Nadieh during her internship in London, UK!

Hey! Where are you from? Where do you study/live/work?

Hi, I’m Nadieh and I’m from Kampen, the Netherlands. I study Applied Psychology at Saxion, fast track. At the moment, I’m doing an internship at a mentoring charity in London and I’m living here as well.

What was the first thing you thought when you stepped off the plane?

“Oh lord, I’m really doing this!!!”

What was the most shocking difference between the Netherlands and England?

I think it was the use of public transport and the difference in food. I know the Netherlands and England aren’t that different, but England feels more like the US when it comes to food. Junk food is super cheap (four donuts for a pound!) while healthy food is much more expensive.

What does a typical workday look like for you?

It really depends on the day. When I visit schools, I start at 12, so I can sleep in or go to the gym. Luckily, my accommodation isn’t far from work – it takes me about 20 minutes to get there – but I usually arrive a bit early. When I’m at the office, I do my usual tasks and then travel through London at 5 PM to spend some quality time with students, teach classes, or play football. My work usually ends around 7 or 8 PM if I have to lead sports sessions.

On Wednesdays, I start at 12 and leave around 2:30 PM to visit schools, so that’s a nice hands-on day.

What’s the work atmosphere like at your internship company?

The work atmosphere is really nice. The office isn’t too big (10 people), and everyone is always up for a chat or ready to help you out. I sit next to my internship supervisor, so it’s easy for me to ask questions and stay in contact with other colleagues. We have a young team, so there’s also a lot of fun.

Have you ever felt homesick? How did you deal with it?

To be honest, I had visited London so many times before starting my internship that it already felt like home. Especially since I live so close to the stadium of my favorite football club. If I ever felt like I needed to talk to my family, I’d plan a FaceTime call with them. Social media really makes a lot possible these days.

Do you feel at home in London? Why (or why not)?

As I mentioned earlier, I already felt at home before. Because I knew London and the area I was living in, it was easier to find my way around and that helped me feel at home more quickly. The people at my internship are really kind and around the same age as me, so that helped a lot too.

Give us some tips: who should you become friends with abroad? The Russians? The Irish? The Chileans?

Since I live in a kind of student hotel building, I’ve met people from all kinds of nationalities. The English are fun to talk to, and so are the Americans I’ve met. Some Chinese students can be very quiet… Not to generalize, of course – I’ve met some truly lovely Chinese people too. Oh, and ask them to teach you how to eat with chopsticks!

Describe Londoners in three words.

Outgoing, polite (most of the time), always-in-a-hurry.

What have you learned from your experience abroad? Was it the beloved community you liked most? The cheap cocktails? The beautiful nature? Or was your experience less than expected? We want details!

It gave me a lot of experience in a comfortable environment where I also had the space to make mistakes (that’s what being an intern is about, right?). I received a lot of positive feedback, which made me feel appreciated – and that’s such a great feeling. My work is very diverse, which allows me to develop professionally in different areas. This experience was truly an all-rounder!

On a more serious note, I also learned that you have to be your own best friend. You might be surrounded by people 60 hours a week, but most of the time, you still have to deal with yourself – and that can be confronting.
For more details, check out my vlogs: https://www.youtube.com/user/nadiehclarkson :-)