After what felt like a series of unfortunate events, most of us are finally almost done with our semester. With summer rolling in, I’m both excited and nervous to see how it’s going to unravel. I wonder how different my plans for summer will feel with the current state of the world. A key part of my summer will be my Software Engineering internship, which went from being based in New York City to being based online. While I’m incredibly grateful that I still have this opportunity, here are 4 concerns I have going forth these next couple of months:
- How efficient will communication be?
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We’ve all likely experienced working remotely in some form this semester with remote learning. During this transition to virtual instruction, it was challenging for both professors and students to cope with the changes. Consequently, it was difficult to maintain efficient communication. As someone who struggles with upkeeping constant communication, I’m concerned that I won’t voice all my thoughts and opinions as effectively and quickly as I would in-person. But I’m committed to making the best out of emails, video-calls, and phone calls. I feel that through dedication, I could take small steps every day to learn how to communicate efficiently.
- Will I be able to handle my workload?
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Although I’ve worked on team-based projects remotely this semester, I’m worried whether I’ll be able to learn efficiently online. As this is my first internship, I don’t know what I’ll be expected to know and what I’ll be expected to learn. I plan on reaching out to my Project Leads and figuring out what projects I’ll be working on. However, I’m nervous about whether I’ll be able to handle my workload and if I’ll be good enough to figure things out. All I can do now is keep my head up and refine my programming skills in the meantime.
- (Mis)conception that remote coding is for everyone
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There are a lot of stereotypes about coding. People think of programmers and think of Red Bull addicts with grey hoodies on. That’s far from the truth. I’m a programmer too, but I hate Red Bull and I don’t own a grey hoodie. Programmers are different people with different personalities. Some people can work well remotely, but I find it difficult to work on group projects without having a chance to meet my group members. Hopefully, I’ll be able to make the most out of getting to know people virtually and find a way to effectively cooperate with my coworkers.
- My Mental Health
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Something that I’ve been struggling with during the COVID-19 pandemic is my mental health. With everything that’s happening in the world right now, it has been challenging to find a balance in my mental health. But I’ve been developing ways to keep myself from deteriorating into a darker mindset. Trying to find positive aspects in situations that plain suck can be difficult, but I’m learning every day. Quarantine or no quarantine, I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given. Now, I have a feeling that things are going to work out as long as I believe that they will.