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

The most stressful part is learning the ropes of a new city but this quickly became the most fun and rewarding part. I finally got a routine of waking up, going to a near by Starbucks and then catching the bus to work. Then after work I would either meet up with people somewhere to explore and/or shop or go home and hang out in someones room. I even made friends at work who would invite me out to things. At first you do all the touristy things and feel like any other foreigner, but after a couple weeks you really begin to feel like you live there and that's when me homesickness faded away and my time started going by too fast rather than too slow. I couldn't have asked to learn more at my job and everyone was so understanding of the fact that I was new to the city. I also made so many great friends from the program; some of which already flew down to visit me at school last year!

Everything from the application process, to job placement, to getting housing set up was a totally smooth and easy process. And once in London, Melissa (the on-site GE coordinator) was really invested in making sure we got the most out of our time abroad with helpful seminars, networking mixers,and fun weekend outings. It was really great having her in my corner in a place so far from home.

Overall, I had the best possible summer in London. Living abroad was exhilarating, the internship was great and helped to kickstart my job search once I got back home, and I made some great friends with my fellow interns while there. I definitely would recommend this experience.

My summer internship with Global Experiences during the summer of 2012 was immense. It was a fantastic opportunity to see what it is like to live and work in one of the most vibrant cities in the world. The people that I met were welcoming, intelligent, and interesting. The staff could not have been more supportive. In addition to having an incredible time, I also was able to work hard to build up my experience, which was enough to help me get into masters and doctoral programs.
I could not recommend Global Experiences more.
They work hard to tailor internships and find the perfect placement for each individual intern. I have never heard of a company like it - and would not change my experience for anything.

My Global Experiences internship was the perfect transition from university to the real world and getting to do so in a city like London was amazing.
My internship allowed me to put the marketing skills I learned in school to use and I was able to really appreciate the industry in London.
I fell in love with the city and am currently still living and working here, and I definitely think my Global Experiences internship helped me secure my current job here.

I was enrolled in the internship program where I worked at a UK company. It was an awesome experience and really makes my resume stand out.
The only downside was the one actual class I did take from the school. But, if you enjoy writing 3,000 word essays than this is your university!
This was by far the best semester of college, and I didn't want to go back home! I definitely recommend studying abroad, you won't regret it!

Hi there, my name is Ligon McMurry and I was an attendee of the Summer 2012 London Internship Experience studying Graphic Design. There are so many highlights from my experience that I have no idea where to start. My internship position was working for a company in Teddington, England which was one of the furthest internships away. The company was called Tru SportsWear. I stayed in the Notting Hill Nido building and met some wondering new friends who were also with Global Experiences. There were about twenty of us all together. Some of my highlights was being a part of Project Moda Season 2 in going to Italy which I have never been to. Probably the hottest day of my life it about 110 degrees I would say. Other place I went to was Oxford with a friend my internship where I worked. Me and three others who I met from another internship company also asked if I would like to get a ticket to see the USA vs France first soccer match of the Olympic Games up in Glascow, Scotland. It was so much fun! Throughout my time in London, I went on the trips that GE had for us. We went to Brighton, and to the White Cliffs of Dover. I saw three other Olympic Games which were also amazing. Eight weeks wasn't long enough I wish I could have stayed a whole year and do study abroad and travel more, but my time spent in England was well worth it and thanks to GE and our representative Melissa I felt I have grown more to know who I am as a person then when I first got there.

I have interned with GE in London twice, once during undergrad and again during grad school. Both experiences were different but equally rewarding. My internship placements were beyond my expectation. I still keep in contact with both of them and they are always willing to write me a recommendation. The accommodations are in a phenomenal location and are also a great place to meet other student outside of the GE program. I never had any issues with any of my internships but GE staff was always prompt in answering any questions I had; even ones as simple as where I could go for great Indian food. The location rep that I had is one of the best people that I have ever met and I have been fortunate enough to still stay in touch with her. Not only have I made lasting friendships with other interns in the GE program but I have also made several close relationships with others that I met while interning which has been great for traveling and always having a free place to stay!

