Vibration in the middle of the night. Could it be a text message from a friend, a dearly beloved, a dearly sought after infatuation? No. It is the call of work sounding in the night, disrupting REM, competing with the trains that pass for volume intensity, and reminding you of a meeting tomorrow that you can’t make. It is but one of many symbols that you are employed, that you are not just a student, but a liability to a company and entrusted with responsibilities.
These responsibilities vary. Some include the mundane task of sorting through such emails. Emails that range from relevant correspondence to industry trends.
An internship equates to a course plus some. Time and mental capacity is a basic expectation. What you can deliver above and beyond is required.
To have your one foot in school and the other in your internship is but an adequate attempt a description of this situation. It is the feeling of being enrolled in school full-time and having an internship. Now add to the equation other extra-curriculars or a second job. Where do you plant your feet now? Do you start to play twister, using your hands as well?
When you decide where your feet go, make sure you’ve been stretching. The places you have planted your feet may start to slide away from each other as commitments become incongruous in terms of scheduling, etc.
The rewards are there, but alongside the costs. Thus the rewards must be worth it to us.
What I have learned is that how we deal with such difficult situations is indicative of our strength of will. How badly do we want something? How much are we willing to give up?
These situations also reveal our ability to communicate with our boss and recognize our limitations. Can we take on this commitment? If we cannot, how can we compromise? If compromise is an option, can we communicate this to our boss?
There are many questions and ways to think about this situation, yet, one thing is remains consistently true:
We must be ready to push ourselves, sleep less, and do more.
Gabriella Gini 