Top Three Things I learned While Interning Abroad in London

When I got the email stating I got the internship- I was happy, excited, scared, and nervous. I had so many emotions coming in all at once. Now that my internship and time abroad is over, I wanted to share the top 3 things I learned while living in London. 

1. Adjustment to change is difficult at first. I was happy I got the internship, yet at the same time I was nervous of failure. I know that in life, we as humans, will fail and we learn from those failures. But at the same time, I felt a lot of pressure. I am the first of my family to go to college, to get an internship, and possibly go to graduate school. This was the first step to my career, I didn’t want to mess up, and I was home sick. But once I walked into my office, met my coworkers, my producers, and my boss, it felt like I belonged there. You will get nervous on your first day, however once you do the training and start talking to your co-workers, you don’t worry about failing anymore. Later on in my internship, I got promoted and was able to do more. I got more experience in camera work, shadowed edit, and even started my own show. My coworkers gave me so much trust, it was truly mind blowing and is still crazy to think about. Being in that type of work environment has made me a stronger human being.
2. Don’t be afraid to travel while studying abroad. The number one rule I learned about traveling: if you’re going to another country, don’t let it be for just a day. Take a weekend off, or ask your boss if you can take off a Monday or a Friday. You will lose a lot of money and running around like chicken if you don’t plan in advance.
3. You will change, and that’s okay. One of the things you will discover while studying abroad is that you will change. Your attitude will change, your beliefs might change- your whole world can and will change. I used to work at a paintball arena, and was never given a compliment about my work. Once I got to London and started working at my internship, I got feedback, they encouraged me to grow, and my colleagues trusted me with big tasks! It was scary at first, but it was so heart-warming that I never wanted to leave London or my internship!

In conclusion, it’s scary to do study abroad for the first time. You’ll get homesick and you’ll miss your family, but this experience is a positive way to get a fresh perspective of the world. The world isn’t black and white like some may think. This world has color and once you see it, your personality can change. I encourage everyone to give study abroad a try. ISA has internships in every field! Feel free to drop any questions about ISA Internships down below. If you would travel any country, what will it be?