When the word “summer” starts getting thrown around at college, you can’t help but to get excited. Warm weather, being home again where your mom cooks for you, and seeing all of your friends from high school sounds way better than these exams that stand in between you and freedom for a few months. Summer jobs usually consist of waitressing, painting, nannying, yard work, lifeguarding, etc., which don’t necessarily help out your resume for your future profession. That’s where internships come in. Your professors harp on you to get these coveted internships so you can learn more and hopefully land a job right out of college since you have some prior experience, but what about your fun, carefree summer at home? Here are some emotions you might be feeling if you’re pursuing an internship this summer.
1. FOMO
The fear of missing out is one of
the most prevalent college emotions. You don’t want to miss out on any fun or
exciting event happening EVER. I mean, you have to have some cool stories to
tell the grandkids one day, right? When leaving on an internship, you’re going
to have to see all of your friends posting boating photos or travel photos
while you’re interning either having a blast or sitting in your cubicle trying to
hide from your boss. Hopefully you can have a lot of fun while you're on your internship AND learn more about your future profession.
2. Anxious
What do I wear? What if I’m not cut out for this? You’re feeling very nervous and uneasy about this experience that you’ve never had before. These are perfectly normal emotions when heading to an internship. You hope that you have enough skills to get you through it without messing too many things up, and you also hope your coworkers like you a little. Just breathe; you’re going to be fine! This is a huge learning experience and you can’t be perfect because no one is. Take it one day at a time, enjoy it as much as you can, and don’t spill coffee on your boss. I've seen that in a lot of movies and it never turns out well.
3. Overwhelmed
Your mom keeps asking you questions that you can't answer, you’re trying to figure out how casual "business casual" actually is, and the guy from HR is emailing you instead of your supervisor. Also, you’re trying to find a place to live that allows you to sign a shorter lease (which is a pain) and rent is HOW MUCH? Emails, background checks and offer letters are making your computer “ding” many times a day and you can't fill out half of the paperwork because you need your mom’s advice. All of this adds to the workload of school and seems to bury you. Just take a step back, it’ll all get done in due time.
4. Excited
While the rest of these emotions kind of suck, this one is finally a good one! You’re taking a new and exciting step in your life and venturing outside of your comfort zone. You’re going to be learning about pertinent things that will add to your understanding of your career that you (hopefully) love. Most internships pay fairly well and are located in really cool places that you can get to know and explore. New friends are waiting at your company, and you’re going to be an AWESOME intern. Think positive and be confident in yourself so you can have a great time and learn a lot.
Personally, I have a mixture of all of these emotions, but I’m ready to take on all of the challenges that my internship throws at me! It’s totally normal to be nervous and excited for a new chapter in your life! Now go iron your dress shirt and slacks, it's time to show the world how great of an employee you are.
