Westminster Business School Blog A Semester In London: Molly Hochwalt And An Internship With The Young Actors Theatre Islington

A Semester In London: Molly Hochwalt And An Internship With The Young Actors Theatre Islington

May 23, 2017
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University of Westminster’s Undergraduate Semester Internship Study Abroad Programme is run by the University’s Education Abroad team and Westminster Business School’s Business Experience Team and offers the opportunity to both study and intern a semester in London. Our incoming student Molly Hochwalt decided to share her semester in London experience with us in her blog below. To get an idea of what to expect from the programme, read on.

About me…

Hi I’m Molly Hochwalt. I am from Ohio, USA and attend at the University of Alabama. For the duration of this semester, I had a marketing internship with the Young Actors Theatre Islington, or YATI for short. YATI is an arts charity that provides discounted music and drama classes to youth’s in the London area.

Deciding to do an internship and to study in London

I came to London to study because I wanted to experience a different culture. I chose to do an internship while here because I felt that it would give me a deeper insight into different aspects of English culture, while also helping me to grow as a future member of the work force.

An internship with the Young Actors Theatre Islington

The process of securing an internship in London was relatively simple. Like any other internship, you were required to submit a cover letter and CV, but outside of that, most of the footwork of searching for an internship was completed by the University. While in my internship I completed many varying tasks; I did have routine tasks as well. Every day I was expected to meet with my employer, manage social media, perform website maintenance, update 3^rd party listings, and complete the marketing materials for the current event promotion. This position improved my employability by teaching me to become flexible in the work place. I was expected to adapt to the tasks given to me, even if it was in an area that I was unfamiliar with.

Studying at Westminster Business School

I really enjoyed my time at the University of Westminster. The modules that I was able to take here were very different from anything that I could experience at my home university. In many of my classes I was able to make friends in the class, which made attending lectures more enjoyable. When I first arrived in England there was an issue with my visa, however The Education Abroad and Internship teams are so helpful and they were able to help me while I resolved the confusion.

My favourite part of studying at Marylebone Campus was the routine that my friend and I formed after our first week. After we left our lecture each Tuesday we would walk to Nandos and have dinner. It was great that the restaurant was so close to our class because we were always starving when class ended at 6pm. Having dinner was a great way to unwind at the end of the day and it allowed us to miss heavy London rush hour on the Underground since we didn’t live close to Campus.

Picture by Molly Hochwalt — *Photo by Molly Hochwalt*

My highlights

On the weekends, I mostly travelled around England, as I was saving my European travels for the long break in May. My favourite trip was to the Cliffs of Dover. It was inexpensive which made it less stressful, and it was a genuinely beautiful trip. The scenery in England is amazing and as fantastic as London is, it’s nice to get a break from the city every once in a while, to see nature and countryside that England has to offer.

Would you recommend the Internship Programme to other students?

The best advice I can give is to be open minded and try your hardest every day at work. My internship was extremely rewarding because I accepted all the aspects of it, including the things that weren’t always enjoyable to me. I was able to bond with my fellow employees, and feel like I was really making an impact at the company because my work was genuine. My boss could tell that I was putting forth my best effort and as a result was genuine and kind to me in return.

Thanks to Molly for sharing her experiences with us! To find out more about Westminster’s Undergraduate Semester Internship Study Abroad Programme please visit our Education Abroad webpage or read our other blogs in this series!