The summer is a sacred time of the year, especially when you live near UC San Diego. My campus is literally down the block from one of the best beaches in the country.
Nestled in the booming-little-city of La Jolla California, students here enjoy surfing by day and partying by night. The warm sub-tropical air seems to slow the time down, white sandy beaches rim the city like gold-lining and the ocean is a sapphire that encompasses it. This summer, I took on a position as a legal-intern. I work one-on-one with an attorney, writing case briefs, legal memos and researching law books for fifteen hours a week, I’m basically a lawyer. It’s an opportunity that few people would turn down, the experience and connections are invaluable. The only thing is … I work for free.
From my experience here over the summer - taking a full class load in addition to working - has taught me a few things about how to survive a summer with little free time and limited financial resources. Things can get tricky when you have too much crap on your plate, but have no fear, there’s help.
These are the 3 rules for surviving summer-unpaid internships:
Rule #1: Time management and priority setting are essential to your survival.
Its party time, your friends are going on vacations to exotic topical destinations while you sit at home. Yeah it’s a sacrifice, one that YOU decided to make, so stick with your commitment and muscle through the work-load head first. It is far too easy to procrastinate during the summer. Summer goes by fast and the only way to enjoy free time is when it is actually free. Don't let yourself prioritize your tan higher than the work that you've set out to do in your internship. This rule applies even more if you're taking summer classes, the schedule is shorter and there is almost no make-up time for studying. So get a calendar app on your smart phone and use it, for everything, all the time. The main trick is really sticking to it. Just remember what you're sacrificing your summer for in the first place, to get ahead.
Rule #2: Value your money, like you do your time.
If your working for free, that means two things, one is you are getting the experience you want to get in your field of choice. The second is, you are broke. So treat your resources (time included) like a rare asset, and ration out accordingly. Set a summer budget for the essentials, like transportation and groceries, but also remember to have a little extra set aside for fun things that will keep you sane. That doesn’t mean that you have to do expensive-fun things, you can find awesome deals using Groupon that save tons of dough, be creative and value your money like you do your time.
Rule #3: Don't forget to have fun!
Just because you're busy and on a budget doesn't mean you have to live a life or boredom and self-loathing. You still have to take care of business and make moves in your internship, but that’s not a life-sentence to indentured servanthood. Find the free-time and money to do you, enjoy your life and forget about work once in a while. You’ll find yourself rejuvenated and ready to work even harder and better in the future. The sooner you can adopt a work-hard-play-hard mentality the better. Work is your priority, but never forget to have fun!
