So what does everyone tell you about a summer placement? How they cracked the pre-process and interviews, their experience, their project, how much they earned as stipend and whether they got a PPO/PPI or not and of course, what you can do to achieve the same level of success - or better. I'm here to tell you about something that may seem boring, useless even. But trust me, these things are important factors. What I'm about to say may seem superficial, but two months in a strange city (unless of course, it's a work from home internship) is no easy feat. That's why this article is something you need to read.
1. Choose a good place for your stay. My internship is in Delhi and I've been to Delhi last year for an internship as well. I knew finding a place to stay was not going to be easy. Especially if I wanted to find a place that was economical, safe, decent and close to my office. These two months will be stressful because of the pressure you will put on yourself. And so will parents, friends, place comm, your
mentors, and who knows who else. So when you come back to your room, make sure it's a place you want to come back to. Make sure you like the people there. The facilities. The commute from that place to your office and back. Make sure you have WiFi. Make sure you like
everything about the place. There shouldn't be a day when you come back, frustrated with office and you remember you hate your accommodation so you feel worse. This place should refresh you. And yelling at the owner last minute about all of this, in a desperate bid to get back your rent for one month because you left the place early, is not a tactic. Especially in Delhi. If your money's gone, it's BURNT.
2. Don't download Bakkar. If you don't know what it is, ignorance is bliss, my friend. If you do, you know how that app is just going to get you down when you read about others' progress. Or about how others are finding it tough. You do NOT need to read that. You will only question your own internship. Do you want that? No. Remember the pressure I spoke about earlier? Bakkar will supply you with endless pressure because it's a never-ending stream of vents about work, mentors, corporate life and more. It's not worth it to have that app on your phone.
3. If you can, have somebody with you for the internship. I am bored at the office, often, because I am alone. I mean, work is fun and everything. But it's no fun cracking jokes about some funny looking name, some random task you were suddenly assigned, some website's logo to yourself. Most importantly, you'll have someone to confer with if you have doubts. This way, you won't always have to run to your mentors and make them think you're incapable of the smallest tasks. Place comm will tell you this is a good idea, so you can express your genuine interest in doing every little thing to the best of your ability. I know they mean well. But your experience with this method will tell you that it's probably annoying them, if not embarrassing you. But if you have a pal, you'll be able to ask the dumbest questions to each other, figure things out and learn a lot from each other. Sometimes, there may be things that even your mentor can't teach you, but this friendship can. Such globe :p couldn't resist it.
4. Go home before the internship starts. I wanted to find the PERFECT accommodation. And I sought to spend days, searching for this non-existent-and-ideal place in Delhi. So I came here, 10 days before my internship started, in search of The One PG That I Would Forever Love And Probably Stay In If I Got A Job In Delhi Again. I changed my PG twice, and in my second PG, I changed rooms four times. True, it was a series of bizarre and unexpected twists and turns that led to this. But the point is, my 10 extra days in Delhi were wasted. The third PG I went to was a last minute decision
anyway. And I'm very homesick now. My mom thinks one month will go by in a flash. I think it will drag on and on and never end to frustrate me. I hate Delhi and being homesick makes it worse. Had I been home for those 10 days, I would've received some love, instead of the alienated feeling I get here. It's important to get encouragement from your family for this task that's ahead. You need to fatten yourself up on home food so that you can use the fat to help you get by when your PG makes inedible food again. You need that relaxation you get only when you're home. You may hate home, but face it, there's always something that gets you going. That something is going to be your energy during these two months. Fish, you give me strength. I realize that now. Nah, just kidding. Mummy gives me strength.
5. Meet up with friends. You may say you're too busy, preparing to be the Best Intern, and can't afford to waste time by meeting up with friends. But trust me, seeing old faces, talking about campus life and how that one person was an idiot (as always) is going to make you feel so
good. I'm super proud of my college and I love meeting people from there because I know we'll always be family, wherever we are in the world. So when I meet my friends, even people I don't know well, but who work in the same city, I feel like I have someone to fall back on, no matter where I am. It's a priceless feeling. And more than anyone else, your friends from the same college will understand your internship scene. They'll be able to help you, suggest ideas, pump you up. And what's better than friends, good food and good music?
6. Talk to yourself in the shower. Strange, no? No. The shower is the only place you are alone for as long as you want (unless of course, your rich self got you a single accommodation PG room/flat. If so, you lucky duck!). Talk to yourself about what makes you happy, sad, what gets you motivated, set targets for yourself, sing to yourself to make yourself feel good (or just crack yourself up). But you need to talk to yourself. You will change a lot during these two months. Learn about this new person. He/she is going places.