As I began my semester abroad in London, my intentions of what I wanted to accomplish in my semester abroad differed from other students. On top of taking a course load of 15 credits, I also decided to take on an internship and become a work-study in the Program Office at Faraday. My goal was to be able to have the experience of living and working in the global city. Most people thought I was crazy. They warned me of the lack of freedom to travel due to the internship requirements, and the increased pressure working another job at the school simultaneously. Nevertheless, I felt confident in my ambitions to at least push forward. Now having arrived and mostly settled into my schedule, I can comfortably say that I am excited of what is to come, because I believe that I have already defied those expectations.
In my week, I go to classes and work at Faraday House on Mondays and Wednesdays, and then go to my internship on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This schedule still leaves my entire weekend to relax and travel. I certainly will have longer days than most, need more coffee, and work a bit harder, but I do believe that this opportunity could be something very rewarding in the end. I am aware that I may be over-working myself to be frank, but London is quite literally the global capital for all commerce and this creates great opportunity. In my field of entertainment and business, London is a city where this industry truly thrives and reaches masses of audiences. From a small town in New Jersey, I get to live, work, and study in one of the richest cities in the world. This is a chance I feel that people work towards their entire life, yet all I had to do was write essays and book a flight. I am greatly thankful for this chance to push forward my career and set myself new goals.
Written by student Neil Honwad.
Photo Credit: Hernán Piñera