Embarking on my very first internship was an exciting yet nerve-wracking experience. As I entered the professional world, I quickly realized that there were not only the major task-related challenges to contend with, but also a multitude of seemingly minor difficulties that had the potential to accumulate and make the job more stressful. In this blog, I want to shed light on these often overlooked obstacles that internships present and share how I navigated through them. From transportation to procrastination and socializing, these tiny little difficulties played a significant role in shaping my internship experience and taught me valuable lessons along the way.
The company that I worked for was located near Schiphol, which meant transportation wasn’t very easy. I had to transfer at least two times, from the metro to the bus. Additionally, there was a 10-minute walk involved, making the whole trip take about an hour. Delaying was a common occurrence, adding to the challenge. Initially, the transportation bothered me a lot, and I found myself constantly checking Google Maps to ensure I was on the right route. However, I soon realized that since I couldn’t control the public transport schedule, the best way to make the travel less stressful was to depart earlier from home.
I have always had a procrastination problem when dealing with academic tasks, and unfortunately, this problem carried over into my work during the internship. For tasks that I found difficult, I often ended up finishing them at the last minute, just before the deadline. Although the tasks were eventually completed, I often experienced great anxiety during the process of procrastination. To address this issue, I tried various methods such as writing to-do lists and setting personal deadlines earlier than the actual deadlines. However, these methods had limited success in solving the problem.
Being self-defined as an introverted person, talking with people has never been easy for me. Before the start of my internship, I felt anxious about meeting my colleagues and engaging in conversations. However, I was fortunate that my colleagues were all quite friendly, making communication surprisingly easy as long as I kept myself from overthinking. Over time, I discovered that stepping out of my comfort zone and initiating conversations gradually helped me overcome my socializing difficulties.
As you can see, not all problems can be easily solved. However, it’s important to remember that everything goes on, and sometimes you just need to take things as they come. Internships, like any other endeavor, come with their own set of challenges. By accepting and adapting to the difficulties we face, we can grow and develop important skills for the future. Whether it’s dealing with transportation issues, overcoming procrastination, or navigating social interactions, every little step counts towards our personal and professional growth.