Program Reviews

Don't get me wrong London itself is amazing. However, I feel like I am not able to see enough of it between my internship and all the homework assigned in my classes. I am only taking one class and an internship placement class and I still feel like there is more work assigned than back at my home university while taking 5 classes. Not only are the other students taken aback by it, but even the two professors admitted they are uncomfortable with the amount of work FIE requires them to assign. The internship placement course fails to relate to my internship at all, provides bad advice on how to handle an internship according to "British standards" (such as, don't ask your internship supervisors to clarify assignments) and packs a 6 week's syllabus into 5 weeks. I was lucky enough to get an internship I enjoy, but that seems rare amongst others I've talked to. In addition, housing 10 girls in 1 flat is too many. It gets dirty quickly; we're pressed for space and it is always too loud for you to get your homework done or sleep, especially since we were warned this building doesn't provide noise control. Yet the two boys in my program share a flat of the same size with one other boy (not to mention they live on the first floor and we all had to carry our heavy suitcases up 5 flights of stairs because there is no elevator). I understand the lack of elevator is not in FIE's control but even providing people to help you carry your bags would be better. There is no staff to greet you when you arrive which seemed pretty odd to me, and I haven't seen any FIE staff since orientation weekend. I wish there was a packing list that was more reliable because I packed all professional clothes for an internship that is casual, and I failed to pack towels, hand towels, hand soap, pillow, a fan, etc. which I had to purchase here. I am only 3 weeks into this 8 week program and for the amount of money I paid, I hope it improves. I guess I just expected more.

I loved my experience with FIE! The housing was in a good location, was kept clean, had good bathrooms and kitchens, and felt very safe. It was great to feel like I was living in London on my own, but to still have support when I needed it. FIE provided lots of information about the events going on in London every week, and all the trips they provided were well organized and great experiences (especially the Wales weekend and Shakespeare Stratford Upon Avon). I loved the small class sizes and learning about the British culture in the classroom and on field trips throughout London. The diverse facility and subjects made for a good educational experience, and was not so challenging and stressful that I didn't have free time to explore London and Europe. Ultimately, I loved my time with FIE in London, and I wish I could go back!

I had the best time studying abroad and FIE truly helped me with that. This program allowed us to have the study abroad experience with an internship abroad which is very rare to see on a resume so I jumped at the opportunity! My internship started half way through the semester and after starting it, I wish it would have been concurrent with my entire semester there because I loved it so much! I know it sounds cheesy to say but my internship supervisor and co-workers were some of the nicest and sweetest people that even a year later I'm still in contact with. Yes it was tough to get up in the morning sometimes but once the semester was coming to an end I wish I could have stayed longer. Something I wish I would have done more is go out and explore London. I got to visit amazing countries but I barely scratched the surface with London. Although, if I were to do it again I wouldn't change a thing.

Along with studying abroad, I was also able to intern for 7 weeks. I never had much work experience so I was excited to have this "job". I was nervous since it was in another country and worried about the cultural difference.

I liked how FIE was able to set us up with an internship placement and made the interview process non competitive. There was also a seminar class that went along with this internship to help us check in weekly.

I am glad I had this opportunity to intern internationally. I believe I have learned more about the way I work and how to adapt. For my future career, I hope to work abroad as well and I think this internship prepared me.

Although the time was not long for an internship, I was still able to learn and gain skills from this.

Studying abroad has always been something I wanted to do in my college experience. Once I found out that my major at my home college offered this opportunity, I signed up. I was nervous because I did not know anyone but also excited to take on this new journey.

Studying abroad in London has truly been a great experience and I am so happy I was able to do it. Taking classes here was different because we had 3 courses in 8 weeks. Classes were Monday-Thursday and each about 3 hours long. Beside sitting in classrooms listening to lectures, doing homework, we also got frequent field trips. This was fun because we got to explore the city of London and incorporate class material.

Being here for 4 months has taught me to appreciate culture and diversity. I believe the outcome of this has allowed me to grow as a person.

My time in Dublin was absolutely amazing! My goals during this experience included trying new things, travelling as much as possible, and convincing someone that I was Irish (my red hair made this pretty easy). Because of the opportunities that FIE was able to offer me, I was able to accomplish all of these goals. FIE puts on two weekend trips to Galway and Northern Ireland. These two trips were probably my favorite trips I took the whole semester. My favorite memory from the Galway trip was when we took a ferry out to the island, Inis Mór. I was able to go outside on the back of this ferry and hang on to the railing as the giant waves splashed me and my friends. I will never forget this and other memories I made while I was in Ireland. There were plenty of other opportunities for me to travel around Dublin as well as the rest of Ireland. Being located in the city center was great because I was able to do things I never would have imagined of doing in the suburbs of Minnesota that I currently live in. I would not trade this experience for anything in the world and I can't wait to go back to Ireland some day.

This was a spectacular semester! We went to so many incredible places. Everyone on the Fighting Words Dublin team was so supportive and helpful whenever we needed it. I also loved having my internship. Through that experience, I definitely felt like I became a part of the Irish community. It was so incredible to be able to work with schools and I feel like I learned so many skills and gained confidence that I will use later on when I become a teacher. It was great living in the bustling city center of Dublin. It was a great experience and all of the classes were very interesting. I learned so much about Irish history! I loved going to so many museums and trips. It was great having planned tours so I was able to learn so much about Irish History. I also loved being able to go and travel to see so many spectacular places in Ireland and truly get to experience the great beauty and archaeological wonders in Ireland!

FIE london grants you the special opportunity to live in the heart of the English capital. In walking distance is the gardens where Princess Diana started her famous gardens, as well as the palace where in they reside. Just a quick tube stop to many famous locations including Piccadilly Circus, Parliament, Portobello Road market and the South Bank. FIE offers a competent class schedule, as well as a wonderful and responsible staff. If you were ever thinking about exploring London on a study abroad trip, I would recommend it heartily!

I really enjoyed studying in London, especially since one of my classes had to do with London itself. The class itself was about monsters (such as Dracula or Frankenstein) in England, and it was cool how I could visit the areas that the books talked about. I especially enjoyed the freedom of being able to travel to other countries during the time. Since London is a great central point for travel in Europe, my friends and I had lots of options to go to other countries, but just did not have the time to visit more than three. My only complaint would that it could be longer...

My semester in Dublin was amazing. Located near city center, most of the city is within walking distance from your flat. My semester included an internship which was a great opportunity to experience Irish culture from a different angle.
Dublin has everything from theater to live music to your neighborhood pub. It is home to many museums (like the Natural History Museum and the Archeology Museum) and Phoenix Park both of which are great places to just walk around or take a few hours and really see it all.
Study Tours to Northern Ireland and Galway were great ways to see other parts of the country with our group but there was also plenty of time for independent travel and city exploration. Make sure to take a few weekends to explore the rest of Ireland! The Ring of Kerry and Cork are both great places to visit.
The FIE staff are very helpful and friendly. They will help you make Dublin your own and be a friendly face as you explore this new culture.