Students take studying abroad to the next level in London program

September 9, 2008

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The study-abroad experience stretches to new lengths as more University of Florida students are not only studying abroad, but they are interning abroad.

The Warrington College of Business sends students to London each year to experience working in different cultures.

Students can work in any field of study at a medium-size business in London. While students are not necessarily involved in direct decision making, they become immersed in British culture while gaining an international perspective on business practices.

Sarah Mann, a senior-accounting major, was chosen to spend her summer in London interning with an event planning and public relations firm that works for Raindance Film Festival, which is the equivalent of Sundance Film Festival in the U.S.

“I didn’t do accounting for my internship because I have the rest of my life to be an accountant – so I worked on my mass communications minor,” she said.

Although she said the internship position was not directly relevant to her major, she learned marketable skills for her future, such as Web site development and how to implement marketing strategies online.
Mann said she never would have been able to get the same internship in America because the customs and norms are a lot different in England.

“In America, there is a large live-to-work mentality, whereas in England it is a work-to-live mindset. When the clock strikes 6 p.m., people put on their tennis shoes and go home,” she said.

Mann mentioned other cultural differences, as well.

“Jeans and T-shirts are perfectly acceptable, drinking during lunch is encouraged, and taking holiday days for weeks at a time is normal, since the English get 28 days of vacation per year,” she said.

Mann said this program was special because the Warrington Business Study Abroad group lived in the “richest, prettiest and safest area of London.” And since there was no communication barrier, she could easily make friends and find her way around the city.

“The skills I learned will definitely come in handy post-graduation. They will also give me a great reference to help me secure my dream job in the future,” she said.

Joe Rojo, Warrington College of Business study abroad coordinator, said the unique part about the London trip is that students can take core business and humanities courses, as well as intern abroad. He said students who are chosen for the London trip must have a high level of maturity to deal with the stress of juggling school, interning and foreign travel.

Rojo believes the trip provides students with a different outlook on the global business environment, and says it is a “once-in-a-lifetime experience to actually live like a Londoner.”

Mann believes that study-abroad programs are “a lucky chance to experience student life out of your home country because nobody behaves like Americans if you’re not in America, so you have to learn to adjust all your actions to be appropriate and effective.”