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

Our dorm was conveniently near the Tube station and a short walk to cafes, stores, and Kensington Park! My class met M-Th and my professor was knowledgeable and talented. AIFS does a great job at offering and planning trips and events that helped me experience the. I was able to ride the London Eye, see a play at the Globe Theater, go on a ghost tour, and take a day trip to Bath! This also made it easier to meet other students on the program and build friendships. The staff was helpful in providing tips and advice that helped make the most out of the short amount of time that I had there. London is full of adventure and surprise and there is always something to do or see! I am confident that my experience abroad would have been different if I had not chosen AIFS to travel with.

Last fall I started toying with the idea of an internship for the summer of 2014. I met with some advisors at my university and was exposed to some internships that were in my area. They seemed so boring. I needed something that would make for an unreal experience. I spoke with my advisor about doing an internship abroad and she pointed me to google. I did a lot of research but knew that I belonged with Global Experiences.

GE personalizes your internship. You aren't just thrown into a company that might fit what you want for an internship. The GE staff works with you to perfect your cover letter and resume before distributing them to companies throughout London. It was quite a process and I had never done an interview over Skype before but I had an instant connection with one of the interviewers.

The placement Global Experiences provided for me was beyond perfect. I had a dream experience that I can not thank them enough for. My office was right down the Thames River with views of the Eye and Big Ben from the windows. My coworkers were welcoming and friendly and I am still in contact with all of them.

I would highly recommend Global Experiences for anyone that is interested in an internship that is in an area of interest. You make friends and connections that will last a lifetime.

I was an intern for Global Experiences for 2 months in London this past summer and it was the most incredible experience I have ever had! I was always so fearful of getting out there and being on my own, but they made it really easy for me! London has always been number one on my list of places to go ever since I was little. I researched an opportunity like this for years and the older I got the more determined I got. I came across the Global Experiences website when I was researching for an internship abroad and I automatically made my decision to go. I was a little skeptical about which organization to go with because I knew my sister did not go with a good organization when she went to Africa, but rest assured this company was well organized and more willing to help than I expected. When I put in that I was interested in going, I was contacted by one of the members of staff who got me even more excited, if that was even possible, and just like that I was on my way to going to England. Just hearing a voice on the other end made things even more real for me.

After FINALLY getting to London after the loads of paperwork I had to complete with my school and with the Visa company and Global Experiences, my journey of a lifetime began. It was more hard work getting here than I thought it would be, but it was definitely worth it in the end. I was in the city of my dreams working and living with the most amazing roommates I could ask for (see Shardae's review below... :) ). I could not have asked for a better company to work for. I worked at Fitzrovia Youth in Action in London, which is a small, up and coming charity in central London. They have multiple different parts in the company and I was able to work in each one. And since it is a small company I became close with everyone that worked there and I was able to get amazing recommendations that set me up for success in the future. Sarah did a fabulous job finding this company for me, I know I was a difficult one since I did not know for sure what I wanted to do, but she made it happen! I was able to work with their mentoring program and helped students like me get an internship with jobs in London, I worked on their database and got it up and running smoothly, I helped organize and clear out old clutter that they had building up in the office, I was able to go to drop in sessions for young children, and I helped organize a football (soccer) tournament.

Living in London was definitely not what I expected, but it turned out to be the best living accommodation that you could ask for! It was a really nice area and I feel my roommates were my everything in London. We did everything together from traveling to different countries to going out and exploring London after work. They helped me in more ways than I thought possible and we are still communicating now over Facebook and plan to meet up in the near future! I wish I could tell you what a typical day was like in London, but there was no typical day, or weekend. That's what made it interesting! I encourage you to take hold of the experience and make it into YOUR journey of a lifetime because after the day is done YOU are the one to make your dreams come true. This trip is what you make it and for me it was the most exhilarating experience I have every had and I miss it more and more every day.

This past summer was easily one the best of my life.

I started my relationship with Global Experiences last September (almost a year ago now!) when they called me up mere days after I sent in an online inquiry. The staff was very easy to communicate with and was always open to any questions I had. After getting accepted into the program, there was A LOT of paperwork, and my university wasn't the most helpful, but GE really stepped up and made sure everything was going smoothly every step of the way. It was a long process - I didn't get placed in my internship until the following spring - but well worth it. They are well-organized and very professional.

