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

I believe that the experience is what you make it and personally, I had a great time in London. The on-site GE advisors for this location, Gregg and Shani, were very involved and genuinely cared about my experience. Gregg planned social activities around the group's interests and was very knowledgeable about the city.
One complaint I have, however, is with is the GE marketing of the program. When I applied for my internship I thought that I was applying for a specific internship, but you really only choose the location. Shani did a good job of setting me up with an interesting company and it was a great opportunity, but I did not necessarily get to choose the job like I thought from looking at the website.
Overall, I am grateful that I was placed with a really engaged boss who cared about my experience. Some of other interns are incredible people as well and turned into friendships I will cherish forever when I think back on my time in London.

I went in not knowing anyone but in leaving I left with so many friendships that I know will last a lifetime. The location coordinator was so helpful in everything. Gregg took us to some of his favorite places and it was really cool to feel like you were apart of the city and not only visiting. Thrifting with Gregg and my friends was a highlight of the events GE hosted because I was able to not only see history but touch it and bring it back with me. I’m so thankful for my time in London and I will never forget it.

It was such a cool experience visiting Europe for the summer. Gregg and Shani were super helpful and supportive. This was my first time traveling abroad by myself so I appreciated their help and commitment to making sure we were comfortable. The program was structured to encourage relationship building with other students, and I made a lot of potential life long friends on this trip. I enjoyed my internship, and look forward to seeing what opportunities will come from this. 10/10 highly recommend!

I underestimated the amount of learning and fun I was going to have when I arrived in the UK. If I am being completely honest, I didn’t think I would get a placement at all. However, global experiences worked tirelessly to provide me a placement that I would love allowing me to build my resume and expand on my work with children. Gregg and Shani have been there every step of the way and answered my questions and texts promptly. Gregg’s outings to hidden London allowed me to feel like a true Londoner

This was an amazing experience and opportunity to grow professionally and personally. Shani and Gregg were absolutely amazing in coordination this program as well as providing support during the program. Gregg offered many unique weekend adventures that provide an opportunity to do more than just work or study. Shani was so helpful in making sure all the legal and visa related things were taken care of. This alleviated a lot of stress for me personally and I could not be more grateful. I have minimal complaints and would certainly recommend this program to others.

With the pandemic shuttering the global opportunities I planned to attend through my college, I applied to GE to try and still go abroad before graduation. I’m happy to say it was a great experience!

I appreciated how GE helped prepare me for an internship by looking over my resume and having me take a quiz to find my strengths and build a cover letter around them. This was a great addition to the program and something I intend to use to apply for jobs in the workforce beyond the GE program. My advisor was great about answering my questions and making sure all of my paperwork was finished in time to depart.

A minor complaint of mine is that GE has no transportation from the airport to your flat. As someone who’d never flown on a plane, didn’t know how tubes worked, and had been up for over 24 hours traveling, it was difficult to navigate from the airport to my flat, even though I’d brought a map of the city to help. The housing itself was quite nice, with air conditioning, private bathrooms, and being right next to a grocery store and having two tub stations nearby.

Regarding my internship, I was with a great company and learned a lot as a content writer, but I did apply for public relations first and journalism second, and though I didn’t mind my placement at all, if future students are looking for a specific job rather than a broad placement, they may be a bit disappointed.

The best part of my program was by far Gregg and Shani, who were very kind and prompt in responding to my questions and concerns. When I got sick during the program, Gregg was great about giving me information on what doctor offices my student insurance covered and what papers I needed to fill out. Also, many of the places Gregg took the group were not tourist destinations, but niche places you’d never know about unless you had someone from the area with you. This was great, and really added to the experience in a way I wouldn’t have gotten had I come to London on my own without GE.

I also enjoyed how Gregg and Shani showed us students a PowerPoint of how we would feel throughout our stay during Orientation—from the initial excitement to understandable fatigue to adapting to your new environment. When I did find myself slipping into the “understandable fatigue” stage, it really helped to know that my feelings were a natural part of going to a different country and would improve—which they soon did.

Overall I would recommend GE as a solid option for building your work portfolio abroad. I never felt like I was in danger walking around the city, and was able to do a lot of sightseeing on the weekends! Considering it was my first time abroad, GE was great about preparing me for what to expect and offer help if I needed it.

My only issues lie not with the on-site staff, but with what GE marketed the program to be. I applied for a specific internship opportunity listed on their website (I believe it said specifically "work for a contemporary art gallery"), and I ended up working for a museum of architecture. None of my blame lies in Shani, she did a great job aligning my interests, qualifications, and the opportunities present in London this summer. However, it has felt like false marketing on GE's side to promote one thing, and provide another.

I would have no issues if instead they marketed a generalized opportunity (such as "work within the art scene of London"), rather than a niche position that I applied specifically for.

Besides that, Gregg and Shani do a fantastic job ensuring the safety and support of 75+ young adults, many of whom it is their first time in the UK. The activities Gregg puts on are always diverse, affordable, and their own unique hidden gem that made me feel like a true "Londoner". Shani somehow manages to find jobs for dozens of students and their targeted careers, while juggling communication between various companies and international students. Although the internship may not be your dream profession, no matter what, the opportunity teaches you invaluable lessons on how to pursue that career.

If you need/want an international internship and want to push your own limits in a foreign country (all while still being supported by staff and friends), I would recommend this program.

When I first started this experience it was going really well. My advisor was helpful and it made me excited and hopeful. When arriving to London it was going great until the program actually started. The program leader in in London should not be in her position. She is extremely unprofessional and speaks in a very rude manner to participants. She treated us like children when we're all adults trying to learn more. I understand the topic of a Visa is important but the way she spoke was unacceptable. She called most of the participants unprofessional and sent us all multiple threats. Her position must be stressful with the amount of people in the program but if you can't handle it without staying professional then it's time to find another job. I have never met anyone so unprofessional in my life. For us to be paying so much and to be treated like kids, it's terrible. My interactions with her along with all the other unhappy participants made this experience more negative and not worth the money. Also, the housing is horrible. It is in a bad part of town and the company unite students is cheap. They lost SO many of my packages, never answer the 24/7 phone, and are so unhelpful if you have any problem. Which you will have a lot of problems like broken appliances in the kitchen and in the bathroom, terrible wifi that goes out every weekend, bugs, smells, it goes on. For paying so much money I expected better housing.