Dezaray Barr is an undergraduate student at Indiana Wesleyan University studying public relations, journalism and humanities through the John Wesley Honors College. To learn more about Dezaray, visit her personal website: dezaraybarr.weebly.com.
I choose The Intern Group because they had incredible reviews, an affordable program in comparison to other programs and the program was conducted in such a way that I wanted. They had an incredible amount of help and support to offer their interns, but they were also willing to give you freedom if you were comfortable with that.
Plus, I wanted to be in Australia, and being in Melbourne compared to Sydney was something I found special and interesting.
The Intern Group assisted me with every step in the process. Once I submitted my application, I received a call from them within a week for an interview. Once I had been approved, they answered all of my questions from start to finish. They helped me determine what host company was best for me (and we found the perfect one), and they helped me decide what length of program fit me the best. They also offered me a discount/ scholarship because I am a Pell Grant recipient.
Go in with no expectations and a lot of money to travel. With no expectations, you will enjoy your experience so much more. You owe it to yourself, to your bosses, to your program supervisors and to your future friends to go in with an open mind. Also, this is a once in a lifetime experience, so treat it that way.
Travel on the weekends. Take Fridays off if you can, grab your newest fellow intern friend and catch a flight to a city you've never been. Booked a cheap hotel or Airbnb and book an excursion online. This is the time to cross stuff off of your bucket list.
Each morning, I would wake up and walk to the train station. I would then take two different trains through the city into a different suburb, where I would walk to my co-working space. Once in the office, I would check my email and update all social media for my host organization. From there, each day was different. Some days I wrote blogs for newsletters. Other days I planned events or went to our weekly events. Some days I recorded video for a client or online contest and edited it into a promo video, and some days I completed public relations plans. After work, I would usually meet my fellow interns in the city for events or dinner and drinks.
My biggest fear was that I wouldn't make friends because I didn't know anyone. However, once I got there, I was connected with fellow interns from the states on day one. They had also just arrived, and we immediately became good friends. I spent the summer with two incredible women who became friends that I still talk to today.
In fact, I'm going on a cruise with one of them in just a few months. My views on this issue made me realize that it's GOOD to go somewhere different, where you know no one. It's good for your social-identity and will expand your worldview in huge ways.
One weekend, a fellow intern (one of my good friends now) and I traveled to Brisbane. We made the most of online deals we found. We snorkeled, sand boarded, propelled down a mountain and held a koala, just to name a few. These were all things that I was terrified of trying but were on my bucket list. I will always remember this weekend as one of the best of my life.