Reflection of my time in the UK

As my time in London is coming to an end all I can think about is how I want to see family and friends, but also how much I don’t want to leave London. Preparing to go home is becoming a bittersweet process. Being over here I definitely think I have become a lot more dependent. I always thought I was pretty dependent anyway but since being over here I realized I really wasn’t. Since being here I have really learned to keep an open mind about everything and to make the best of it. Things aren’t always going to go the way we want it but if we make the best of it, it has the potential to turn out in our favor. One of the most important things I have learned that I will definitely take back with me is to not take anything for granted. Time went by so fast while I was here and I’m not ready for it to end yet. It seems like it was just a few weeks ago that I was getting on a plane in Chicago to come to London. The past 3 and half months have flown by. And I know when I get back to Ambrose by last year of college is going to go be extremely fast as well. I don’t want to take for granted the time I have with my friends while in college. Studying abroad as been one of the best experiences I have had. It is definitely something that everyone should do. It’s an amazing college experience and I have really learned a lot about myself and what I want to do. I have also learned a lot about the people around me, include the people I have been in London with as well as people back home. I think the most surprising part of being here was how well I have adapted to being a Londoner. Whenever I leave for a weekend I miss London more than I do my actual home. I consider London my home and I don’t want to be away from it for too long. I knew I was going to love London, I always have, but I didn’t think it would be to this extent. I also found it surprising how easy it is to adapt to other countries when I am travelling. I find it a lot easier to figure out things such as transportation and getting around more than I did before I came to London. Going home will definitely be an interesting task. The main advice I would have to future London students is be willing to try new things. Get out of your comfort zone, talk to people you normally wouldn’t. Don’t be afraid to wonder around London by yourself and “get lost.” Although it is pretty difficult really getting lost, when all you have to do is find an underground sign or a bus stop! Also find out who you are as a person, and don’t be afraid of change. And for the final few things, it is expensive! And have fun!

Interview

For this assignment I interview Michelle. Michelle volunteers at West Middlesex Hospital in the IT department with me. Our working schedules aren’t very similar so I only see her occasionally when I am working.  When I asked Michelle about her family the only person she really talked about was her dad. She seemed hesitant when I was asking about her family so I didn’t want to press the issue. I do know that her dad is a pilot though, but I don’t know about anyone else. When asked about marriage she thought marriage was a good thing and it is very important to her. She admitted to being a hopeless romantic and wanting the whole fairytale. She didn’t have a problem with having children outside of marriage. She said that she thinks it is becoming more and more common these days and she thinks people are more hesitant to get married because they don’t want to take the chance of having to go through a divorce. When I asked her about what she issues she thought were effecting youth today she had plenty of say. She mentioned that the cost of school is becoming a problem for a lot of youth. Even if people have the money to attend school there is a lack of jobs so then they face the issue of paying all that money and then not even being about to find a job. Another thing she said that I thought was really interesting was how the internet and social networks are causing problems with youth today. They are relying too much on the internet and they aren’t doing thinks on their own, and aren’t becoming independent enough.  She also thought the internet and social networks were causing youth to lack in respect. They are more concerned about what is happening on Facebook and with themselves that they don’t take the time to think about others anymore. I tried asking her a little about her faith but she didn’t really say much. She doesn’t see church and religion as a huge deal in England like it is in the United States. She doesn’t regularly go to church but like most British people she will go on Easter and Christmas.

When I asked her about what she thought about being British she had to stop and think for a few minutes. She commented how British is more related to politics for her but when she thinks and looks at herself she thinks of herself as English, not British. When it comes to politics she didn’t have much to comment on besides that she liked that the United States and England work together. However she isn’t a huge fan of David Cameron. When I said I wasn’t ready to go back to the US she was really surprised that I wouldn’t want to go back right away. She really likes the states. She didn’t really say many specifics about what she liked about the US besides that she liked Obama and like how much of a family man he was, while still being about to the President.

When asked about her friends and what she liked to do in her free time she got a lot more excited. She really enjoys going to the cinema with her friends and hanging out in a pub somewhere socializing with friends and other people. When she is alone at home she likes to read and listen to any kind of music. As for her volunteer job at West Mid, she really likes it but did make a comment about being ready to move on in her life and do something more fulfilling.

