AES - London Internships

My experience abroad was the best thing that has happened to me. I grew so much in those two months when it came to independence. I didn’t realize what I was capable of before I went and when I returned to the United States I felt stronger and more sure of who I was. I got to explore amazing countries, meet new people, and try new things all while getting to intern somewhere that allowed to me to do what I was passionate about. Interning abroad is something everyone should do, it will change your life forever.

Doing an internship aboard this past summer was such an amazing opportunity and I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested! Being able to work with a UK company in London, England for 8 weeks was truly incredible. It was cool to learn more about how the business world works in Europe. I will be able to take everything I have learned and use it during the rest of my academic studies and in my future career.

Everything that AES did was great, however there were a few things that happened to me that were out of their or my control. The building we stayed in was not the nicest, the sheets we were given, were essentially two pieces of cloth, and there weren't many amenities. Also, the company I worked at seemed to not care what I did. They did not give me much meaningful work.

I signed up to do the Birkbeck program with three other students from Clemson University in the Spring of 2018. Like many people, I wanted to experience my time abroad with a group of students who were just as motivated to make the most of their time in Europe as I was. This was not my experience at all. We were placed in a cohort with 13 students from the University of Connecticut, which quickly became a close-knit community of about 30 students from various UConn programs that lived together in the same building. Rather than try to integrate an obvious minority, however, AES placed the four of us in a building on the complete opposite of London that was a 30 minute commute from the people we were supposed to be studying abroad with. The building was owned by Notre Dame, and the few students we met in passing were surprised to learn that Clemson students were even “allowed” to live in their dorm. We clearly didn’t fit into either community, and as a result I had an extremely difficult time connecting with other students during my time in London. I don’t want to blame AES for my negative experience, but wanted to put this here because ever since freshman orientation I’ve had people tell me, “go study abroad - it’ll be the best time of your life!” This is not a given, and in my case it was the worst semester of my undergraduate experience. If you’re considering this program or any other, take the time to research it thoroughly. Find out where you’ll be living and with whom. Ask what efforts will be made to integrate you with your cohort, and try to speak to a student that completed the program in the past. If you’re already in a program and it isn’t everything you hoped it’d be, remember that you’re not alone. While the students that loved their study abroad experience tend to be the most vocal, it’s totally normal to have a less-than-fantastic experience. Be honest with yourself and take steps to improve your situation while you still can. And finally, if you suspect that someone else in your group is being excluded, get their number and make a positive effort to bring them in. It can make a bigger difference than you think. There are certainly good things about this program. If you choose to do it, I hope you have a better experience than I did.

Interning in London was the greatest academic experience I have ever had. My internship placement was absolutely perfect for me, and as a psychology student was very beneficial as it was completely hands on and very interactive. It was not a typical 'American' internship where the intern is grabbing coffee for their employers and making copies of things. My internship was not coordinated through Anglo, but my education through Birkbeck University and other social events were. For the most part, Anglo did a lovely job, though I think because of some majors changes within the company, there seemed to be a lack of communication and organization on their part. However, all of the staff at Anglo were wonderful and I do miss them terribly! They answered all of the questions I had and were a home away from home for me, personally. I would highly recommend the program for anyone who is primarily looking to do an internship abroad. The internship, for me, were much more emphasized than the three required classes that I had to take. The program encourages you to make the most out of your internship. Also, I would recommend this program for those who are not too terribly interested in traveling while they are abroad--because class selection is limited, and you have to make sure your credits transfer over to your home school in order to graduate on time, your internship/class may fall on Fridays and Mondays, as was the case for me. Like I said, this program is really internship-heavy, especially with the work visa you are required to obtain. With this visa you must have 20 hours of work a week--if you miss a day you have to make it up, otherwise border control will be forced to send you home (as I was told). Personally, I did not have the time with classes and assignments to take a Monday or Friday off and go away for a weekend holiday, so I did not have the time to make up any missed hours at my internship during the week. So I did not do any traveling while I studied abroad. Personally, I was perfectly fine with this as I really loved my internship. However, others with class on Fridays or Mondays instead of internship found it easier to travel. All in all, I loved the program and highly HIGHLY recommend it! :)