Think About It - Week 1
By now, you have spent your first full day(s) at your internships, and you should be getting to know the "lay of the land." Comment on this post no later than July 9.
Write a short summary of your first impressions of your internship. React to the work environment, your mentor, you co-workers, the tasks assigned to you so far and any plans you and your mentor have made for the rest of your time together. Discuss ways in which the internship has - and has not - met your expectations. How do you think this will change in the weeks ahead?
Don't forget to come back and read your fellow interns' comments throughout the coming week and react to at least two of them. Keep your comments positive and supportive. (Problems and concerns should be discussed with me by phone, text, or email.) Be sure to check back later to answer questions others may have left for you. Summer PRIME Reflections is an interactive forum.
Today, I completed my first full day at the veterinary clinic, which was about 8 hours. I was able to see dogs and cats of many breeds and ages, go on a full tour of the clinic, watch animals receiving a diagnosis, watch exams and dental surgeries, and blood tests. My first impression of the job is that it is very fast-moving, requires lots of energy and dedication, and requires you to be constantly doing something. Since each doctor's shift is typically only about 6 hours, I alternate between doctors and technicians. Besides for X-Rays (and if the animal is aggressive or the patient's owners do not want me to come in--the second hasn't happened yet), I am able to become very involved and engaged in the work such as petting the animal. Since the majority if not all work needs to be performed by someone who know what they're doing and has experience/education, I obviously don't have many "tasks" assigned to me besides for listening, asking questions, and comforting animals. My job is to usually be the "pet comforter", as I can can come in and pet the animal while they're being looked out. Since I had a pretty good idea of what being a veterinarian was and I also had experienced some of the work before, the job met my expectations. In terms of how this will change in weeks to come, there's still so much more to see (different appointments, different animals), so I still think there's lots of room for me to be surprised and learn more about the field.
ReplyDeleteYour internship seems really interesting and fun! It seems like you have a lot of things that you can learn from and gain experience with at the clinic since there is always something going on.
DeleteGiven the physicality of a vet's work, Charlotte, I'm not surprised that a six hour shift is long enough. I'm sure a "pet comforter" often becomes a "people comforter" as well and helps the vets do their work with less distraction - from the pet or from the owner!
DeleteYour internship seems to be very hands-on, which I'm sure is very exciting. It already seems like you are getting a lot out of working at the clinic, and you will continue to learn so much about the veterinary field.
DeleteEven though your internship requires a lot of energy and dedication, the internship met your expectations and you enjoy it, that's what matters most. If you didn't enjoy your internship, those 8 hours would feel a lot longer.
DeleteIt's cool how you get to be very hands on and observe everything that a vet might have to do.
DeleteIt’s really cool that you’re able to see so much of the clinic and the animals! I relate to you in that I don’t have many tasks assigned, my job is to observe and ask questions.
DeleteYour internship sounds so fun!
DeleteMy first impression was more in the Covid area than in the intership realm. The night before the internship, someone living with me tested positive for Covid. Staying home, I did canvas modules and research in my field of interest.
ReplyDeleteHowever, health activities cut the hours I was prepared to work in half. My mom scheduled a test in the middle of the day and we stayed for a while since she scheduled the wrong test. I also take breaks from computer screens so my eyes and head don't hurt. The other negatives were the difference in caution between me and my family and my lack of completion toward the purpose of the internship for my instructor (or mentor, I'm just more used to 'instructor'). Unfortunately, I didn't get to meet anyone.
The positive experiences were prevalent too. My mentor is really nice in written messages. Also, I got a lot of research down with more topics related to my field of choice. I also got more random but useful tasks done. Those are fun. Essentially, it was pretty neutral overall.
Although you weren't able to do that much on the first day, I think it's nice how you were able to do some research related to your field of interest and get some fun tasks done.
DeleteSorry about this, Kenny, but glad you are staying safe and making the most of a less-than-optimal situation.
DeleteHey Kenny I hope you feel better soon and it is a bummer that you didnt get to hop into the office to meet your mentor or other colleagues. Nevertheless, being able to do the research at home seems pretty cool as well!
DeleteHi Kenny, Im glad your mentor is understanding of your current circumstances! I do hope you feel better as well!
DeleteYesterday was the first day of my internship with a pediatric physiatrist. She had 2 patients that days, both were children who walk on their toes and need help correcting that. She showed me how to read medical records, patient referrals, and write patient notes. My main job here is to learn by shadowing her through patient interactions, asking questions, and reading articles on the disabilities we will see in patients. This has met my expectations since I knew she sees fewer patients than most doctors do on the daily. She values taking time for every patient, ensuring needs have been met and providing the education to for them to understand the condition. In weeks ahead, she has arranged for me to meet with other doctors, and I will shadow them throughout the day.
ReplyDeleteHi Anna, sounds like you're gaining some wonderful experiences! I'm curious about the articles that you are reading/have read about the disabilities. I would love to hear more about these articles such as the types of disabilities and where the articles are from. Have fun!
