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

Oh man, where do I begin with my experience? I went out on a limb with Global Experiences. I found their website by chance and decided to go for it. I'm so glad I did. Some of my family members weren't supportive of my decision to move to London for the summer. They thought it would be a waste of money, but I went anyway. Best decision ever. Global Experiences helped me with everything I needed. They gave me a step by step process of how to acquire my visa, provided housing, gave me a social life and of course -- my internship. They found an internship that fit with me perfectly. I grew as a journalist through this organization. I loved everyone I worked with. The housing was excellent and my flatmates were incredible. We bonded so much within those two months. I was really sad to leave. London became a home away from home -- all thanks to Global Experiences.

I spent the summer of 2012 in London while the Olympics were there. Global Experiences placed me in an internship where I had the opportunity to design polo gear for international polo teams as well as help design an Olympic themed tshirt that was sold. The staff was extremely helpful and set up exciting activities/adventures for us to help us fully experience London during our time there. I have made amazing connections I still keep in touch with today.

My time abroad with global experiences was amazing! My placement really fit with what I was studying and gave me insight into my career path. I was placed with a great group of people. One of the funnier times at my placement was the editing of my surveys with "proper English". The slight spelling difference, like color vs colour, I found entertaining and my coworkers were known to make sure I knew the difference in fun loving way. Being abroad was more than just work for me. I was able to travel and really experience a new adventure. I'm forever grateful of my experience and what Global Exepriences offered me.

After graduating from University, my biggest concern was finding a job in my field. I had many questions; How do I get places to network? Where can I show my skills? Will I continue to learn through watching shows? All of these (and more) were questions I needed to find answers to on my own.
Once I worked my way into Ovation Theatre Ltd. in London, I found myself meeting new people and working on projects for directors in the field; Racky Plews, American Idiot Director! I met her by helping design her wedding at Upstairs At The Gatehouse! She saw my drive and dedication and wanted to expose me to some West End culture!
Sitting in on a few rehearsals solidified my love for this craft. Hence leading my to offering any aid I could towards her show. Within days, I found myself backstage of a West End production, assisting the stage manager, props coorodinator, costumer and working as a quick changer for the male actors.
Although I worked with them for a little over two weeks, it absolutely changed my life. I wanted to be involved, and I was thrown into every opportunity possible because of my networking.
Yes, this is a long story, but the truth is is that this one moment has made me even more passionate about theatre and why I am invested in this crazy craft!
I've made life long connections with the people here and I know they feel the same about me. I've received letters of recommendation and I've been plugged in to other people back in the states!
Traveling abroad has cemented my idea that open mindedness is a key component in living fulfilled lives. I'd say, this adventure has made me more open minded and more fulfilled than I've ever felt, the feeling can only expand from this point on.

Choosing to study abroad with AIFS was the best decision I ever made! The location in Kensington was absolutely beautiful and very accessible to the rest of central London. I loved the fact that there were several bus stops and a tube station nearby, it made travelling around the city very easy and convenient. The city itself was amazing, never had I ever seen so much history and diversity in one place. The night life, shopping, museums, there is always something new to do and see.

The office staff was extremely helpful, the professors very knowledgeable and all the students got along great! To this day(8 years later) I'm still very close with several people on my program.

My time in London with AIFS was so fantastic that when I returned home, I changed my major and transferred to a University in Central London. I finished my undergraduate degree in London, married my British boyfriend(who I met on the program) and ended up living in London for the next 6 years!!

I will always remember the summer I spent studying abroad with AIFS and will forever be grateful for the passion of travel and culture the program instilled in me.

If you want to study abroad, I highly recommend AIFS!!!

I spent two months working with people from all over the world, even though it was a small to medium company. It was my first real job experience, at least related to my studies. This was un the summer of 2012, with the Olympic games going on in London. It was fun and it was an opportunity to see how a the company, as long as the City, addapted to the big event. As non-native english speaker I had the chance to fully develop professional speaking skills. I was their first intern ever, so we both had to be very communicative with each other so we could take the and give the most of it.

Thank you to the team of Global Experience Interships, for finding the perfect fit for my professinal needs.

London is an absolutely fabulous city and I had a blast! GE provided the support and assisted me getting to London. However, the housing was a joke. We lived in a bad area about 30 minutes away from central London. The career development could have been better as well. You will go over your strengths and briefly edit your cover letters. Overall, career development was very basic.

Overall, GE helped me get to london, provided me with a great employer and I had a blast. If I were you I'd look into the area you live before signing up.

Everything about this experience was amazing. Pre-departure and on-site staff were helpful and personable. Meal plan=BIG money saver. Flight package was helpful. AMAZING internship placement fit to me, and well prepared for the interview as well. Loved, loved, loved.