AIFS Abroad: Study, Intern, or Study & Intern in England

I joined the GE Summer programme this year as a psychology intern at a drug and alcohol service that is based in South London. As some background information, I am an Indonesian national who completed my undergraduate university degree in Australia. What initially attracted me to apply for the programme is the fact that GE is the only international internship provider that arranges internships in the career field of psychology (in London too, no less, as well as in Dublin and NYC). However, as I went through each stage of the (fairly straightforward) application procedure and eventually arrived in the UK myself, I learnt that there were so many more advantages to joining the GE Summer programme than just that.

Firstly, the extremely high level of care and attention that GE provides is noticeable right from the get-go. Despite being quite a seasoned traveller and expat in a few countries myself, I wouldn't have survived in London without their professional, efficient, and friendly guidance along the way, which included a personalised CV and cover letter writing workshop, a very comprehensive pre-departure seminar, as well as continuous on-site support during my stay in the UK. In addition, to me, the immensely enjoyable time that I had at my workplace also speaks volumes about the effort that goes into finding the right companies to place their interns at.

Secondly, the accommodation in which they house their interns, including myself, is located in a safe and well-connected area in London's Zone 1 (Farringdon/Clerkenwell, to be exact). Although the rooms, including bathrooms, are on the small side (a given in Central London, it seems!), all the facilities in the apartment make for a pleasant stay, such as a spacious kitchen and dining area, access to the gym, on-site laundry service, and 24-hour security.

Thirdly, GE organises many exciting social outings, which, in the time that I did the programme, included day trips to Brighton and Bath, a culinary tour of East London, a cooking class, and post-exit orientation drinks at The Shard.

To sum up, I would definitely recommend GE to anyone who would love a massively rewarding and unforgettable opportunity to grow professionally (as well as personally!). Thank you so much everyone at GE for everything!

Having this experience has helped me grow as a person both professionally and personally! I've learned so much about what I love and the career I am getting into. Global experiences made everything so easy and gave me opportunities to try new things that I may not have done otherwise! I made churros for the first time at our cooking class and it was an odd experience I'll never forget! Of course, a trip to the Shard was an amazing experience too!

My summer in London with Global Experiences was the summer of a lifetime. As a computer science major, I had the opportunity to work for a really cool tech start-up app in London that focused on the promotion of different cultural and lifestyle events, venues, restaurants, nightlife, etc. I got to work closely with their tech, business, and marketing teams throughout the internship, which helped my understanding of how these teams work together to be a successful company.

In addition to internship placements, Global Experiences also provided a very social and global Summer. I happily reflect back on my time abroad recalling the wonderful friendships I made with intelligent students from around the world, the buzz that comes with living in central London (and just a two minute walk from the Farringdon tube station!), and the sense of adventure that the program ignited in me. I very much enjoyed the program's excursions such as day trips to Stonehenge, Bath, and Brighton Beach, and a trip to The Shard, in addition to cooking classes and East End food tours. With friends from the program, I also had the opportunity to travel to Cambridge, the Olympic Park, and other famous British towns and sightseeinng locations. I even met one of my best friends through the program, and after the program was completed, we embarked on a 9-day backpacking trip through Europe!

This summer truly was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life and I absolutely recommend it to anyone interested in gaining work experience abroad!

Summer internship in London with Global Experiences absolutely exceeded my expectation. I have gained both professional and personal development.
I was placed in the IT department of an real estate company and was given the opportunity to write my own application under the help of my supervisor and coworkers. It was a such a valuable learning experience. Housing is AMAZING and it is totally worth the cost.
London is such a diverse city, unlike anywhere I have ever been, even though I have a diverse background myself. I would absolutely recommend anyone to give it a try. It will change your life.

I would like to start by saying that AIFS has been a huge help with getting students to where they need to be every step of the way. This experience of traveling really opened my eyes to new surroundings and backgrounds while it changed my perspective every day. While being outside my comfort zone, the staff of AIFS did a great job supporting all students making it the best experience that I could have asked for. Overall, I think that this program is a great one and really helped our traveling experiences reach their full potential!

Living in London is amazing, the city and the people, incomparable. However it was hard going home (the dorm) to a single room. I was put in a single room tucked away in the corner of the dorm. This made it hard to make friends since everyone was pairing up with their roommates. Also, the food was terrible. I found myself spending extra money to eat out most nights which wasted a couple thousand of dollars.

I spent a total of 3.5 months in London and I wish that it had been longer!! To say that London is amazing is an understatement! My favourite memories from my trip would be the random excursions all over London I made with my new mates who were in my program! I really appreciated the variety of classes offered at Richmond University; I fairly enjoyed all of my classes – both the course content and tutors! Students get the chance to really get to know their tutors – who are always willing to help students if they needed it! This program is run through an American International University in London, which meant that they ‘acknowledge’ American Holidays, like Thanksgiving (there is still classes during the day, but they cook up a pretty decent Thanksgiving dinner in the cafeteria!!). A huge plus for this program would be the awesome Day Trips and activities that AIFS students automatically get to participate in for no extra cost – we went to Bath and Cambridge, we saw Wicked during Orientation Week, and we got to take a flight on the London Eye – in addition to group excursions around London that were open to any student at the University! While the program is a great fit for those who are going out of the country for the first time, it is not exclusive to first time travellers. If you are given the opportunity to study in London, take it! Seeing this city through the scope of a student is entirely different than visiting as a tourist. I would not have learned half of the interesting information or met the people I did if I had just come during holiday. The time spent there will always be a highlight of my college career :) Cheers!!

This program was the best experience I could have asked for! Located in the beautiful area of Kensington, there is plenty to do in this area! And I always felt extremely safe which is very important when living in a new area! With the Kensington Gardens, High Street Kensington and tons of shops and restaurants within walking distance, this is the place to be. Not to mention you are only a 10-15 minute Tube ride away from the center of London! The program itself was amazing too with a jam packed orientation week that includes a ton of fun activities throughout the city, helpful and friendly staff that make you feel at home, and interesting classes that take you out into the city! I would definitely recommend this program and am jealous of everyone who gets to do it in the future because I'm going to miss it so much!