DeleteIt sounds as though you have a wonderful mentor, Anna. Hopefully, something you come across in your reading or shadowing will spark and interest you'll want to follow up in a research project to complete your hours. (I walked on my toes as a child, especially if I wasn't wearing shoes. Maybe that explains some things!)
DeleteAgain, people who are easily able to work with others, and furthermore, help them with any problems they might have, seem incredibly skilled to me. This doesn't sound like an easy job at all, and the fact that you can handle it without problems impresses me.
DeleteI am really glad you are gaining so many valuable experiences through your internship Anna! I think it is really cool that you will get to see different doctors and see how you like different specialties.
DeleteSince I already had worked with my mentor last year in the same type of internship, I didn’t have any real first impressions because I knew what to expect. However, I am doing something different this year. Last year, I was doing more research on neuropsychology and a literature review on addiction in adolescents versus adults. This year, I am conducting a type of behavioral/wellness experiment on myself so that I can better understand how addiction works. As a part of this, I will be cutting out something that I think negatively affects my mental health and integrating something that will positively affect the same. The main objective for the first day was to figure out what these things will be and how I am going to go about cutting out or integrating these things in my lifestyle. I had a discussion with my mentor and we came to the conclusion that I would slowly decrease my screen time and introduce different/calming workouts such as yoga into my daily routine. I am tasked to notice changes in my social, emotional, and physical behaviors as well as a change in my response to environmental stimuli. While doing this, I am also going to be reading some books and research articles that my mentor gave to me about the neuroscience behind addiction. I have started reading some of those, and they are really interesting. Overall, I am looking forward to the next couple weeks and learning, in a way, firsthand, different ways in which wellness affects us.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting way to make your internship really personal, Ambica! Perhaps you will come to some conclusions that you can share with the rest of us. We all need more positive, and less negative, in our lives!
DeleteAs a fellow scientist/researcher, I applaud your investigation efforts! I think particularly for teenagers and honestly even adults, it's very important to see how we can improve our mentality/happiness, even though we're very busy, and screen time is such a good start. I am very curious to see the results of this personal research and the books and research articles that you're looking into to learn more about addiction.
DeleteIt's super exciting that you get to design your own study! I love the topic you chose and I think the things you identified that might affect your mental health are relatable for a lot of people.
DeleteThis sounds like a hard study. I'd be interested in the effects of noticing the changes and response to stimuli on addictions themselves. Anyway, it's great that there's something new for you every year.
DeleteYesterday was the first day of my internship with an attorney and it did not go quite as expected. Last week I got a call from my mentor. He let me know that he was going to be out of the country for the first week or so of my internship (he is the only lawyer in the Arlington office). He asked that I come in so he could show me what to do while he was gone. I was instructed to answer phone calls from clients and scan his mail to him. Yesterday I came in for my first day and received maybe six phone calls and spent around an hour scanning mail to him. I was in the office for about eight hours, most of which was spent waiting for clients to call. When clients did call it was very interesting and I got to learn a lot about their cases, but I've had a lot of free time -- which is why I'm able to write this in the middle of the work day. My mentor gets back in six days and has plans to take me to court with him and allow me to be pretty hands on in his cases. I am hopeful that in the coming week I will be much more busy and get to learn more about the legal world.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry your internship has taken this turn, Gretchen, but glad you are making the best of it. Perhaps you could research an interesting legal issue during your down time.
DeleteIt's too bad your mentor is out of town, but I am sure the work will pick up once he's back. We will talk on Thursday but I cannot wait to hear all about it!
DeleteSorry your mentor is out this week. I hope you can still be helpful while he's away and that you will get more exciting work when he comes back.
DeleteI'm sorry that your mentor was out on your first week, but you got to experience what it's like to be at a law firm and doing some of the work for a lawyer, like receiving phone calls.
DeleteI sorry that you have to go through that, but if going to court works out, it seems like it could be really cool.
DeleteSo far, my first day at the county's clerk's office has been really good. I met all the deputy clerks, who were about 15 other people, and they all greeted me, which was pretty nice as well. My mentor told me that this first week is about learning new things and watching others and how they did. The plan that my mentor and I discussed is, hopefully, by the end, learn something useful and some skills that clerks do as well. For the first day at the job, some activities I did were the basics, getting to know everyone, but my mentor took me to 3 courts, the criminal, traffic and civil courts, where I got to see how those things were managed and to get to feel a court room-like experience. I think this internship meets my expectations of how it feels to work in a court room, like experience, and to also see what it feels to work inside the district courts as well as some like things like the workplace. I feel like everyone there is super nice and actually helps me get through things that for me can seem a bit difficult. Things that didn't meet my expectations, since I'm not an official clerk. I don't really have access to do a lot of the work without someone supervising me, which kinda sucks. I think that can improve over time, because the more they can trust, the more freedoms I can have, so I think the more I will do and improve that situation over the coming weeks.
ReplyDeleteIt's so interesting that you got to go to 3 courts. I know that it can be hard that you did not have access to a lot of work without supervision, but I am sure that after a couple of weeks they will know that you are capable and be able to trust you.
DeleteThat's a good insight, Aron. Trust is important in any workplace but especially when confidential information is involved. The more they get to know you and your work ethic, the more you are likely to be permitted to do. Keep your eyes and ears open!
