Making the transition from your first year of graduate school to an internship over the summer can be difficult. Having a full-time paid intern job is not like undergraduate with a paycheck; you’ll be facing new responsibilities and new challenges and that goes for any field you are in. For the summer, I am an intern for the Resident Life department at the University of Pittsburgh Bradford. I’ve been here for two weeks so far, and I have been doing a lot of reflection. Some things that crossed my mind is using my time wisely, learning the culture of a new campus and finding a professional mentor. Here are some pointers I thought of to make the transition a little smoother, and maybe this could be helpful for you, as well.
1. Spending your time wisely.
Without classes, writing papers, reading articles and working my graduate assistantship, my calendar is less structured than it’s ever been before. So, how do I use this new freedom? This could be a chance for me to sign up for yoga class on campus, learn a new language with Duolingo, start the workout programs, such as insanity, P90X, or T-25, read your favorite books again, such as "The White Architect of Black Education," "Outliers" or "Quiet;" all of those things I wanted to try during the school year but never had time for. All I am saying is don’t fall into the habit of being a coach potato when you get home from work. It can be tempting, especially if you relocate for your job and are getting used to living in a new community. On most campuses, they have student workers during the summer who do a variety of things, just like during the school year. With the students on campus here at Pitt-Bradford, I join them during their volleyball game, basketball game and even movie nights. Participating in the activities with the students helped me get more acquainted with my new surrounding and meet new people.
2. Learn the campus culture.
Learn the obvious things, such as dressing appropriately to work and understanding what is and is not acceptable behavior at work. Since I’ve been here, we are not required to wear a full suit with a tie, but just a causal khaki pants and polo shirt is appropriate. My office is pretty causal; however, I am cautious of what I say because I have the notion that it’s not appropriate to talk about religion, sex or politics around the coffeepot, especially since I identify myself as African-American and majority people in the office and in town identify themselves as white. Another thing that crossed my mind is inter-office dating taboo? Is everyone expected to participate in office gifts? Understanding those little details of everyday working here for 10 weeks will help me fit in, feel more comfortable and get along better with my co-workers.
3. Find a professional mentor.
A mentor can help you perform your job better and explain the intricacies and tricks to succeeding in the field. The individual can be a role model and potentially open doors in the profession for you. Being here for only two weeks, I’ve met many professionals, and I am still meeting new ones each week. One of them stood out to me the most and that was Dean Kevin James Evans. He has been working at the university for 40 years. He knows the ins and out of the university. The institution just celebrated its 50th anniversary, and you can only imagine the knowledge he has about starting and sustaining an institution for this long. I have not had the pleasure yet to ask him about being a mentor to me. I can tell from his demeanor, and already talking to him, he would be willing to be a mentor and share his knowledge with me and stir me in the right direction in the profession. Just food for thought, not everyone is willing or able to be a mentor; choose someone you admire, have access to and feel you can learn from. If you think about it, it’s not unusual to have more than one mentor, or have both formal and informal mentors. Mentoring relationships are based on a few key elements: having a common understanding of each other’s needs and expectations, mutual trust, honesty and respect for each other’s time.
This time, it could be scary, but also, it could be a rewarding experience, as well. At this point in my life, I know that I make my own choices, from how I spend my time within the next 10 weeks to who I want to connect with. A little foresight and planning can help achieve your goals for the summer.