Internship Assignment D

Kirsten

West Middlesex Hospital

Patrick Ryland

Part 1

1.       1. Prepare Spreadsheets from information given for volunteers. 2. Assist supervisor in correcting patient files. 3. Search database for NHS numbers. 4. Find GP codes to be sent to NHS.

2.       For the most part I was able to see how certain parts of the hospital were run. By finishing spreadsheets and searching the database I learned how the hospital gets their money from the NHS and I learned what the NHS pays for and what the hospital would be responsible for.

Supervisor

Patrick is really straight forward about what he wants on each spreadsheet. Most of the spreadsheets are the same but sometimes there is different information that I have to make so the NHS can read it. if I ever have a question about something he is always willing to help me and a lot of times he will work on a spreadsheet with me so I don’t have to do the whole thing myself since sometimes there can be up to 500 patients on one sheet. When I first started he was really good about training me and making sure I understood everything I was doing. He also sat with me for the first few days to make sure I wasn’t confused about anything in the CAMIS database. He is also really good about giving praises and commenting on how much I have helped then get ahead of where they are supposed to be.

Coworkers

My co-workers around me are awesome. There is always entertainment in the office when everyone is there. They are always laughing and joking around about something. I really like that it isn’t a big deal if you want to go over to someone else’s desk for 20 minutes to chat about whatever. I really like how important relationships with everyone are so important. They are all extremely nice to me and include me in on their jokes and conversation. I’m going to miss everyone that works around me when I leave!

Yourself

1.       Although I did like my internship I thought a lot of the time it was a bit below my academic preparation. Yes, I had to learn the database and how the whole system works but I didn’t think it was terribly hard or out of my realm.

2.       Looking back I think I should have spoke up more about wanting to do other things. Potentially harder assignments that would be more suitable for what I am studying in school currently. I also think on some days I could have been a lot more productive that I actually was.

3.       Before I did this internship I was semi interested in possibly doing something with hospital administration. Now, I’m not so sure. I think if I would have moved to different departments I could have got a better feel for what it was really like, instead of just seeing one aspect. It has made me realize not to just settle for anything.

Central College’s Programme Organisation

1.       The application process was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. At the time of everything I thought it was difficult but looking back at it I realize that it was a lot easier than I originally thought. Everything was really straight forward.

2.       For me on a personal level it wasn’t really that helpful at the beginning. I really had no idea what I wanted. It did however make me realize that I need to start thinking about what I want and make a decision so I am ready after I graduate.

3.       Everyone did a great job in each way. They answered all of my questions that I had and were really helpful with everything.

4.       Don’t go in with too many expectations. Be willing to break out of your comfort zone and have an open mind. Be willing to challenge yourself and be willing to ask for more!

Part 2

Within my internship I have played an important role of finding patient information. Without this information the NHS won’t pay for the medical bills for the patient. If the NHS isn’t paying for it the hospital has too. Now it doesn’t seem like such a huge problem but with hundreds of patients it adds up. Hospitals are having enough trouble as it is with funding and staying open so the more bills the hospital doesn’t have to pay the better. The IT department at West Mid is great. The people were fantastic, incredibly nice, and always making work not feel like work. They made it exciting to be in the office on Mondays and Tuesdays. In hindsight I wish I would have asked for more/different things to do on occasion. My advice to others would be to have fun with, get to know the people around you, and if you aren’t feeling challenged enough talk to your supervisor and have him/her find you something more your speed. Keep an open mind the whole time!  

Join an Organization: Harry Potter

When searching for an organization to participate in there weren’t that many that appealed to me. A lot of the clubs cost money for equipment and other necessities. One of the clubs that I was interested in was the Harry Potter club. I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I wasn’t sure what the people were going to be like and what types of people participated in the Harry Potter club. After going just one time I could tell that everyone was extremely nice but some of them were really nerdy. Overall I like Harry Potter but I was definitely out of my element with some of the people that belonged to the club. They all knew WAY more about it than I did.

One of the times I went to the club they did a trivia game. The game was fun but I didn’t know much. I think I was only able to answer a few questions if even that. I wasn’t very good at the game and my team probably wished I was on a different team. The trivia night was a lot of fun but I think my favorite day was watching people play quidditch. Although it was fun to watch everyone in Regents Park it probably would have been even more fun playing. Everyone was running around on broomsticks chasing the snitch. The snitch just ended up being someone dressed up, running from everyone else.  I thought it was really interesting how the whole game is set up for “muggles.” Even though everyone looks silly running around with broomsticks everyone is having a great time.

