This semester I was blessed with an internship. Internships are incredibly important in social work and lot of other fields because it gives you a chance to work with a population for a set amount of time and really get to see if you like it or not. This semester, I worked with senior citizens and quickly learned I enjoyed working with them, something I had not known before. That being said, being an intern is hard work! I did not understand all of the responsibilities that came with it until I actually was put to the test. Here are just a few struggles every intern has to deal with.

1. Orientation Day blues.

Everyone loves being the new kid, right? Orientation day can be a struggle, especially if the rest of the people in training aren't interns. I had to sit while everyone signed contracts, got their badge photos taken, and got their specialty instructions on how to use their key cards. I learned so much during orientation, but it was hard not having anyone else there with me!

2. Not knowing how anything works.

Every office has a set way of doing things from writing emails to shredding documents to fax machines. They don't ever go into major details in orientation on how these things work until you actually start. I have had to ask many, many times on how to work the copy machine at my internship. Every copy machine is different!

3. Feeling like you have to ask permission.

When I first started, I told my supervisor every time I went to take a bathroom break, fill up my water bottle, or step away from the office. Finally, she was like: "You don't have to ask permission, it's okay." Even though I don't have to ask permission in any of my college classes, I still feel like I needed to. I still don't feel right if I don't announce that I'm going someplace before leaving the room!

4. There's either a lot of you or one of you.

I am the only intern at where I work, but in the class that assigns the internships, I noticed a lot of repeat placements. I could see this as either a good thing or a bad thing. Being alone means I get 100% of my supervisor's attention and she directly teaches me. But, on the flip side, if I mess up, it's on me and just me. Luckily I don't mess up that much!

5. There's a lot of names to remember.

If you work in the helping professions, you will most likely have an internship where you will be servicing a large number of people. So not only do you get a list of clients to remember but you also have to remember all of your new coworkers. I am a very visual person so I can remember every face I encounter...names not so much. By the time I remember every name, my internship will be over!

6. You learn so much, so fast.

Every day is a chance to learn something new. In an internship, you learn by experience. Every meeting, seminar, or even just an interaction is a chance to learn new skills. I am going to walk out of my internship with so much new knowledge that I can use in my future career!

7. You basically live in your car.

My internship is 30 minutes away, one way. So I'm pretty much on the road every day for at least an hour. That means lots of driving on winding roads in darkness, rain, high wind, or snow. I have to get up at 6 am on some days to make it in by 8, plus I just love riding on the highways next to tons of tractor trailers, it's the best. My only cure is that I have killer driving playlists that never stop putting me in a good mood.

8. Balancing things is really hard.

The eternal struggle that every college student faces involving balancing a social life and their education (and sometimes a job) is already hard. Throw in an internship, and you have a recipe for potential disaster. My internship requires me to be in the office at least 10 hours a week. My school schedule, unfortunately, makes it hard for me to find that time. I have figured out how to make my hours, but it takes some time to get used to! Plus, I'm constantly worrying that if I miss a day, I'll be behind in hours.

9. Actually being sad you're leaving.

I have less than a month left in my internship and I am already getting sad about the thought of leaving. Even though it's hard, I'm going to miss seeing these people almost every day, learning new things, and even the sunrise I get to watch on Thursday morning when I drive to work! Hard work aside, an internship can be one of the most useful tools in your college career and can show you exactly where you want to be when you graduate.

So here's to all of the students who had internships this semester, you did it!