AIFS Abroad Reviews

Interning in San José, Costa Rica was a really interesting experience that took me far out of my comfort zone. This is a unique location because once there, you are immediately immersed in the culture. This may seem like a lot at first, but it ends up being helpful because you get acclimated quickly! Even though Costa Rica is small, it is one of the most biodiverse countries in the whole world. When here, be sure to go on adventures every weekend to see all of the beauty Costa Rica has to offer--from the highest mountains and volcanoes to the beautiful beaches! This experience has pushed me far outside of my comfort zone, which has aided me so much in my personal and professional development! If you are interested in the Spanish language, adventuring, or just doing something really unique, you must come to CR!

I did a J-Term in January 2019 with AIFS in Costa Rica. It was a lovely and fun trip. I loved Costa Rican culture. The people were so friendly and my host family was so kind to me. Their culture is so relaxed and I felt welcomed there. We were doing something different everyday. I took a tour of San Jose, I visited different restaurants, I went to the malls, we went to Manuel Antonio (which is amazingly beautiful), I visited a volcano, a church, and a haunted house in Cartago, I visited museums, saw all types of cool animals, I saw a waterfall, and got to taste some amazing food. The staff of AIFS were so friendly and made sure we had a good time. It was one of the best decisions I have made in my life. The only thing I wish was that I did a semester abroad, but J-Term was good since our group was very small and I got to know the other people better (the semester program has a lot of people).

First, the preparation before the start date of your program, Global Experiences (GE) definitely prepares you in every aspect so you can maximize your experience. I felt thoroughly prepared with everything I need to know for my professional development resume building, interviewing etc. And preparing for your cultural/social experience. It was very comforting to know that the global experiences team answered all my questions and were available to help me in any aspect of my preparation. I also though the global experiences team was lovely such amazing people willing to help you on your journey. I loved my experience abroad DC was a city i would actually like to live in one day. It is filled with fun things to do especially with other major cities in close proximity which makes your experience more authentic. I loved being able to experience the political culture in DC since it is the world leader in politics. It’s such a unique historical city and amazing food. Be open minded it will truly change your prospective interning abroad in DC. Don’t be afraid to say yes!

I came to Dublin with Global Experiences to take part in a political based International internship. I was able to do so with the Irish Labour party under senator Kevin Humphreys. On top of that the GE crew did an amazing job at selecting my roommates, because they made this experience enjoyable, exciting, and full of life. We were able to travel, eat together, watch 'family' movies, watch Love Island, and we even explored the night life of the town. I won tickets to see Hamilton in London, my mates and I explored Dublin and Ireland, we spent a majority of our time together. I wish the time was longer, but cherish every moment that I spent here working with Kevin and my friends. I would recommend to everyone that has the opportunity to go abroad to do it! This will forever be an experience that I will reflect upon.

My time is Paris was such an amazing personal growing experience for me. I met some amazing people and made some of the best experiences that I will cherish for the rest of my life. My internship gave me a better idea of what specific field I want to venture into within my major. It also helped to improve my communication skills with people from different countries, as we regularly had customers from everywhere around the world. There are some minor things that I would change about the program, but overall it was an amazing experience and my program manager was a huge help in preparing me for the time abroad. This program is an excellent conversation starter and really builds up your resume to make it more interesting to employers. Highly recommend.

This experience was awesome!

The social events we went to were: Cliffs of Moher, Art Gallery, Belfast and some other surprise trips. All of them really showed us the different parts of Dublin.

If you are thinking about this trip, do it! You're so young and you deserve to have an experience like this. When you do arrive in Dublin, there were some things I would recommend that you do.

For starters if you are a vegan, I highly recommend going to "Token". Order the vegan big mac (yes its a thing) and a vegan spice bag. I also recommend going to a hurling match and the Ghost tour. When you take the trip to Belfast, stay overnight and go on the Game of Thrones tour.

Keep in mind that Dublin does indeed have a gigantic drinking culture. Most of your budget will be spent on alcohol after work with co-workers.

Being in the Global Experiences program in Dublin has given me professional growth, lifelong friends and a chance to travel Ireland and the world. My placement was at a top company in my industry in Ireland, and I was able to work with some of the nicest and most supportive people I've ever met. Our accommodation was set up for us in a nice spot just outside the city and had top notch amenities. Global Experiences also provided us with social events that were a combination of eating out, cultural experiences and day trips around Ireland including Cliffs of Moher, Galway and Belfast. Living and working abroad is more immersive than traveling, and opens your mind to new cultures and experiences. This was a rare opportunity to live abroad, and Global Experiences helped make my time here unforgettable.

I chose to do my internship for my master’s program abroad because I never got to study abroad as an undergraduate. As someone with prior professional experience, I was unsure how valuable this internship experience would be. The answer is: IT WAS LIFE CHANGING.

I learned how to diversify between organizational cultural differences, gain knowledge of an entirely new industry sector, and meet new people to further expand my profesional and personal networks.

I am so grateful for Global Experiences and all of their amazing staff that ensured my seamless transition. The Spain location director, Inma; along with her assistant Saskia, went above and beyond to provide all interns with nothing less than an incredible summer. Look no further, global experiences is the host company for you!

For my major, I needed to go abroad in a Spanish speaking country. My university offered a program to Madrid but being that I am from Hawaii, I knew I wanted to be near the ocean. This is when I decided I wanted to go to Barcelona. Prior to embarking on my 2019 summer internship I did extensive research to find an organization that would suit me best. Personally I wanted the most legitimate program out there, and after calling three different organizations I decided to continue with Global Experiences (GE).

Once I went forward with GE, they asked me what type of internship I was looking for and I told them I would like to work with a start-up company, preferably a tech start-up. They lined up interviews for two different start-ups. I ended up interning at EcoLocal Market, a mobile app designed to promote local food by using an algorithm to discount products before they expire. I got a lot of hands on experience with website design and operating a frontend system to modify a mobile application. Without getting into too many details, the internship was an excellent fit as I worked with a start-up company last summer.

Throughout the summer our GE program leaders Inma and Saskia organized multiple social events. My favorite was our group trip to Sitges beach. They both served as excellent resources and were there for us if we needed anything. Although I like to think of myself as being independent, it felt good to know that I could turn to Inma or Saskia for help.

As far as the living situation, I was placed in a good area of the city that was close to everything (pharmacy, shopping, food, bars etc). I met people from other programs that were placed in apartments on the outskirts of the city, far from the action. After hearing this, I felt even better with my choice to go abroad with GE. They covered all their bases, from prepping us for our initial interviews with our companies to organizing weekend events for all of us to enjoy.

This was a summer for the books!

In order for me to complete my international business minor I had to complete an internship abroad. I worked with GE, and I have to say I was incredibly impressed, they helped set up multiple sessions for me to improve my resume, do personal strengths, and interview prep. They also did a phenomenal job in the placement. I worked at IT.ie an up and coming IT company that provides services to hundreds of different clients. I worked with and alongside senior engineers as they helped sort out various clients technology issues. I also learned how to encrypt computers, set up secure endpoints, and how to build servers. There were even a few days where I got to go on site and hone my skills, doing this allowed me to see much more of the city and country than I had ever thought.