Hello! I just finished my second week of my internship and I feel that I have learned a significant amount in a very short time. That being said, I am excited to see the amount of knowledge that I will have learned by the end of my internship!
One of the hardest things that I have dealt with in the past two weeks is getting adjusted to living in a new place. I’ve moved around my entire life and while I attended college in Michigan, my parents lived in Georgia and North Carolina; that being said, I am very used to living far from my family. However, since I did live so far from my family and couldn’t see them for months at a time, I built friendships as well as a support system with the friends I met in classes, extracurricular activities, and at different jobs. Moving to Springfield has been interesting for me because I no longer have that immediate support system physically surrounding me. I know that I can always call friends and family on the phone or on Skype, but sometimes life gets busy.
There are some things that I have learned in these past two weeks that have helped me cope with living in a new place that might help students looking at internships far away or other interns who are going through the same thing as me!
When you’re not at your internship, make sure you get out of your apartment/house.
This is the hardest for me because I don’t like driving in new places. However, it is extremely important! A person can only watch Netflix or do paperwork for so long. Leave your apartment and go exploring. If you’re living in a city, walk around downtown or explore a nearby mall. Look online for things to do in the city or town where your internship is and make sure you get out and do the ones that interest you!
Get Involved.
Find a hobby! Volunteer! Do something that you love and get involved in anything. It’s a perfect way to meet new people and start developing that support system away from home or college. I am looking into options to volunteer right now and have started going to church and getting involved that way in order to meet new people. This has been the biggest challenge because in college, you’re forced to meet new people every day. However, in the “real” world, you have to find ways to meet new people without relying on class or a job.
Be open and honest.
When you feel overwhelmed about being in a new place, make sure you’re open and honest to your supervisors or call up a friend or a family member and share with them about how you are feeling. Living in a new place is scary and it’s important to know you are not in this alone!
I have found those three things to be helpful with getting adjusted to moving to a place where I know absolutely no one. It’s scary at first, but I am excited to meet new people and start getting involved with different activities!
Thanks for reading!
-Sammy Springer
