It is amazing how much three months can teach you and how much a break from college and classes can do for your mental health. Every semester at Brandeis is so fast-paced and fleeting that we often get caught up in our Brandeis bubble, forgetting that there is a real work world out there that awaits the minute we graduate. For so much of my life, my goal was to get into the best college possible and I worked all my high school years for that one goal. However, college is just the beginning of the rest of our lives and it doesn’t stop there. I interned at a large cooperate firm this summer, working with their CSR (Cooperate social responsibility) team and I learnt more than I thought was possible from a simple internship. Here are 5 important lessons my summer internship taught me.
1. College really is the best time of our lives
The work world is hard. It’s fast-paced, cut thought and involves so much DRAMA! People are not as nice, and everyone is working for their individual goals. You’re the only one that’s going to look out for yourself. So, enjoy these four years where we get to be fake adults and we have a family and community here at Brandeis. 9-5’s are hard and you don’t get as much time for yourself. The work-life will come faster than expected.
2. Growing up is inevitable and it is coming faster than we think
Holidays don’t come as often so cherish every long weekend and Brandeis Monday out there. Growing up, we will have to worry about taxes, bills, housing everything that comes so easy to us right now. But also, resisting the change like I did the first few weeks of my internship will get you nowhere.
3. The real world is scary but also rewarding
Yes, it’s daunting and cut-throat and there are too many things to worry about and look out for. But it is also rewarding. Doing a job that you love, that you are so passionate about what you spent so many years working towards is the best feeling in the world. It finally feels like what you’ve been studying is paying off. All those late nights and assignments and group projects you hated will be worth something.
4. Among all the craziness, it is important to take time out for yourself
It is so easy to get tired and exhausted and caught up in the work world that finding a balance with doing things you love is hard. However, I find self-care so important, so I made it a point to work out every day after my job. Doing this for a week or so I realized that we have all the time in the world for the things we want to do. It was hard to find a balance initially, but it is so important and never forget self-care!
5. Internships are an important part of education
I didn’t know how much a simple internship can teach me about my future and what kind of job I really want. Doing the same thing for six weeks I realized I hate routine and don’t want to do a desk job, but I would have never known that if I didn’t take up this internship. So, they are part of a learning process that we all have to go through to finally get that ‘dream job’. This internship was the best decision I made and trying to fit in as many internships during your college years, gaining as much experience is the best advice to give.