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

My study abroad experience in London has been amazing. What I love so much about London is that the city never sleeps but it is also so calm. There are celebrities everywhere that are dressed normally because this is there home. No one expects anything from them because it is as much their city as anyone else's. Today, while eating Nandos my friend and I ran into Adele. We were some of the only people in the restaurant. As soon as she saw us she realized that we had recognized who she was. Instead of freaking out and walking out of her meal. She sat down with her friend and had a nice lunch. It was incredibly surreal for no one to disturb her in any way. Refreshing to know that she can be treated like the human that she is in this city. London became my home this semester just like anyone else who spends time here.

Richmond University located in Kensington is in the perfect location. Kensington is extremely posh, but it's also centrally located. My major complaint is not with AIFS or the staff, but with Richmond. Most of my professors are visiting professors whose primary jobs are with other universities. The food is atrocious. The rooms are tiny and uncomfortable. The bathrooms are in horrible shape. The facilities are bad. But I wouldn't have traded my experience here for the world because London itself is so amazing.

Oh what's in name is exactly right. When you hear the word "London" you immediately think of Big Ben or wonderful accents. But once you spend 3 months, or even just a week you begin to realize that there is so much more attached to that name, London.
I decided to study abroad, and due to some restrictions during the fall and spring semesters I needed a summer program. I Googled probably hundreds of programs, researched them all, and finally came down to my top three. I ultimately choose the London Internship program because it offered me an internship and it was in a country where I knew the language.
My first day in London, I was terrified. I didn't know anyone, I was super sleep deprived and I had just brought my two 50lb suitcases up four very large flights of stairs.
I met my roommates and of course of a little reserved. But AIFS was offering a quick tour of the neighborhood and we all decided to join. During this probably 15 minute tour of the surrounding area, I knew it was going to be an incredible semester.
I cannot rave enough about the professors I had. They not only enjoyed what they taught but they loved teaching it. And more importantly they loved us, and wanted to be immersed in our culture as well. My internship, honestly, was okay. But I have great friends, and it actually taught skills that I use everyday in my current job.
I was able to travel to other countries, and experience different cultures. I had afternoon tea, toured Buckingham Palace, and my favorite memory, I climbed the White Cliffs of Dover at sunrise.
London taught me to be adventurous and curious about the things around me. It taught me to reach out and meet people, and not just learn their name, but know who they are.
So "London" no longer just means funny people with strange teeth, it is a place I call home. Its a name filled with life long friends, experiences I'll never forget, and most importantly it's a part of who I am now.
So if you're debating where to go in the world, go to London. It's the gateway to everywhere else, and I promise you'll fall in love.

AIFS really has an amazing program. I took the Museums of London history course, and let me say it blew me away. I highly recommend taking this course if you need a history credit. Professor Jeremy really knows his art history and still kept it fun. The best part was that I found a new appreciation for art and history from this experience.
Cierra was an amazing friend and social coordinator. She really made me feel at home at Richmond. The staff at Richmond are like so welcoming and fun. The security guards would always say good morning and good night to me, no matter what time I came home at. All of the extra activities were really fun. I especially liked the tour of Oxford.
I wish I could have stayed longer at Richmond. While I was in London I got to meet friends from all over the world. It will always have a special place in my heart.

AIFS provided me with the experience of a lifetime. My 3 weeks in London provided me with not only educational and intellectual challenges but also a cultural experience like no other. The staff was so helpful for any questions we had or issues we ran into. They provided us with lovely housing and some great activities. I would recommend this to anyone.

I knew I wanted to go to London so my search for a program was based on cost and location- AIFS was hands down the best choice for both! Not only was it the most affordable program (that also included meals!), it also had an amazing location. I did not know much about the "best places to live in London," but Kensington, where the AIFS campus and living is located is THE nicest place to live. You are a block back from Kensington Gardens and High Street and are consistently surrounded by luxury and posh people. Never in my life would I think I would be living among the Beckhams or Kate Middleton, yet I was fortunate to be thanks to AIFS.

You do not need to use Global Experience or spend over $15 000 on an unpaid summer internship. Global Experience is a huge rip off, I had the most amazing summer but it wasn't because of anything from Global Experience. I met so many incredible people who were doing internships without paying the $15 000 it costs for Global Experience with all of the extra fees and hidden costs. HUGE AMOUNT OF HIDDEN COSTS. The housing was decent but more expensive then what other people were paying, there were 4 "social outings" that really shouldn't have cost more then $200. A lot of people had safety concerns with their placements and Global Experience didn't help them once they were in England. I was lucky enough not to have safety concerns but I defiantly worried about my roommates. I definitely recommend interning abroad it will change your life and be amazing, but don't use an overpriced company with mediocre staff and ones that provide half decent internships. Would definitely work abroad again but never use this company.

As a seasoned traveller, I wanted to seek out an internship that combined work experience with culture immersion. Enter Global Experiences.

After sifting through dozens of intern and study abroad programs, I narrowed down my hefty list to just a handful. Out of those few, Global Experiences was the first to get back to me. What surprised me about this program was that the application to participate wasn't readily available, you had to speak with a consultant first. I liked the way the consultants reached out and scheduled a one on one meeting with you over the phone instead of sending an information packet to your mailbox. From the beginning, the staff was dedicated to meeting my needs and specifications as a person seeking employment for a very specific sector of jobs. While there were over 100 interns in my summer program, I never felt like I was pushed aside. My emails during the entire process were always answered quickly and everyone was so informative.

Global Experiences assisted with everything from cover letter and resume review, to interview tips and visa advice. The staff was also able to assist me with finding a second part-time internship, after the one I really wanted was only looking for a part-time intern. I loved both of my placements and don't think I would've found either of them looking on my own.

Since we were staying in Central London, I didn't have super high hopes for the housing they would provide, but I was pleasantly surprised when the accommodation had 24/7 security staff, spacious and clean rooms, and was in a great location. I got on really well with the flatmates I was assigned, so it seems like there was thought put into that as well.

While there were set activities for us to participate in through GE, it didn't occupy every weekend. This left plenty of time to go visit other places and see what else Europe had to offer. Weekend trips included Bath and Stonehenge and Brighton, but there were also events like a networking night and a visit to the Globe Theater to watch a show.

I highly recommend this program to those who are looking for independence with structure. I say that because students that are willing to go to a foreign country by themselves for this type of experience are probably very independent, but will need a hand in sorting out all the logistics. It's hard to know exactly what visa you need and how you're going to get international organizations to look at your resume. Global Experiences provided a great balance of giving me the opportunity but still allowing me to decide whether to take it. I did take it, and I'm so happy I did.