My work experience was just that - an experience. I really value the skills I learned and would not trade working in London for the world, although I do wish that my placement was a bit more tailored to my major. I'm a Creative Writing major and got placed in a small company in need of a PR/Marketing intern. There were a few instances where my skills were needed, but most of the time I was doing busywork and lengthy pencil-pusher tasks. My boss was very busy most of the time and really valued my presence there, so knowing I was making a difference really helped. We also got along marvelously, so that was a bonus! But there were many times I wished I was utilizing my already-developed strengths. I know of a few others who felt this way, and even one who was kept in the dark about three employers who wanted to interview her during her placement process while she accepted the first opportunity to come her way. Looking back, I know that the experience really did teach me a lot and I did gain many new skills to add to my list. I just wish I also had time in the day to use my other skills as well.

Being in London was an absolute dream come true. London is central to so many things so I was given the opportunity to travel to places I never thought I would see. I also ended up meeting a fantastic group of people who will remain my lifelong friends. Overall, the experience strengthened both my personal and professional outlook on life and the world around me. I would not trade this experience for the world, and though I may have had a few hiccups, that should NOT deter anyone from checking GE out. At the end of our time there, they asked us about things that could be improved within the program and I have no doubt our opinions will be taken into account as the company grows.

Thank you, GE, for the best summer of my life! I'll never forget it.

Global Experience made my summer amazing!!!
They found the perfect job for me it was exactly what i wanted in an internship. Everyday was a new adventure and i learned so much! I couldn't have asked for better! The housing was very nice and they went above and beyond with their program and staff! I truly have nothing bad to say!
This program was an experience of a life time and I could not be where i am now with out it!

As the RA for London's Summer program, I had the opportunity to work closely with Global Experiences' incredible staff and most of our large group of interns. Although as the Resident Assistant most of my work was behind-the-scenes, my daily duties included organizing several group outings and events, organizing teams and sending out RSVPs, taking location photos, creating promotional materials, and media publications (photos, videos, posts). The staff was very helpful during all stages of my stay and I felt very comfortable asking for help when I encountered issues or needed some direction.
There was a real sense of community from the very beginning with the interns, GE, and myself, and aside from the fantastic location, that sense of community was the greatest highlight of my experience. I would absolutely recommend Global Experiences' London program!

London was everything I imagined and so much more! Global Experiences really helped me through this journey. This experience made me a better well rounded individual. Global experiences answered all of my questions and I asked every question that I could until I felt comfortable. They want to help you, so ask your questions! Do the webinars, they prepare you for what you need to know before your internship and how to enjoy yourself while you are in London. Do your own research as well, I personally googled things to do in London and found out more about transportation.
The INTERNET is seriously your best friend, so use it. WIFI is almost everywhere in London, so you can use your phone on wifi applications but also check with your carrier about using your phone in Europe. Some helpful apps to use on WIFI for communicating with people are VIBER and WHATSAPP. Learn about London and find out how the TUBE works. When you get to London, use google maps to plan out how to get to work and actually take a run through of getting to work when you arrive in London so you can plan out how long it takes to get there. Become familiar with the area and learn how the money system works. In London they use pounds! But in other places in Europe they use the EURO.
London is the best location to travel to other places in Europe, so take advantage!! The culture in London is out of this world amazing! There is a time difference so you will probably have jet lag when you first arrive. Don't be afriad to get lost with a friend or even by yourself, because people there will help you, just ask. There is always something to do in London, so it's impossible to get bored. The experience is what you make of it, so be independent, and just go for it. Have fun and enjoy!

My experience was a little different than most people looking to do internships. I wasn't sure if I wanted to do accounting or finance, and Global Experiences put me in a perfect placement to where I could explore.

My day to day was like preparing financial statements and doing on-site visits with companies/charities to discuss where they are at financially and what we need from them to do our job.

One highlight I really liked was GE's help in improving our professionalism along with our strengths. Not everyone went to these workshops, but it should be advertised more to the interns because it was so helpful.