As my final week abroad in London approaches, I am genuinely surprised to find how fast this whole program has gone by. Part of me is upset to leave after experiencing so much in such a short period of time, but I also feel satisfied with the memories I made here. I am also content with the six week duration of the program; originally I expected to grow bored being in a foreign country for that long of a time. However, London is so lively and incredible that it is nearly impossible to feel any sense of boredom as long as you are willing to try it all.

Such an important part of this program concerns the internship aspect; involving an internship abroad was one of the major reasons I decided to pursue this specific program. Originally, before coming to London, I was certainly nervous about what to expect. I never worked in an office setting before, let alone anything that had to do with my major. I did not know if I was expected to know certain skills going into the job or if I had to have certain competencies, which also contributed to my nervousness. After finding out where I was being placed, I looked up the website of the company and was pleasantly surprised at what I saw; the site made it look very promising! Of course, a simple website does not paint the whole picture of what it would be like working for the company, so I still had some apprehension going into the program.

Since coming to London I have worked a total of about one hundred hours at my internship so far. To be completely honest, I feel extremely lucky to say that I genuinely enjoy working for this company! Going back to my first day, I was pretty nervous but also very excited and open minded. I felt like I easily fit into the company as a whole and I think I have the company culture to thank for that. The people I work with are so considerate and personable that it becomes natural to quickly assimilate into the work environment. I really believe that the main reason I enjoy my work so much is because the people around me make it entertaining. They are all very laid back and relaxed, but not to the point where one cannot take them seriously. I could immediately tell within days of working at my internship that they all were close enough and comfortable with each other that they would even consider each other friends rather than just coworkers.

I believe that being so open minded about the internship aspect of the program helped me transition into the work environment very easily. Not being afraid to ask questions, even if they are not relevant to the work, definitely helped me in forming a bond with my supervisor and coworkers. Overall, allowing myself to be affected by the workplace culture has shaped me in the best way possible. It has definitely gotten me excited to see how my future work compares to this great experience!