DeleteThat is super cool you got to go to three courts. I definitely relate to the issue of having minimal access to paperwork without supervision, so I feel your pain. Otherwise, your internship sounds pretty great!
DeleteI have an internship at PBS NewsHour Classroom and before I started I received a zoom link for a call at 9 in the morning on the first day. Once I joined the call, my mentor talked about how I would be writing Daily News Lessons (DNLs) that would be published on the PBS NewsHour Classroom for teachers. The call lasted for 2 hours. Another member of the PBS team, a college intern, and another high school intern also joined the call. I was taught the format of the Daily News Lessons, where we take the best short clips from the NewsHour and create a lesson around it with short factual questions, focus questions, and extension activities teachers could do in their classroom. Then I was assigned 2 Daily News Lessons to work on. I wrote one on people talking about their feelings about America and one on "America Outdoors" host Baratunde Thurston. I drafted the DNL and it was edited by PBS staff and published on the PBS NewsHour Classroom website (link below), which was very exciting. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/classroom/2022/07/how-americans-view-their-country-and-identity%ef%bf%bc/ Now (the second day) I have also written a DNL on Ukraine. Other important developments on the second day are that I got the login for the slack (where we communicate), the login for the website and was taught how to post, and the login for the website that posts on all our social media accounts (and did one post). So far my internship has exceeded my expectations and other than the long zoom calls (that feel necessary given my lack of experience), I think most of my time is used well. I work 9 to 5 and I like that if I am done with my work, there is more to do because there are a billion projects PBS NewsHour Classroom is working on. I will post my own daily news lessons in the coming weeks on the website (and social media) and even create entire lessons.
ReplyDeleteIt's awesome how much responsibility your being given and that you're actual getting the opportunity to publish things!
DeleteThis is wonderful, Ella. I'll be checking out some of your posts; are they written for a specific age/grade level? I know this is a resource teachers value; current events are so important and the sheer volume can be overwhelming. Having someone presort and do at least the initial planning is greatly appreciated by busy teachers.
DeleteThats so interesting , Its great that they really gave you a lot of freedom to go ahead and start writing posts!
DeleteIt's pretty cool how you get to publish stuff for everyone to use. It is nice to see how the work that you do actually impacts people.
DeleteI'm very surprised and impressed to see how much responsibility they have given you so early on. That must mean you're doing great work for them, and I'm sure it feels good to have an immediate impact.
DeleteMy internship is at a an ecology lab at George Washington University that focuses on marshy regions experiencing rising salt water levels. My mentor is on vacation this week but I was able to meet her prior to coming in for my official first day to get an introduction. She seems very kind and patient and passionate about her projects. On my first day, I met with her lab tech, who is taking the place of my mentor for the first week. She is also very patient and great at explaining things and clearly is very knowledgeable about how the lab works. On my first day, I got an introduction to the lab and did some lab work separating roots from rhizomes in various soil samples for a grad student's study. The next day, I was able to go into the field at a forest sites near a marsh where we did some maintenance on sap flow sensors and recorded some data. Overall, I got a good first impression from my first couple of days. The people in the lab are very welcoming and want to include me in their work. In the coming weeks, I have a couple more field days scheduled and otherwise expect to be doing more lab tasks to help the grad students with their data collection. I would say that this internship has met my expectations so far. While some of the lab tasks can feel a little tedious at times, I am definitely learning a lot. Furthermore, the field work is super exciting and its fun to be outdoors in nature (minus the bugs and heat!).
ReplyDeleteYour internship sounds really cool! You are definitely lucky to be outdoors some of the time and your mentor(s) sound great.
DeleteWhat a nice variety of tasks you have Harriet! Your work is also very important, not only to the grad students you assist, but to the ongoing work of the lab. It seems as though the lab work especially requires someone who is detail-oriented.
DeleteIt seems like your first few days were off to a great start! Just after two days, you were able to do many activities and learn about different environments. The labs, especially, sound very engaging and interesting.
DeleteWorking in a marsh sounds amazing! Even outside of it your coworkers sound great, too. How does getting to the field work? Is it by the employer, as a group, or on you to get there?
DeleteSo far, my internship experience has not been going quite as expected. Instead of going to my work site, I got an email that I had to get blood tests done prior to beginning my work. Essentially, this whole week consisted of me trying to book appointments to fulfill those obligations. It has been disappointing because my application was sent in over a month ago and I was only notified this week, however, it has also taught me how important it is for every hospital worker to be vaccinated and tested for immunity to ensure the hospital stays a safe place. Hopefully by next week I am able to start, but for now, I will be starting a personal project about medicine to keep learning about my field of interest.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry your internship didn't start the way you had planned. I hope you can start working soon and have fun making your project.
DeleteI hope you can get your blood tests soon, it can be quite the chore to find one. When I got my blood tested I used Getlabs, which conveniently will come to your house and it only takes a few minutes. It was almost completely painless, and I didn't feel anything for most of the day. I don't know if that's an option for you, but it might be worth a look. I wish you luck!
