am excited to see where I go from here. I have also learned more about my likes and dislikes when it comes to what i seek on a professional level. I am happy to have completed this program as well!

I had an amazing experience here in Florence. If I can do it all over again, I really would. I’ve learned so much since being here and I’m so happy I did. I’ve definitely grown so much since getting here and I’m so grateful for all this experience has given me! I would recommend this program to students looking for a change, while also wanting to gain work experience in their major. It’s a great way to get out of your comfort zone, see new places, learn new things about yourself and about your career field.

I highly recommend taking the leap and interning or studying abroad. It sounds scary. Not every moment is going to be amazing (people forget to tell you that) but you learn from overcoming these challenges and grow as a person. I was really lucky with my experience. I fell in love with Florence. I thought it was a perfect sized city. I figured Rome and Milan would be too big for me and I think I was right. I recommend Global Experiences. My location coordinators, Anna and Erica were nothing but helpful, supportive, and kind. I know that if I needed anything, they would be right there to help. My internship placement was also perfect. I graduated with my undergraduate degree in marketing, and told GE that my interests were in the fitness industry and they placed me at a member's club, fitness and yoga studio. I got to do social media marketing for them and I learned so much, not to mention my coworkers were so welcoming and kind. I felt that the work I did for them was really contributing to the company's needs. Long story short - if you have any interest in studying or interning abroad, you should do it. You won't regret it.

My time here in Florence was amazing! As someone who has been traveling their whole life I am used to the craziness that comes with going to new places and being away from home. Grant it, there are always things that come up and can make adapting to new situations a bit more difficult. Throughout this experience, Anna provided so much support and was there for me when other advisors couldn't get stuff done. She is kind, understanding and very efficient. I am so thankful for her help on this trip!

Coming from New York City, London was an easy transition for me and a great way for me to experience urban life in a different city—to the point where I decided to come back in a future date. Thanks to Gregg and Shani, natives to the city, Gregg curated amazing itineraries for the interns and recommended spots that made one feel like a local to the city. Shani was in-charge of the logistics of our stay while in London and always open to answer any questions regarding our stay. Both Shani and Gregg were great conversationalists and were stars at making sure the interns and I had a pleasurable time while in London. Gregg’s insight, attentiveness, and enthusiasm for anything UK-related made my stay so interesting and exciting and would do it over again in a heartbeat outside of Global Experiences.

Aside from my overall experience being in UK/Europe for the summer, please reconsider this program heavily if you do not have the sufficient means to not only live in a city as expensive as London through this costly program (roughly over $10k spent). Keep in mind the Pound is stronger than the Dollar.

Not only is the program extremely expensive for unpaid interns, but GE false markets the program on their website. I was interning somewhere where I initially did not want to intern at because of bad reviews, and brought it up to GE about it before submitting my visa paperwork, for which they refused to change me to… even if I am spending huge amounts of money to be able to do go abroad. While there, my coworkers were nice, but I did not receive the experience I ultimately wanted, studied, and paid for. I knew I did not want to continue working there, and ashamed in myself that I didn’t push GE to help me find another worksite.

Spending over $10k for your free labor, in retrospect, is a poor decision—especially if it is not in your field. Although I am thankful for the opportunity to have interned abroad and diversified my portfolio, networked with people abroad, and gained experience in my field, GE failed to include sponsorship fees, expedited visa costs, and flight costs—very important expenditures related to your trip. You are made to pay a set fee of $8k, but this does include transportation throughout your entire stay, your flight, your visa, or your sponsorship, although GE crafted the program in a way where the $8k had already included everything. Reconsider this program if you are already a college graduate and aren't at least getting college credits for this program, at minimum.

Fragomen, the sponsor, was unresponsive and did not care to help answer any questions in relations to my visa, but quick to charge interns over $1k while we were on our last pennies on the last week of the program. When asked to provide proof or an itemized list about the cost, it was not given to me and failed to mention why the sponsorship visa fee was as high as it was. This was highly inconsiderate and was briefly mentioned in the website.

Apart from the extremely high costs, London is an AMAZING place to build your career and an easy transition if you had lived in a city prior to this one. Reminiscent of my hometown, NYC, London’s diversity, work-life balance, and academic/career opportunities are highlights and easily digestible than in America, especially if you want to pursue a career in marketing.