Program Reviews

This trip was so amazing. Amanda and Antonella were such great coordinators and were super helpful. They really helped make everyone feel so welcome and answered any questions we had. I really enjoyed Milan and living in the city. There was so much to do and see. The architecture was amazing and everyday I felt so blessed to be walking around and seeing all of the monuments and gorgeous buildings. I learned so much from my internship and I definitely made meaningful connections from my placement.

Milan was amazing ! The activities that were made were good! It was great to meet new people and create new memories with so many people from around the globe. I think what was the best thing was going to Lake Como and enjoy the boat ride that was conducted. What really was great about it was that we had the opportunity to have internships with great companies that we were able to collaborate in the future. I recommend everyone to really experience some type of study abroad program. Funnnnnnnnn!

I enjoyed getting to know other students while learning how to navigate a foreign country with them. The weekend trips were fun to get to know other people. I wish I could go on this experience again in another country with all new people just because it was so fun to do this one time. It was also nice to have guidance in a foreign country because it was scary at first and with the language barrier it was not totally comfortable, but having guidance through the advisors was so amazingly convenient to have.

This was a great experience in which i learned a lot about where i want to see myself in the future. The group that I came with was super fun and we got close very quickly. Milan is a very vibrant and busy city with lots to do so there was never a dull moment, especially during the weekend. There were not many cons other than he lack of AC but I got accustomed to it quickly. Milan is in a very good location and traveling to other cities was very easy and cheap, I did a lot of day trips around italy and to switzerland.

This trip was so much fun and I had an awesome time my first time in Milan! Since it was my first time in Europe I thought it was extremely daunting but i actually had a great experience. The people were great the city is aaweseom and traveling to other cities is so much fun. The supervisors were also amazing extremely organized and were super friendly. The only issue no AC so please be mindful of that but overall I had so much fun.

I really enjoyed my internship, I worked at a refugee center and so it was really interesting hearing all of the stories of the people who came. Furthermore I got to teach English classes and work with the art therapy group. I also greatly enjoyed my hours. I was scheduled to work from 9am-1pm everyday at the center. Ending work so early in the day gave me a vast amount of freedom to explore Rome. Rome itself is also a beautiful city, with stunning architecture and so many Museums. I really enjoyed my international internship.

My internship with Deskmates Archtiects was amazing. My colleagues are all very dedicated to what they do and very passionate and knowledgeable, as well. They were very welcoming with me not only in their studio, but also making me part of the team. They invited me to their site visits in L'aquila and Gavignano. The also had intentionally planned the work that I would be doing, which made me understand the full scope of the work that they do. Lucy from AIFS was very helpful in Rome. She checked in with me a lot to see how I was doing, and was always prepared ti solve any problems. She was also very generous with her time in our organized activities, such as the photography activity, the beach trip to Santa Marinella, etc. I appreciated very much that she made sure to do the photo session with me individually, because i couldnt make it to the one with the whole group! She always had an energetic demeanor and readiness about her. I also appreciated that she would answer the phone when I would call for a problem, even if the problem wasn't too big!
As far as interning abroad goes, I HIGHLY recommend all the future attendees to already have a good and solid knowledge and practice of the Italian language (if they are interning in Italy). I don't mean being able to say "buongiorno" but to be at a solid B1 level. This will be extremely helpful to not feel lonely, out of place, or unaware of what is going on around you. Also in the office, even if your colleagues talk english to you, they will talk italian with each other, and being aware of the conversations around you will make you feel like part of the team and included.
Also, don't expect to have AIFS make you "immersed in the culture". YOU should immerse yourself in the culture. For example, apart from speaking the language, I also tried to do the same things in Rome as I was doing in the city I normally live: I went to boxing lessons and tennis lessons, I went to church and also their weekly meetings, instead of studying in my apartment, i went to the local library, etc, stuff like these. This even helped me create some solid relationships with the people I was doing these activities with! Again, i couldnt have done these things without speaking the laguage (i wasnt super fluent, either, but fluent enough to carry day-to-day conversations with limited vocabulary. Basically, don't just go there to finish your internship, stay un at night partying, and then get out.

I had an amazing time overall in Sydney, summer 2023, and would recommend it to anyone wanting to study or work abroad. The work mindset here in Sydney is very relax with a good mix of respect and responsibility from your coworkers and supervisors. Having the ability to work a few days a week and have time off for going out and about around the city is a plus. Most supervisors are very nice about letting interns take time off as we’re here for a short time. So, if you do come to Sydney I suggest doing as much as you can during the weekends at markets, museums, and the national parks outside the city. And maybe even visit other cities like Melbourne, Brisbane, and maybe even Tasmania like I did!

I learned so much professionally and about myself during my internship in Sydney. There was a great balance between work and getting to explore. Andrea, our onsite coordinator planned great excursions both in the city and to surrounding areas. My host company was super welcoming and I had many networking opportunities. It was fun to make connections with different employees and companies in a new city. Everyone we interacted with was flexible and accommodating to make sure we got a well rounded experience. Thank you AIFS and Andrea!