Another one of my favorite things we did in Harry Potter club was have a potion making class and we also made butter beer. I kind of felt like I was a kid again playing with chemistry set. While we were making the potions we also got wands and we got to wear caps like they actually do. I didn’t really know what I was doing the whole time but it was still interesting coming up with my own potion. My favorite part was having the wand and casting fake spells on people around me, even though I had no idea with they meant.  The butter beer that we had was really good as well. After making butter beer I really got a chance to talk to some of the other British students that were in the club. There were some interesting people that I met. They were all really obsessed with Harry Potter and half of the time I had no idea what they were talking about. It always made for an interesting conversation.

So even though half the time I wasn’t sure what was going on and I never really knew what I was doing, being a part of the Harry Potter club was a good decision. I met a good amount of people that I never would have talked to if I hadn’t joined.

Hampstead Village

Of all of the assignments I think Hampstead was my favourite place to see. There was something about the area that really drew me in. I went on a gloomy, dark, cloudy day; the weather just seemed to fit the area. I’m sure it is just as nice when it is warm out and the sun is shining, but I loved the way it looked with the church and the dark clouds in the background. Normally walking through a graveyard isn’t something I would spend my time doing but it was a good time walking through the graveyard in the rain. As Hillary and I were walking out of the graveyard and away from the church we must have looked like we knew where we were going because an older man asked us about which graveyard were the new one and which the old one was. While walking through Hampstead I fell in love with all the houses. I loved the way they all looked and I loved the different colored doors that they had. They were all so cute. There were also houses that I would not have expected to see in London. While most of the houses where similar to ones I have previously seen there were a handful that almost looked like they could belong in America. By the looks of a lot of the houses you could tell that people in the area were wealthy. They seemed almost out of place from the ones surrounding the area. The whole village was so much different than Central London. It was all much more calm and leisurely. Although I didn’t go into the Fenton House I really like the yard and the area around the house. The garden and the surroundings were gorgeous. The old brick of the house reminded me of home. I also really liked the outside of Admirals house. I loved the white outside with the dark navy blue/black trimmings.

Along with the houses showing peoples wealth you could also tell by the way they were dressed. As it is Londoners dress nicely but the people walking around Hampstead were dressed even nicer. Even the kids walking around were probably dressed nicer than majority of America.  You could tell shops along the streets were expensive. I also noticed that there were a lot of older people in the area.

Admirals House

I would have really liked to sit in the park and read and listen to music however since London was showing its true colors and it was raining it wasn’t exactly an ideal way to pass the time. Hopefully there will be another nice day before I have to leave so I can get the chance to sit in the park and relax. 

Rememberance: the Imperial War Museum

Typically war museums aren’t how I would want to spend my day, but I was really surprised by the Imperial War Museum. I really enjoyed wondering around the ground floor right inside the door. There were so many tanks, atom bombs, and missiles to look at. My favorite was the submarines. I spent a lot of time in the make shift submarine they had. It was probably more targeted at young kids but I had plenty of fun making my way through the submarine, listening to message, looking at pictures, and solving problems on the sub. I really wanted to climb up in the submarine but they put an age limit on who could climb.  

submarine

While walking through the rest of the museum I got lost plenty of times. I never knew which way to turn to get out of the area I was in. I thought it was really interesting seeing the different wars and seeing how it affected each country involved. I really liked how it displayed what gear and uniforms the countries each had at the time as well.  After finally finding my way out I found the Blitz experience. This was one of my favorite things about the museum. It was kind of creepy just sitting on the bench in the dark and listening to the audio but I liked it. I wasn’t a fan of the way it was supposed to smell. I would not have liked having to be in a bomb shelter. The trench experience was neat as well. Seeing things like the trench and the bomb shelter put it into perspective on how things were back then and what people and soldiers had to endure in World War I and World War II.