My time with Global Experiences was generally very good. I applied late in the game, and they were very accommodating and made sure my first steps were completed in time so that I could be enrolled. From there, communication took a long dive off a cliff, however. Because I'd applied so late, I was concerned about getting my paperwork done for both the program and my visa, but when I would call with a question, it would often be days or weeks before I heard an answer. I was also talking to several different people at once, and I had no clear idea of who was doing what and who should be receiving which materials. Once I was in London, Melissa was excellent. She answered questions and had tips and pointers for everything from transportation to work to entertainment.

Placement was a bit difficult. I didn't receive my placement until about two and a half weeks before I left for London, so there was some serious concern about whether or not I would have a visa in time to travel. I had to rush order my visa and send my passport express mail just to have a prayer of getting it back in time. This was both incredibly stressful and an additional expense.

In preparing to go, I would say ask your employer what is expected of you instead of GE. I had almost a whole suitcase of business casual clothes that I never wore and did nothing but take room and weight, because I was told I would need them for my internship. As it turned out, my workplace was very laid back, and I was one of several people in this situation. The only time I needed to dress up at all was for a launch event for our summer project. What I'm saying is, ASK YOUR EMPLOYER ABOUT ATTIRE BEFORE YOU PACK. It is very possible that you will be able to wear your regular clothes for work. There will be souvenirs and food and whatever else you find to bring home that will be much more important than that extra pair of khakis.

The program itself, I enjoyed a lot. My placement was wonderful. I worked at a non-profit called the Ministry of Stories, which does writing workshops and community events for children in the surrounding neighborhood. It includes Hoxton Street Monster Supplies, whose proceeds help to fund the workshops and draw attention to the organization. It was not directly in my field, but because of the environment in which I was working, I was able to develop many professional skills which I had used only minimally in the past. Teamwork was the most important, because we were a small group of people taking on huge projects. Because of that, I was able to gain experience in several areas including public relations, marketing, data entry, event planning and some retail work. My last project was co-heading a social media takeover with the Ministry's PR coordinator. It was a lot of responsibility and the learning curve was huge, but it was ended up being brilliant and it was fun to do! Everything I did was important to the organization as a whole, and that was both educational and fulfilling.

While participating in the program, we lived at NIDO Student Center. NIDO itself was kind of dreadful, but it served its purpose well. It is better than most freshman dorm rooms, and you aren't there that much anyway. My tips would be to bring your own ethernet cable (the one they provide, which you have to purchase, is short and there is only wifi in the common areas) and don't eat there unless you have to, the exception being good coffee.

GE did a very good job pairing us with roommates. My roommate and I, while very different, were great living together. Because of the dorm style of NIDO, we quickly made friends with the people living in the rooms next to us. It was a way that made a huge new place feel a bit smaller and more manageable, and it helped to have a friend right off the bat.

I did not participate in many social aspects of the program. The welcome bus tour was excellent, despite the rain, especially since we did it the first day. It gave us a good feeling of where things generally were in the city as well as making us aware that we were really in London. There were three weekend day trips, one each to Dover, Brighton and Greenwich. I went to Greenwich, and we had a tour and then were given a couple hours to enjoy the area. There were also pub nights, a welcome and farewell dinner, and a couple of other things along the way. I enjoyed what I participated in, but I generally felt as though I'd rather be doing something else. There were a lot of cultural activities, both British and otherwise, that GE could have exposed us to, but I had more luck discovering on my own. For instance, NIDO was within 15 minutes walking of a whole street of amazing ethnic restaurants, everything from British pub food to Mexican to Turkish to Thai, and the only place we went as a group was a pub and a chain Indian restaurant that wasn't very good.

In many ways, Global Experiences is what got me to London more than what made the trip for me. I fell in love with the city and the people, and the most memorable parts of the experience were the things I did on my own or with friends: I was able to take two weekend trips and several day trips, and though I spent as many days as possible sightseeing in London, I only scratched the surface of what the city had to offer. I was also lucky enough to be there during the Olympics, so I went to the opening ceremony concert at Hyde Park and two football matches in Manchester. I made friends with program participants, as I mentioned before, and with locals I met at the pubs or at work, many of whom I'm still in contact with.

Overall, I had a wonderful summer, but it had very little to do with Global Experiences. Your internship experience will be what you make of it. Take advantage of the city and surrounding area and be the best employee you can be, and it will be worth every once of stress and every penny spent it took to get you there.