DeleteI appreciate your positive attitude towards all this red tape, Sanah. Hopefully, things will move along quickly.
DeleteToday I am settling into the third day of my internship here at Arlington DTS, and so far it has been amazing. During my first two days I have already sat in about 10 different meetings regrading things of cyber security, cloud architecture, basic business functions, and Arlington's infrastructure. My mentor between meetings, as well as other workers, have helped me and the other intern settle in and really just get the most out of everyday we are here. Right now I am working more on the business side of IT, and my first assignment is to create the infrastructure of a survey that will be sent out to 3000 government workers here in Arlington. Other than that, the people here at DTS are exceptionally smart and passionate about the work they are doing, and that is the perfect environment for me.
ReplyDeleteThats amazing that you're settling in so nicely
DeleteThis seems like such an interesting internship, and it is really cool that you get to sit in on all of those meetings! I also wish you well on the survey for your first assignment!
DeleteSeems great! Hopefully you can develop these IT skills and apply it anywhere.
DeleteThose are such fascinating topics to get to work on, especially as a high school intern. It seems like you are already making the most out of this and are really enjoying it!
DeleteI started my internship at a nonprofit that focuses on conserving land in Northern Virginia on Wednesday because my mentor was out on Tuesday. I like the location of my office a lot. It is pretty close to my house and is in the woods next to a nature center. I didn’t expect it to be as empty as it is though. Most of the people are working from home or on vacation for a good portion, or all of July. I have met most of my co-workers on Zoom however, and a few of them should be back in the office soon. So far my mentor has asked me to help review their social media and website to see how well their message gets across, especially to younger people. I have also made plans to go on a visit with a coworker to see how they monitor properties that they help preserve.
ReplyDeleteAlthough you could not start on Tuesday, it seems like your internship is otherwise off to a great start! It sounds like the work that you'll be doing is meaningful and important, as conserving land is imperative for wildlife and the environment.
DeleteI hope your work continues to be a good mix of office and field work. Don't be afraid to speak up if one of your Zoom contacts mentions a project you'd be interested in learning more about or getting involved with.
DeleteThis seems really cool Brian. The work you are doing with your company's social media is very important to spread the right messages to the younger generations. I am jealous that you get to do office and field work, seems like a ton of fun!
DeleteI am interning with the Cowen Design Group working on a project to determine the benefit of trees on Arlington High School campuses. I am interning with Tadashi and Rajan. We start with a zoom call at 9 to plan out what we will do during the day. Then we meet up at a High School and record every tree's height, circumference of the trunk, diameter of the trunk, species, condition, and we geotag each tree. Then we put all of that data into a spreadsheet. Using a tool called mytree we can get an estimated dollar amount that each tree is worth along with the benefits the tree has such as rainfall captured, CO2 collected, and total canopy. The plan is to use this data to compare the high schools in Arlington and give recommendations on how they could better use trees to maximize their positive impact on the campus.
ReplyDeleteI love this internship, I hope you are having a lot of fun. It's nice to be so hands on! I can't wait to hear about the data you come up with.
DeleteI didn't realize you were confining your study to the high school campuses. I guess that makes it a bit more manageable. Like Madeline, I hope you will share your results with the group.
DeleteIt sounds interesting to be working on the nature around our school, what type of insight has it given you?
DeleteI'm interning with the Falls Church PD, and thus far it has been absolutely amazing. My first day started out stressful, as I had never been to a police department before that. It quickly became more comfortable, as the Chief was incredibly welcoming and was very helpful in showing me around and introducing me. So far the people here have been quite nice, and I have gotten to meet officers, dispatchers, detectives, and even a police dog! (He was quite friendly). I've toured most of the department so far and it's interesting to see where all the work gets done. There's plenty of snacks, and many restaurants and other places to get food nearby. There is another intern with me here, a college student, who I have been doing most of my work with. Aside from our regular duties, we have planed a few excursions. The internship so far has risen far above my expectations. All I can really say is that it is so so cool.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a really interesting internship, and I am glad you are comfortable with the environment and people, and I hope you have fun on your excursions!
DeleteThis is excellent Madeline. I'm glad you have a peer to do much of your work with. I personally am a big fan of jobs that let you get out of the office now and then.
DeleteThis sounds so cool! I am glad that you are enjoying your experience so much and gaining knowledge about how the police department works. I am excited to hear more about your excursions in future blogs.
DeleteI am interning with Dr.Egenreider in the thinkabit lab at Virginia Tech. My experience with Dr.Egenreider has been great and the fellow students that I work with are all so intriguing in the lab every student has different interests; While I am interested in studying Biomedical Engineering there are students who want to pursue sustainability or economics or even international relations. This is great for me because I have been able to network with students in college or students in my grade with such diverse interests. So far in the lab we have been working on our tasks which involve making sure we are set up for basic professionalism skills and getting to know everyone. Next week we are going to introduce Python. We also all get to chose a project topic we want to work on and we have to incorperate our Python learning skills into it; So far I was thinking about designing an invention that uses oyster mushrooms to conserve plastic waste !
