In college, I stay up late, whether it be for studying or watching Netflix. I wake up right before I need to leave for class. I just kind of do what I want to do.
Having this internship for the summer is so radically different. I have to drive to and from work an hour both ways. When I have a bad mental health day in school, I would not go to class just for self-preservation. But with my internship, I can't do that, I have to push through and work through how I'm feeling to try an be productive.
My friends have wanted to hang out this summer, but it's been really challenging. I don't get home until 7 pm and then I'm usually in bed by 9:30 or 10 just so that I'm not tired for the next day. I really only make plans for the weekends, but even then, with MCAT studying and life happening, I don't really have a ton of free time.
There was nothing more terrifying than my PI walking into the lab for the first few weeks, but now, it's a lot easier, and I feel more comfortable talking with him.
Never in a million years would college me complete a project two weeks ahead of time. Internship me has a full powerpoint completed way ahead of time just of pure terror that I'll say something wrong if I don't practice enough.
In genetics lab, we worked with fruit flies, but all we really did was sort them by male and female and eye phenotypes. In the lab, I'm making the food, I'm sorting the flies, scoring the flies, virgining the flies, making graphs of the data from the flies, dissecting flies, and essentially existing with the flies. Which has been so enriching but so uncharted and so new.
I've missed working outside like I did with the camp the past two summers, but it's been so wonderful to get these experiences working in a real lab. I also hope that what I've learned about regimenting my life may translate back into college, but who knows? Staying up until 2 am to study for an exam made me a few good friends in the past, so it might work again in the future.