Ashley with an atom bomb

My favorite part of the whole museum was the Holocaust exhibition. The Holocaust has always been something I was interested. It was the only thing in history class that I didn’t mind learning about. I like reading about everything that happened and I liked seeing letters that people wrote back home to loved ones before they were killed in the concentration camps. In elementary school during the Holocaust unit my teacher had us live like Anne Frank for a week. We had black paper on the windows and for part of the day we would sit in the classroom with only one light bulb. While walking through the exhibition it reminded me a lot of that. I can’t even begin to imagine or even think about what all of those innocent people had to go through. I have always wanted to go to Auschwitz so it was interesting to see the model they had sent up and labeled of what everything was. Although it was interesting and had my attention the whole time it was definitely overwhelming. It is a huge exhibit and could take hours to get through but an hour was enough for me.   

Greenwich & Docklands; Imperial Legacy & Future Prosperity

One of the things I really love about this program is the places we get to go to as a group. It is a great way to spend time with everyone and to potential hang out with people you normally wouldn’t. Although the river trip was freezing for part of it, I loved getting the chance to look at buildings and other sights I wouldn’t have normally seen. It was a good time to sit back and just sight see. I love being a Londoner but sometimes I don’t mind spending the day as a tourist sightseeing.

Hillary, Alissa, and me and the prime meridian 

spiral staircase in the Queens Gallery

                One of my favorite parts about being in Greenwich was the view of London from the top of the hill at the Royal Observatory. Even though it was a cold gloomy day, the view was incredible. I’m not sure I can say the same for the walk up the hill to get to the observatory. Once at the top though it was completely worth it. I like being able to say that I have now been in two different hemispheres. Also I never knew that GMT meant Greenwich Mean Time, so that was a cool little fact to learn. After the Royal Observatory I went to the Queens Gallery. The Queens Gallery was huge. I’m pretty sure I got lost a couple of times while winding in and out of rooms looking at the pictures. The Queens Gallery was neat to look at but it wasn’t exactly my kind of thing. I wasn’t that interested in it. There was however a staircase that I really liked. The Queens Gallery was followed by wondering around the National Maritime Museum. I actually really enjoyed this museum. I loved all the boats that were displayed right when you walked in. my favorite was the titanic room. There wasn’t a whole lot in the room but some of the facts and displays they had really interested me. I didn’t spend much time in the museum but I really liked everything that I did see.

 As far as Greenwich as a whole, I really loved it. I loved the vibe of Greenwich, it was nice still being in London but not actually feeling like I was in London. I really enjoyed wondering around the streets and spending time is local shops and looking around in the market. As much as I love Camden Market and Portobello Market, it was a nice change for a day.

The East End

London never stops surprising me. I love everything about it, including the east end. When I first started walking for the east end assignment I wasn’t really sure what to think. I really liked the area; however I wasn’t terribly interested in the walk as a whole. I did really like the houses that were around Dennis Severs’ House. I don’t really get what is so special about his house but I did really like the look of the newer houses that were along the street. Houses throughout London are some of my favorite things to look at and take pictures of. I thought that Spitalfields Market was quite a bit different from the markets I usual go to. It was a good change of scenery but there wasn’t anything in the market that I would actual want to buy. I would rather wonder around Camden or Portabella for a day. I didn’t get a chance to go into Christ Church; however I really liked the outside so I’m sure I would like the inside as well.

Walking down Brick Lane was definitely another experience. There was so much going on and the crowd was extremely diverse. There were a lot of different types of people wondering around. When I first went to Brick Lane, it was during the scavenger hunt at the beginning of the term. When first seeing Brick Lane it was a bit dodgy and I didn’t want to stay there any longer than necessary. However after getting the chance to wonder up and down Brick Lane it is completely different from what I first thought. Although I do like Brick Lane, after doing the Jack the Ripper tour I think I will stick to Brick Lane while it is day light.

The Whitechapel Bell Foundry is interesting to think about. I had no idea that so many famous bells were cast there. I didn’t do inside the bell foundry but to think that majority of bells are cast here in London is interesting to me. I never really thought about where they would originate from. I just assumed there were plenty of places around that still cast bells.