ReplyDeleteIm glad to see that you are settling in and being able to choose your own projects seem pretty cool as well!
DeleteThere are amazing opportunities at the ThinkaBIt lab, and it sounds as though you are already accessing some of them! Keep it up.
DeleteI'm interning with the Thinkabit lab at Virginia Tech. I've been working on making a smart mirror with someone else. Everyone else mostly does their own thing and my mentor spends a lot of time in meetings. He also gave us a short tour of the school and we got to see the virtual reality room. The internship is different from my expectations because I thought that there would be more specific tasks instead of lots of free range. I think later in the month there will be groups visiting that we will be expected to help teach circuits and programing to.
ReplyDeleteI appreciated the description of the smart mirror you gave me yesterday. I think I could use one! Do you find the ability to work "free range" freeing or intimidating? Would you rather have more direction?
DeleteI have worked with Jim before and it was a rewarding experience for me. I am glad that are given the freedom to explore your interests!
DeleteI am working at Virginia Hospital Center this summer as an intern for the Emergency Department as well as a few other departments including pediatrics and OPIC. The environment of the hospital is really interesting as it constantly changes based off of the flow of patients and what part of the hospital you are in. The Emergency Department is especially interesting because it is never the same day to day. You constantly see new crazy and interesting things since patients are all different and they sometimes come in with a unique injury or health problem that you have never seen or heard of before. My mentor is the head of five different departments including the ED, so she is always very busy dealing with complaints, worker issues or other things that need handling, meaning that she is in meetings a lot of the time. My coworkers spend the majority of time with me mentoring me in each of their fields on different days and at different times of the day depending on their schedules. They are all great to work with and I have already started to get to know them better, and connect with them more. On a given day so far I do one of about three things; go with the staff educator and help her with what she needs to do as well as learn from her, do administrative work with my mentors personal assistant, and put away and collect supplies for the ED and organize them in the Omnicell. The rest of the time in my internship me and my mentor have planned for me to intern in each of her five departments and focus a bit more on patient care than in the first week so that I can truly have an experience of what it might be like to be a doctor or a nurse. This internship has met my expectations of being one of the most amazing and interesting experiences of my life, and it is really giving me a good experience of both work hours and the kind of work that I might be doing if I choose to follow the path that I am currently on. The only thing that has not quite met my expectations is the fact that because my lab results have not come in yet, I have not been able to work around the patients, however in the coming weeks this will hopefully be different as I should be approved by Monday of next week.
ReplyDeleteInterning in the emergency department sounds like a very unique experience! It is great that you are getting the experience with all types of medical conditions. Just seeing these things and being in the hospital working environment seems like great preparation for a future career there.
DeleteYour internship sounds like it has great potential Madison. I know that you, like Sanah, are looking forward to actual patient contact but you are setting a good foundation now.
DeleteDuring my interview and in the following communications with my company, very little was provided about what it was I was going to do in the course of my internship. For this reason, I was a bit nervous because I did not know what to expect. I ended up studying Microsoft Excel and Powerpoint because I feared that they would expect me to have this skillset and be disappointed in me if I lacked it. However, after this week's work at Green Powered Technology, I have realized that I am really there to learn, at least in my first week, about the company and how to work in an office. They do not expect me as an intern to immediately have all the skillsets of a full time employee.
ReplyDeleteThe company I work at is a green energy consulting firm. I have sat in on many meetings about securing a contract to work in Sierra Leone on electricity efforts in rural areas. This has proved very interesting. In addition, I have completed a few tasks including editing an org chart and a paper. The kindness of my mentor as well as the other employees has exceeded my expectations. They have really welcomed me and have been very inclusive. I look forward to the rest of my time at the company.
Getting some meaningful project time on green energy in Sierra Leone would be pretty cool, I'm envious
DeleteOne of my parents works in contracts and when we talk it seems it can be either very easy, or very hard to secure a contract. This one seems like the latter. Hope you learn a little and secure that contract!
DeleteI'm impressed that you did some work to get ready for your internship, Marcus. Long ago I had an acquaintance from sierra Leone. I look forward to hearing more about what you learn about that country.
DeleteI am doing my internship with a Programmer and a Cybersecurity specialist who works at an IT consulting firm. Since my mentor lives in Minneapolis and works remotely, my internship is virtual. I am tasked in making a presentation with two parts. Part 1 is finding jobs that are not technical in nature (not requiring the knowledge of programming) in the world of IT. Part 2 is find security breaches and how the security failures could have been prevented. Part 2 is mostly about how the latest technology is not always the solution to very problem. Originally I was expecting this to be a programming related project, but I found it interested to learn how even new technology fails very often. After doing some research, I think I will enjoy this internship.
ReplyDeleteLearning about failure for a while sounds painful, but insightful.
DeleteI'm glad you're willing and able to shift your focus to a slightly different aspect of cybersecurity, Kamron. I'm hoping we can develop a "sharing" page or site where you and other interns can share your projects, research, etc.
DeleteGiven that your internship is online, it sounds very interesting.
DeleteThis all sounds very interesting Kamran. Good luck with the rest of your internship!
