Understanding the differences between studying and interning abroad
Noted on October 4, 2010 by Giustina Pelosi in
By Shane Sanders: Oregon State University and TWICE IE3 Global Internships Alum. Interned with The Lycée Privé des Feuillants in Poitiers, France and Le Chateau de Toffou in Bonnes, France
For my senior year at OSU-Cascades, I studied abroad and interned in France, including not one, but two IE3 internships. I initially paired a semester of Study Abroad in Lyon, France with a semester internship through the IE3 international internship program in Poitiers, France. This combination proved the best experience abroad for many reasons. Studying abroad with a university-sponsored program gave me a support system for my first experience overseas with finding housing, structured social events, a friend network of other Americans in the same town, defined expectations and pre-arranged activities. On the other hand, an internship offered a more independent experience as a full-time professional in an international work experience and full immersion into the host culture.
The first time living in a new culture can be nerve-racking, overwhelming and exhausting - literally spending the entire day just trying to understand what the people around you are saying can be really tiring. By starting with a study abroad program I had the advantage of having other American students around when I just needed to have a cup of coffee and speak English. The exchange students also became travel buddies for weekend and vacation travelling. In addition, the on-campus Oregon office made the transition into the host culture very smooth, offering a conversational exchange program and setting up horseback riding lessons so I could meet other French people my age interested in the same things. The Oregon office organized outings to local sites and dinners for meeting people. It was really nice to have the entire support system of the university and the other Americans to help with the transition and settling into the new culture.
After my experience in a university-sponsored study abroad program, I was more prepared and more comfortable switching to an international internship, having advanced in the language and adjusted to the host culture. For my first internship, I taught English in a French high school. At that time, I was working towards a Liberal Studies degree in French and Communications with the goal of continuing on to a Masters in Teaching so I could eventually teach French. My second internship was a great opportunity to spend a summer living in a château and giving guided tours in both English and French, which brought my language skills up to an even higher level.
The internship setting is completely different from that of the university. As an intern, I had a more independent experience and was completely immersed into the host culture. While teaching during the first internship, I lived in an apartment with a (non-American) roommate in Poitiers. The support system from Oregon, though still present, was less prominent and gave me the space to grow professionally in the workplace. I ended up playing basketball with a group of women my age who were all French and ended up volunteering for Poitier’s professional basketball team. It took more effort to find a life outside of work because the social group didn’t come built in as with the study abroad program, but the reward was that I found a group of people from the host culture that I really connected with.
After both internships, I ended up staying in France for another year as an English teaching assistant. I continued giving tours at the chateau occasionally, and also began to help with the running of their hotel business. The time I spent working at the chateau completely changed my career goals. I had arrived in France thinking I wanted to become a teacher but after teaching for a year and a half I realized that it wasn’t what I really wanted to do for the rest of my life. However, I really liked what I was doing in the hospitality field. I changed my path and am going back to school to get a degree in Hospitality Management. One of the best things about my internships is that they gave me an opportunity to test out what I thought I wanted to do as a career, but also explore other options that I might not have thought about.
By pairing the university-sponsored study abroad program with the IE3 internships I had an invaluable experience that advanced all aspects of my life, especially academically and professionally. Having international experience on my resumé is an advantage – it tells future potential employers that not only do I have experience working in the field, but that I am capable of working and adjusting to other cultures and people. My combination of study abroad and the two IE3 internships gave me the advanced French that I really desired, and a career opportunity I had never thought about before.