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

My internship with GE was amazing. Not only have I excelled in my professional career, I also grew as a person. I was terrified to go across the world by myself, but I wouldn't have done it any other way. I met so many amazing people, and learned a lot about myself and other cultures around the world. I couldn't have asked for a better job placement. GE helped me developed lifetime friends, references, and comfort in knowing I can to do anything I put my mind to!

I was placed in a fabulous internship that fit me perfectly, and it has only given me the resume boost that led me to other internship and job opportunities that I could not have done without Global Experiences. The onsite staff made it more comfortable for me during my stay, and I felt like I always had a person to talk to about every obstacle and opportunity that I was given. I am thrilled that I was apart of Global Experiences.

Overall, I had an amazing experience in London.
I interned for a drug and alcohol support service and I loved it. I learned a ton, and the staff was incredibly friendly and welcoming.
The location of the Nido housing was great. Kings Cross / St. Pancras station was a 5 minute walk down the street, so it was very easy to travel. The building had lots of amenities including a gym and cafe.
The GE staff was very helpful with everything. They truly try to help you make the most of your experience. They organized a number of optional social events. Also, there were three of us that arrived in London later than the rest of the group, and one of the GE staff members took us all out to dinner to welcome us, which was so kind!
I felt that I got a lot out of the program and I would strongly recommend it.

London with AIFS was an amazing experience. I met people who are still my best friends to this day and experienced a beautiful and diverse city. You can experience almost every culture, as the food is vast with dining from all over the world and hundreds of languages spoken on the tube. It's such an amazing city to get a cultural experience, but still be able to speak English and feel a little bit at home.

After I was accepted to Global Experiences they guaranteed an internship placement. My first choice interview went well and I got a marketing position in a company I really liked. For the months leading up to the program, they hosted regular interactive webinars and called us individually to help us through the interview and visa application process. Mine went smoothly and I didn't really require much extra help, but it was nice to know it was available.

When I arrived in London at our housing facility, the advisers I had been speaking with the last few months were waiting to help us move in and give us some advice about settling in. We had a orientation session, icebreakers for the people in our groups and two tours that weekend.

During the internship our advisers held office hours, visited us at work, spoke with us about any issues that may have cropped up at work. They also had lots of social events for us from bar crawls to day trips around England. Our adviser was very knowledgeable about life in London and had suggestions from cheap pubs, to free museums and unique cultural events around the city.

The other interns in the program and I quickly became friends. Several months later, some of us are planning a bit of a reunion back in the US.

My actual internship was great. My manager gave me a lot of freedom and a lot of responsibility after proving myself early on. I got experience in the sales and advertising side of marketing and realized which I like best. My work was actually put to good use in the company. At the end I had a great letter of recommendation and a lot more confidence in my decided career path. It was a lot of hardwork, but I definitely grew over the course of the summer.

Night life is obviously fantastic in London. While I hung out with my GE friends a lot, I broke out and made local friends, which really made my experience something special.

A few months back in the US, and I still keep in touch with my GE advisers, former employer and of course my friends I made in London.

I loved this program! Studying abroad in London thru AIFS was literally the best experience of my life! The location (Kensington) is amazing, especially with David Beckham and the royals right down the street...not to mention that there was so much to do & see (museums, beautiful gardens, shopping, nightlife, pubs, food, monuments, etc). I had a blast! Classes kept you busy, but they weren't too challenging, especially with professors knowing that us (study abroad students) want to travel/have time to enjoy our experience here. Overall, staff was great and wish I could come back.

When I got to London I became very sick. My Afis advisor Anderson Hillen was amazing! She checked on me every day and brought me food,drinks, etc... She acted like my mom and it made me feel at home.

The Kensington location of this campus helped tremendously with day to day London life. You are located in central London and are able to explore so many parts of the city. The school is full of bright teachers and the AIFS staff at Richmond is the best! I would give anything to go back and do it all over again!