DeleteEveryone at the office is really friendly to me, which is kind of surprising since I generally hear bad things about interns, either times have changed or it is just a false stereotype. Programming takes me awhile but I get through what I am supposed to do by the end of the day, at least for the past 3 days, so there haven't really been any time constraints. I have been coming in either 9am or 10am everyday and leaving at 5pm or 6pm accordingly. I think I prefer getting to work at 9am so I can leave a bit early, 6pm is a bit late for me.
ReplyDeleteA 9-5 schedule is an American classic! I am more of a fan of the 8-4 schedule though
DeleteWhen I met with your mentors to develop the site, Maxwell, both were pretty enthusiastic about working with an intern. Perhaps a mentor's attitude depends on their own experience as an intern or experiences with prior interns.
DeleteI agree that the stereotype for interns has definitely changed over the years and I'm glad you've been enjoying your internship.
DeleteI have loved my internship at AFAC so far. In terms of the employees there, everyone is super friendly and welcoming. I was able to feel comfortable as soon as I walked in the door without a doubt. My supervisors have done a great job keeping me busy with fulfilling hands on tasks such as warehouse duties, front desk, and distribution duties, but also with administrative tasks such as updating the directory of NGO's that cater to people of lower socio-economic status in Arlington. I look forward to going every day, so much so I feel a reason to get up at 7:00 AM over the summer. I wish I could do it for longer!!
ReplyDeleteWonderful, Eli. Your willingness to engage in a variety of tasks and work environments is part of the reason your internship is great. Keep it up!
DeleteIt sounds like you are really enjoying your internship and I think it's great that you have such a wide variety of tasks to do.
DeleteIt's cool how you wish you could do your internship for longer!
DeleteMy internship has been surprising in a very relieving way so far. I imagined this to be a strenuous workload with regimented schedules, but it has been nothing like that. My mentor, Ms. Cowen, has been extremely kind and flexible in letting me and my coworkers decide work hours and simply do what feels right. My two coworkers, Aden and Tadashi, have been kind and easy to work with. We immediately got started with measuring and surveying the trees at Yorktown in a very teamwork-based manner that has been very efficient. So far, it has mostly been field work, but I am also excited to get the more computer focused side of this internship as I feel that I thrive more with that. I was warned by a lot of people that internships can feel like a lot of busywork, but this has not been the case for me so far. I really feel like my coworkers and I are actually progressing towards something impactful. I am excited to continue our project.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Rajan, that the work you do this month will definitely impact some future decisions in Arlington. I'll be interested to hear exactly how you measure a tree!
DeleteI am doing a cybersecurity internship and it has been great so far. Since my mentor lives in another state, my internship is remote. For this reason, I am able to set my own work schedule. My internship involves conducting research on security breaches and assessing technology failures. My mentor has given me a lot of freedom as to how I want to complete this project. Since this research assignment will not take long, my mentor will assign me another project. I initially wanted to do a computer science internship, but this cybersecurity internship proved to be a rewarding experience for me. Thus, I believe this internship has met my expectations since I have acquired knowledge of different aspects of cybersecurity, which will benefit me in the future.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your willingness to shift your focus somewhat, Sara. Perhaps your next project can have more of a computer science focus.
DeleteI think its awesome that you are gaining skills in a field you were not previously excepting to gain skills in!
DeleteI am working at Summit engineers in Arlington as an electrical engineer, and so far I've really enjoyed it. My first day was almost completely training, where my mentor taught me how to read and analyze different diagrams and charts. Since then I've been working with the electrical plans of one of their projects, and using it to find the wattages for each circuitboard throughout the building. Summit is a small company, with only a few people in the office, and so far I've really enjoyed the office culture and my other coworkers. I really wasn't sure what to expect going into this, so it's been a great insight to see what day to day work is like for engineers.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds as though you've been able to jump right in, AJ. Is reading electrical diagrams and finding wattages something you've done before?
DeleteNo, I was completely new to it coming in, but having the first day be dedicated to training helped me get started quickly.
DeleteI am working my internship under an agent at State Farm. So far I am really enjoying my internship because of the work environment and the experience I am gaining from the tasks my mentor and co-workers are giving me. My mentor is very welcoming and funny, but makes sure we get work done, which helps me stay on task, but fell comfortable in the office environment. My Co-workers are also really great. They are very helpful at teaching me all the different tasks we have to do, but are also interesting people to chat with and I already feel like I am friends with all of them. There are a lot of tasks that I will have to do during this internship and I am currently being taught how to do all of them. Some tasks I have to do is calling clients about their needs with their insurance policies, which can be a little stressful because people are very impatient when it comes to their insurance. I have to send a lot of follow up emails on quotes we provided to clients which is pretty easy. Finally I also have to navigate the many state farm websites, to get information on our clients, create quotes, update and adjust clients insurance policies, and cash checks. I would say the internship has met my expectations. I am always busy getting work done, learning new things and joking around with my co-workers. Week 1 has been pretty good.
ReplyDeleteFrankly, I am impressed after reading this. I do not think that I could deal with people in the way your job requires.
