AIFS Abroad Internships in Galway, Ireland

I interned abroad in Galway, Ireland in the summer of 2024. I chose AIFS because I enjoyed all the services they provided me with. They contacted companies to get interviews for my internship, they arranged housing, and they provided lots of advising before and during my program. Before my program, they really helped me prepare for my interviews. I learned about my top five strengths and how I use them in the workplace. I also received lots of support during my program. AIFS provided us with a location coordinator. It was so helpful to have someone to answer any questions and help in any way possible. My housing was arranged by AIFS, which really took a lot of stress off my shoulders. I had my own room and bathroom and shared a kitchen/living area with two of the other interns in my program. AIFS also provided me with a few excursions. We had welcome and exit events, a trip to Inishmore, an Irish dance class, a trip to Connemara, and a chance to watch professional Irish dancers. In my program, there were about 20 interns. Having other interns provided me with a great community. We explored the city together, traveled together, and created great friendships. I absolutely loved my program!

Galway was such a fun time that I believed to be an enriching experience. The interns that I met on the trip were all lovely individuals and we got along great! Being able to be an intern in Galway was a new experience that I would recommend to everyone. We got to go to explore other countries as well such as France and we explored other parts of Ireland! Galway is a nice sized city and the access we had to the beach made things so fun!

I don't even know where to begin! This summer has been nothing short of amazing. Prior to this experience, I have never travelled abroad, let alone solo travelled abroad. I can firmly attest that this experience has made me find myself in the best way possible. Now I'll get into more specifics. For starters, Galway is the best city you could go to, hands down. It's not crazy & chaotic like Dublin or London, but it's still so lively, beautiful, and exciting to be in. There is always something to do here. People are performing music all up and down the streets every hour of the day, which gives it a perfectly authentic vibe. There's so many cute shops & pubs to wander into. Not to mention, the people here are some of the nicest people I have ever met! I never had one bad experience with the locals. Everyone is friendly and welcoming, which really helped with me already being nervous to be abroad. Second, the Galway location advisor for AIFS, Karen, is AMAZING. She is the most caring woman ever! Anytime I had an issue (which was rare, but still), she was extremely responsive & made sure to check in on me to make sure I was doing better. One of the things I'll miss most about Galway is her. I also had the opportunity to do some traveling on the weekends! Between the day trips Karen had planned for us to Inishmore & Connemara, I also solo travelled to London and the Cliffs of Moher! Furthermore, me and some of the best friends I made in this program also took a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland & Nantes, France. This definitely added to the already incredible experience. In summary, if you're undecided on where to be abroad in AIFS, choose Galway. You will get the true Irish experience being here, meet the kindest people, eat the best food, and have the opportunity to do more traveling on weekends. Because of this summer, I truly intend to come back upon my graduation & turn Galway into my home. Best summer of my life. :)