Internship Assignment C

Kirsten Reynolds

West Middlesex Hospital

1.       I really enjoy the working environment that I am a part of. The people are great and they are all really friendly. Although I know they are getting their work done, it just always seems like none of them are actual working. They all like to have fun in the office and they love their tea times. I have noticed that they really value their relationships with one another. One of the things I would change would probably be having more to do. I have been able to do a few different things but having a bit more to do would be nice as well. I would definitely keep the atmosphere of the office. Everyone is always having a good time. I would also keep the people I work with. Everyone is extremely nice and they are always asking me questions about school and things back home. They definitely make the day go by faster.

2.       I really like the way my supervisor works. He is really laid back about what is happening in the office. He is always willing to help me or answer any questions that I have, and makes sure I have everything I need. Sometimes however it seems like some things are a bit unorganized. In the future I definitely wouldn’t mind having a supervisor like the one I have now. I think it makes it a lot easier and more fun to work having someone that is laid back and willing to joke around with everyone else in the office as well.

3.       Throughout this internship I have learned that I am fairly timid around certain groups of people. At home or when I am around my friends and I am a lot more outgoing and speak my mind and have no problem carrying on a conversation. However I have learned that if I meet someone new in the office or go to a different part of the hospital with someone, I don’t really know what to say or how to approach certain people. I would definitely like to improve my ability to just talk to anyone within the workplace no matter who it is.

4.       One big thing I have improved on is my independent learning and asking questions. Before I would usually wait for someone else to do something so I could see how it is and then just go for it. However at my internship a lot of things I have learned to do I figured out on my own and if I really didn’t understand something I would ask for help instead of just skipping over it. Time management and staying on task is another thing I have improved on. I get distracted easily so it has been a challenge, however  there is a lot of work that needs to be done, and if I don’t get a certain amount of numbers done then that is just going to put everyone else behind since they have to make up for what I didn’t do.

5.       I wouldn’t be opposed to doing hospital administration after college, however with my international business and management degree I think working with a big company that potentially has clients or other firms around the world would be a better fit for myself and what I am going to school for. I have however found what I have learned interesting considering healthcare is so much different in the US. 

Resume:

Objective
To acquire skills through an internship that will contribute to my studies in International Business and Management.

Education
St. Ambrose University, Davenport, IA
(Expected graduation: May 2013)
BA in International Business
Double Major: International Business and Management
Current Grade Point Average: 3.201 out of 4.0 scale
Honors: Dean’s List Fall 2010, St. Ambrose Academic Scholarship
Study Abroad- London, England,  Spring 2012

Related Courses

·         Principles of Economics, Marketing, Management and Finance

·         Accounting Principles I & II

·         Business Ethics and Business Law

·         International Management

·         Human Resource Management

·         Statistics of Business and Economics

·         Advertising from a Cross-Cultural Perspective

Work Experience

Sales Associate, August 2009-Present

Bath and Body Works, Davenport, IA

·         Provide assistance and information to customers

·         Extensive customer service training

·         Audit inventory

·         Prepare and arrange visual merchandising

·         Close and balance cash drawers of $400.00

Swim Instructor and Lifeguard, June 2008-Present

Rock Island Fitness and Activity Center and White Water Junction, Rock Island, IL

·         Enforce aquatic policies, rules, and regulations

·         Complete records and reports

·         Utilize decision-making, leadership, and public relations skills

·         Teach swim lessons to children ages 3-9

Internship

Intern in Hospital Administration, January 2012-May 2012

West Middlesex University Hospital, London, England

·         Search for NHS numbers using information resources

·         Gathered information about patient files

·         Comparing, contrasting, and combining information of patients

·         Adapted to a new situation and environment in a British workplace

·         Independent learning of the hospital database

Volunteer Work

·         Quad City Mallards, Hockey Game Day Operations, promotions, interaction with fans, Moline, IL, 2 seasons

·         John Deere Golf Classic, Cart Committee, picked up golfers and other volunteers, Silvis, IL, 3 years

·         Vacation Bible School, Registration, Moline, IL, 1 week, 2007 & 2008

·         Rock Island Police Department, Holiday Package Delivery, Rock Island, IL, 3 years

Student Activities

·         Intramural Softball

·         Student Security

·         Natural Helpers

Skills

·         Certified in CPR-AED and First Aid

·         Windows XP, Microsoft Office 2007 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

·         Social Media (Twitter, Facebook)

·         Customer Service skills

·         Organizational Leadership skills

·         Languages: Spanish (4 years in high school); French (4 semesters in college)