DeleteIt seems like your mentor and co-workers are very supportive. I am certain that you will be able to learn lifelong skills from this internship!
DeleteWow, Mac - you are off to a running start. I'm sure many of the skills you will learn at State Farm will be applicable to other companies and even to other industries.
DeleteBecause my volunteering at the INOVA Alexandria hospital is technically a different program from PRIME, as of writing this, I have already worked a total of four shifts at the hospital volunteer office. On the first day, there was not much work we actually did. I was at work with three other volunteers in the patient transport office. We were tasked with visiting all floors of the hospital and searching for wheelchairs that would be brought back down to the office (only one was found). Later that day, we worked briefly in the mail room, sorting mail by its internal destination. We also were taken on a tour of the largest of the hospital's supply rooms. On the second day, there was again, little to do. There was nothing to do in the patient transport office, so the afternoon was spent preparing COVID vaccine application forms. On the third day, I had to handle three discharges in the patient transport office. Having to move people around in a wheelchair made me far more nervous than I ought to have been at first, but by the last discharge, I found myself being able to make casual conversation with patients. I also had the privilege of bringing supplies to the operating rooms in preparation for a surgery. I did not know that a surgery could entail two entire seven-foot carts full of stuff! On the fourth day, I found myself checking the items stocked in the unit 21 supply room and removing anything that was expired. So far, the internship has been more or less what I expected. I like being able to walk around the hospital, completing different jobs. There is also a great degree of independence in this job, which I find gratifying.
ReplyDeleteI think you are getting a taste of the real hospital environment through this internship, Kiran. I know many nurses, and they often describe hours of just sort of "hanging out" followed by hours of rushing and stress. I'm glad you're taking the opportunity to become acquainted with the hospital itself, in addition to the staff.
DeleteI am doing my internship at Stantec, an architecture and engineering services company. My first impressions have been positive and I am looking forward to the coming weeks there. I have learned a lot about the design process and what designers do during the day. So far at my internship I have been designing a bus station near the Arlington Mill community center. I have received a lot of advice from my mentor on how to plan out projects and think about how changes impact the community and environment around them. The internship so far has met my expectations and I feel like I prepared well for it. I am uncertain about what my internship will be like after I am done with this specific project but am excited to gain more experience in the architectural field.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you were able to jump right in and start work on a project, Finn. The more open you are to doing whatever needs to be done, the more "real work" will be entrusted to you.
DeleteI am interning with the Arlington Chamber of Commerce in their operations department. My tasks vary and so far include managing parts of their database, organizing certain accounting/financial codes, updating company logos, setting up packages and sending them out to companies, and setting up the board room for meetings. I also sat in on a staff meeting and learned about how all of the employees serve the Chamber. My mentor and everyone at the office is really nice and welcoming. I feel well prepared for my tasks, and I am learning what it is like to be in an office and how a professional environment functions.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like the kind of internship that lends itself well to "doing the work that needs doing," Clara. The more you make yourself available to assist, as you already have, the more responsibility you are likely to be given.
DeleteThis sounds like a good preview to what working in an office would be like. It’s nice that you’re able to help them out and get along with your mentor.
DeleteFor my internship, I am working at the Arlington Chamber of Commerce in the membership department. So far, my first impressions have been largely positive. I have really enjoyed getting to meet and develop relationships with everyone working at the Chamber in the short time I have spent working. Although it has been difficult at times to sit in an office for extended periods of time, staff-wide lunches have been a good way for me to take a break from my work. Some of my tasks have included researching and updating information regarding prospective members, gathering lists of contact information for certain events sponsored by the Chamber, and even translating letters from English to Spanish. While my work has been somewhat varied in my short time so far, I have found it extremely valuable in learning more about the businesses of Arlington and how they operate. Although I am not quite sure what I will be doing in the coming weeks, I look forward to learning more and developing relationships with the employees around me.
ReplyDeleteYour openness to tackling whatever task presents itself almost guarantees that you will have a positive experience, Kyle. I'm sure you'll be surprised by how many businesses - large and small - are located in Arlington.
DeleteOffice work can get a bit boring, it is nice that you get to take a break and talk with coworkers at lunch!
DeleteMy first day of my internship was a lot of fun. When I walked in my mentor had not yet gotten there but his apprentice of 1 year was already there. I got to speak with his apprentice a little bit to understand what we would be doing during the internship. About 30 minutes later my mentor came and we started talking about the schedule and the activities we would be doing. I was really excited and I would say my first impression of the two of them had exceeded my expectations. So far I have helped out to deliver and execute many sneakers for Sneaker Con in Las Vegas. Our first week it was especially busy due to Sneaker Con but we got to fit in 1 mural. Since it was my first time working with spray cans I didn't do too much of the mural but I got to put the background in and it was a lot of fun seeing how it all came together in the end. I'm a little nervous for this upcoming week because my mentor told me we will be pushing my limits a little bit more but I'm also excited to see what will come out of it. The work environment is very easy going, fun and open. Im doing my internship with a working artist, his instagram is @dezcustomz is any of you would like to see his work!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like the perfect placement for you, Sidney. Years ago in Acapulco, I watched a young man create a painting with cans of spray paint. I was so impressed I bought it, and the detail he was able to incorporate still amazes me.
