Camden Canal/ Camden Market
Why did you decide to apply for an international internship program?
I have always wanted to travel abroad and have never had the opportunity before. I also knew it would help give me an extra edge to set me apart from my peers in my career field. I was interested in gaining insight into a career and gaining valuable skills working in a different culture.
What was your favorite part about London?
Everything! There is so much to do in London, you could never possibly do it all. Every borough you go to feels like you're almost in a different country with a culture of its own.
What made interning with IES Internships in London unique?
I think what makes my program unique is how hard the staff worked to help offer us participants to see many things inside London, as well as outside London.
What surprised you most about London?
What surprised me most about London was how generally friendly (mostly everyone) was and how willing people were to strike up a conversation with a stranger on the tube or on the bus.
How else did local staff support you throughout your program?
The local staff helped support me by offering advice on places to go, things to do, as well as how to deal with things like feeling homesick. They also personally helped me deal with filing an health insurance claim when I had to visit a doctor while abroad. Further, a lot of them had studied abroad as well, so they were knowledgeable about most things that we were going through or would go through, and offered good advice and insight on how to deal with it.
National Portrait Gallery on the edge of Trafalgar Square
What's one thing you wish you could change about your program experience?
In the beginning of my program I felt pretty homesick and stayed in quite a few days that I wish I had gone out and explored and at least seen some sights.
What was the hardest part about interning abroad for you?
For me the hardest part about interning abroad was being so far away from my family, in a different country by myself for the first time.
Describe a day in the life of your internship.
A day in the life during my program typically consisted of me catching the Tube (underground subway) to my internship and working from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., which consisted of helping around the office with administrative stuff, talking, helping, and supporting clients with things, and sometimes going on outings with clients. After work I would either catch the Tube back to my accommodation or meet friends out for dinner or a theatre performance somewhere. Then I would make my way back to my apartment for work again the next day.
View from my room at night
What was your favorite thing to do outside of your internship placement?
In general, I loved sightseeing everything I could. Every weekend I would find somewhere to go and something to do, often on a spur of the moment, and it always ended up being a fun adventure.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
I had student accommodations that were similar to dorm rooms. I had a roommate and we shared an open room and private bathroom. On our floor we had a community kitchen with our own personal fridge and freezer space. I liked how nice and well maintained it was.
Do you have any packing tips for individuals headed to London?
To anyone traveling abroad to the UK, I would suggest looking up the weather forecast for the time you will be there or what the past weather conditions were for the last few years around that time. It really does rain there quite a lot.
What is one thing you wish you would have known before interning abroad in the UK?
One thing I wish I had known before going to the UK was how much more expensive things were, particularly in London. Also, I didn't think about how much money I would be spending everyday between all my meals, travel expenses, other frivolous spending, as well as the things you will undoubtedly need to buy during your stay.
View from the pier at South End in Southern England
Now that you're home, how has your internship abroad impacted your life?
Since being home I realize that my program has made me look at things differently, specifically things within my own culture and the way people do things. I feel that it has also driven me to want to travel abroad more and soon.
Would you recommend IES Internships to other people?
I would recommend IES Internships to other people because they are good at sticking with you throughout your whole experience. They are there from the beginning of your application processes through your completed time abroad.
If you could intern abroad again, where would you go?
I think if I were to intern abroad again, I would like to travel to Ireland or Scotland.
