Excitement, stress, and fear. Three normal emotions that I have felt starting my internship, as I am sure many of you have felt as well. All of course valid but important to address so that one is able to produce their best work. Throughout the first month of my internship, I learned how to properly deal with these emotions and will share my favorite tips so others are able to properly manage these emotions as well.  

For me, the fear stemmed from the idea of the unknown. I was unsure what exactly to expect. I did not know how I was going to manage my time and wasn’t positive if I was ready for this internship. However, this fear was easily subdued as I clearly read through what was expected of me and communicated with my internship advisor. We spent the first meeting going through my assignments and figured out the best way for the two of us to communicate. Additionally, I made sure to carve out time each week for my internship assignments. Treating it like a job or class, I have time blocks scheduled on my calendar where I focus my time and energy on my internship projects. Although this did mean I had to give up some time with friends or time relaxing after class, it has been worth it as I already have learned and experienced so much.  Lastly, to address the fears that I was not ready for this, I made sure to read through all my task and communicate with my advisor if I was worried about anything. I also remembered that this company saw something in me, so I must have faith in myself as well. I have learned so much in these first few weeks especially that I will never know if I can handle something unless I try it.

The stress that I felt starting this internship came a lot from general anxieties. Like most college students, I am extremely busy. I have a full class load comprised of 5 classes, a part time job, and am a part of outside organizations. Despite this, I still wanted to take on this internship as it was a perfect fit for me. However, I was able to combat this stress by setting up my Google Calendar – I have everything planned out so I know what weeks will be busier. On these weeks, I have time blocked out to make sure I do something for me, focusing time on self-care and making sure that my busy schedule does not overwhelm me. This strategy helped with some of the stress; however, another major source of stress in this internship came from being unsure of how to complete certain tasks. However, I quickly have learned that there are more than enough resources available to me that will allow me to succeed. I communicate regularly with my supervisor and use the resources available to me through DePaul to complete tasks. Although there will always be a little bit of stress with the internship, I have managed to make it into a motivational stress that allows me to meet my goals and expectations.

The last major feeling that I experienced when starting my internship was excitement. I was looking forward to the new opportunities, learning everything I could, and applying my classroom knowledge in the real world. This excitement has stayed throughout the first weeks of my internship, as every week I am inspired after my weekly meetings. In fact, I am known for saying how much I love my internship. This excitement has allowed me to stay motivated and move past any stress and fear I may have. I have learned so much about myself and public relations processes because of this internship. The excitement keeps me motivated and allows me to produce my best work. This emotion has allowed me to realize that this is a perfect fit.  

When I applied to this internship, everything happened so fast, but I knew it was meant to be. Although I am in love with the work I am doing, I still have experienced stress, fear, and excitement. These feelings are normal, and I have been able to turn them into motivation and organization. I look forward to the next portion of my internship, and hope these tips help you with the start of yours.