DeleteWow very nice sidney I like how the internship works for you and things so nice
DeleteMy internship is at the Arlington Department of Technological Services, where I work as a part of the Networking team. My first impression of the internship was surprised. I was surprised at the amount of security they had implemented at the work site. You need a key card to enter certain rooms, use the elevator, and even use the bathroom. Outside of the fact that the place has a high level of security, the people who worked there were very kind to me and the other interns. They even set us up with a laptop to use for work-related tasks. One thing that caught me by surprise, however, was the number of meetings that come with working in a field like this one, ranging from cloud architecture to Arlington's infrastructure. Another thing I did at my site was visit many different networking rooms. I visited the local police station as well as the Arlington Water Pollution Control Plant networking rooms, where we worked on implementing new technology and replacing old ones. All in all, my internship has been very interesting so far, and I am looking forward to what is to come.
ReplyDeleteAlthough your site is heavily secured, your internship seems pretty interesting.
DeleteSome good insights, Esam. Security appears to be an ongoing and ever-increasing part of our society, as everything becomes more and more interconnected. All you have to do is think about how many spam phone calls, emails, and texts you get in a day; and those are just the ones that choose to be visible!
DeleteI am interning for the school and community relations department at the Syphax Education Center. My mentors were very welcoming as they walked me through the day by informing me about what they do and what other departments work on. Our department is committed to resolving any difficulties that may arise for students or members of the Arlington community. The work is divided between my co-workers because the problems may fall under different categories. I've planned to collaborate with more of my co-workers, so I learn more about what they specialize in.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting how you work to resolve difficulties that arise for Arlington students. Good luck with your internship!
DeleteThis is an interesting placement, Samuel. I look forward to hearing more about ways in which they address different problem from the schools, as well as the community.
DeleteWrite a short summary of your first impressions of your internship. React to the work environment, your mentor, you co-workers, the tasks assigned to you so far and any plans you and your mentor have made for the rest of your time together. Discuss ways in which the internship has - and has not - met your expectations. How do you think this will change in the weeks ahead?
ReplyDeleteMy internship is at the Arlington Department of Technological Services, My first reaction was the lobby where they had renovation for a year and that I needed to use a keycard for everything even elevators, bathrooms, and almost every door. My first day was flooded with meetings and I was busy all day and it was good work. The meetings regarded issues we needed to work on and how to fix the, this internship has went beyond my expectations I thought we were just going to sit down and code all day but I was doing the opposite.
It sounds as through you are really getting some hands on experience, Brandon - excellent! Security everywhere has increased in recent years, but especially so at places that deal with personal information.
DeleteBTW, you don't need to recopy the question; just post your answer.
My internship at Howard University Hospital's Emergency Department/Trauma Center has done a complete 180. My "first" day, July 5th, was a fluke; there was a system outage at the hospital and they were unable to provide me with the adequate clearance I needed to begin my work. I spent the rest of the day at my mom's office, which was nice, but definitely not what I expected to have happened . This event lowered my expectations for what was to come in the internship, but I was proven wrong. The next day, I returned to the hospital, and everything checked out perfectly; I was promptly expedited through the process and promptly taken down to the Emergency/Trauma department. Initially, I thought I would only be doing the hospital's busywork, as I believed that I couldn't do much without any kind of medical certification. However, I quickly realized that there are so many interesting tasks that a hospital needs done where I am interacting with the patients and actually handling medical equipment. Through all of this, I feel like I am gaining the plethora of experience in the medical field which I initially desired.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like the perfect site for someone interested in a medical career, Moses. Speaking from experience, there are many situations in which a patient appreciates a calm, empathetic presence.
DeleteMy internship has been very engaging, and I'm overall glad that I've done it. My internship is at Cowen design group. We collect data on trees in Arlington's schools. My mentor gave a tour of her office, as well as teaching us how to use tools and programs we need to collect the data. I also enjoy working with my co-workers. Together, I think we are good at meeting each others needs. I've hit it off pretty well, and the environment is overall relaxed and low-pressure. My coworkers have also provided transportation. We plan on collecting data on the high schools in Arlington and then giving suggestions about how each school can optimally use its land.
ReplyDeleteYou are doing real work that is likely to have a real impact, Tadashi. Additionally, this is work that might not get done if it weren't for your team. It's also good to know how to work productively with a team.
DeleteYour work seems like it has a big impact on your community and it's great that you are already comfortable at your internship.
DeleteI am interning at APS School and Community Relations. Although I applied for the field of computer science, my main goal was just to get a feel for the office workplace. So far, I have mainly been working on spreadsheets, doing things like updating contact data and helping fix the website’s broken links. Since my goal is to gain a feel for the workplace, I have gone into the office every day I could, which has been a bit awkward since many of the people there are doing remote work some days of the week. This week there was also an APS administrator conference which meant that my mentor couldn’t be in the office that day. It is going fine, though bridging that remote and in-person gap some days with my mentor is the most challenging thing.
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