Josh in a Flat

NEW SITE www.flatjosh.wordpress.com

Hey,

Sorry, i’m moving the blog to a new site. 

www.flatjosh.wordpress.com

There, you’ll be able to see all my posts, make comments, etc. See you there!

Wustl London International Internship Program

So I realize that you might not know exactly what it is I’m doing here in London. Our program is actually extremely unique in that it involves both a class component and an internship component over our 5 1/2 months in London. In addition, we are required to write a 40-60 page dissertation on a research topic of our choice, to be turned in and presented at the end of the semester.

Most of January has been class, presentations, meets with firms, and more class. A typical day for us involves class from 9-12, lunch from 12-1, and then more class from 1-4, all at the fantastic Cass Business School. This occurs 2-3 times per week, with the other days being trips to have firms, influential business people, and government officials give presentations to us. We’ve heard from Citi Group, the Corporation of London, Oxford professors, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and a few others. These meets/presentations will also span an entire day. Needless to say, we are being WORKED.

Another component of our program is the “European Study Tour”. This requires pairs of us WUSTL Business students from all the programs in Europe to visit an EU country and set up meetings with EU officials, professors, and business people in that country to learn about their position on the EU and EU enlargement. Okechi and I are going to Latvia from Thursday-Sunday. I am actually really excited, as it seems like a great city, and also one that I probably wouldn’t visit on my own. 

The second part of the “EST” is when all the Wustl Business students in Europe meet in Brussels the weekend after going to our assigned countries. There, we will be visiting EU parliament, the InBev (Anheuser Busch) brewery, and other places. We also have a “mock parliament” at the EU parliament, where we have to represent our respective countries. Exciting I think, but its going to be a crazy two weeks. I really can’t wait for the internship to start and for things to settle down. Speaking of that internship…

The meat of the program involves all of us being placed in a company to intern with for 3 months. I am VERY excited about my internship, as I am working at a company called Proximity London (www.proximitylondon.com). They are one of the digital advertising agencies of BBDO Worldwide, which is a top 3 advertising agency in the world. This is pretty much EXACTLY what I am looking to do for my future career, so this really is an incredible opportunity for me. I’m hoping to do a fantastic job there and try to get a placement for the summer, and maybe more! 

Here’s where I am working for the next 3 months:

The inside is SICK. You can see all the way up to the roof, and there are offices all around the foyer going up. There is also a billiards table right in the lobby, complemented by a cafe that turns into a bar after 5:30pm. Drinks are subsidized too…:D.

Right down the street is the London BBDO Europe offices, where two of my friends will be working, helping to coordinate BBDO’s work amongst all its different offices. Although that is sure to be a great experience too, I am really happy i’m working at the actual agency instead, plus I”m alone so I might get to do more cool stuff.

Other students in the program are working for a variety of different firms, depending on their interests. Some examples are CitiGroup, Parliament, various banks, etc.

The final component of the program is those 40-60 page dissertations I was talking about. I currently don’t really have any idea what I’m doing, but I’m thinking of something within the automotive industry. Maybe something to do with hybrid/fuel efficient automobiles and the prevalence of energy efficiency in the industry? We’ll see. This is sure to take a ton of effort, energy, and research, but hopefully I’ll survive and get a good grade.

So thats the program, and I hope it makes sense to you all. Its sure to be an amazing, life changing experience. And don’t worry, a LONG post is coming very soon, detailing what I’ve ACTUALLY been doing the last 2 weeks. 

Piccadilly.

There’s something about London so far. Not sure if its the miserable weather, the merciless pedestrian hating motorists who are driving on the wrong side of the road, or the abhorred exchange rate contributing to the disgusting amount I’ve already spent here, but I bloody love it.

I’ve been living in London about a week and a half, and already there are many moments that had the potential to really kick me in the face and say: “Bloody hell, I live in London”. Here’s the first:

  (1)One of my favorite songs is “Good Life” by OneRepublic. Here are the first  words sung by Ryan Tedder in this sublime song: 

Woke up in London yesterday 
Found myself in the city near Piccadilly 
Don’t really know how I got here 
I got some pictures on my phone 

  Well, here’s one:

Flat 8, 4-5 Crawford Passage, London UK, EC1R 3DP

Hey all,

So this is where I plan to write about my experiences living and working in London for the next 5 months. Others having written in blogs to document their experiences abroad, and I thought it’d be a good idea to do the same. Expect some posts in the near future, complete with crazy stories, sightseeing, and lots of pictures. 

Love,

Josh

YES!

LONDON