Erin Winters, University of California, Davis
Hello there everyone! I hope you are all enjoying the first days of fall and the beginning of another year! This summer was a busy one, and not productive the way I initially envisioned it. Like most students I thought I would throw all my time into my research, but instead I spent the summer at an internship. I spent this summer at HumRRO (Human Resources Research Organization) in their Alexandria, VA office. There are so many blogs, websites, and pop-journalism resources for learning about how to get an internship that I want to talk a little bit about what happens after you get an internship.
Congratulations! You’ve been offered an internship! Internships often have mid to late May start dates that are officially listed, but I found that there is usually some flexibility with this. UC-Davis is on the quarter system so I wasn’t able to begin until the quarter was almost over. I ended up negotiating leaving at the end of the last week of instruction, and completed my grading from DC. If you’re TA-ing in the spring, communicate with your instructor about when you can leave, and make sure you build time into your new schedule to complete grading as quickly as possible. This being said, make sure you build in some time to acclimate to your new location- the farther you’re traveling, the more time you’ll need to adjust. This gives you time to figure out your commute, your local grocery options (and naturally your coffee options). I arrived with three full days to spend in DC before starting work which helped immensely, but to be honest it took me almost 2 weeks to really feel human again. As great as all of this sounds, before you find your local grocery store, you do need to figure out where you’re going to live!
You may have gotten lucky and found something local, but if you’re anything like me you have to move 2,700 miles for the summer. After you find out where you’re going, take some time looking at different places you could live while you’re there. HumRRO provided some guidance, but take into consideration your own needs. I knew I didn’t want to take my car with me across the country, as I’d have to deal with insurance, parking, and navigating unknown streets and highways. I knew the DC-metro area (or as locals call it, the DMV) has great public transportation, so I prioritized living near a metro station. While looking on Craigslist or other message boards for sublets is an option, I found that Airbnb was a great way to find a place to live- I didn’t have to worry about utilities, furniture or kitchenware, it was all there. While Airbnbs may look expensive at first, long-term rentals listed there frequently have significant discounts.
You also need to consider where you’re going, and where you’re going to be working. I was in Washington DC, so I expected needing to wear formal business attire, but was informed that their dress code was much more casual. I also had to consider the weather where I was going. Davis is hot, but it has very little humidity, which is not the case in DC. Make sure you bring clothing staples with you for layering, it helps you cut down on how many pieces of clothing you have to bring (and helps you avoid those pesky overweight luggage fees at the airport.) Make sure you pack in accordance with your destination.
Things to bring with you, or acquire shortly after arrival:
- Your own pillow. I don’t need a lot of pillows, but I need one decent, soft pillow. I brought my own pillowcase with me too for a reminder of home.
- An emergency sick kit (medicine, tissues, sports drinks, etc.). I got sick with the flu in the middle of July. Because I didn’t have anyone that I lived with to go to the store for me, I relied on Amazon Prime Now deliveries. Luckily I brought some medicine with me, but had to use paper towels for tissues (with lotion!) until my Amazon order arrived. While you may not get the flu, you will be so happy you prepared if you do.
- Food! This may seem obvious, but it will be so much easier to survive on a budget if you are eating from home. Don’t go too crazy- you’ll only be there 2-3 months, so you don’t have to buy in bulk. Buying in bulk only saves money if you use it all!
- Your laptop. You likely won’t need it to do work for your internship on, but you may want to have access to some of your references and code that’s on there (plus doing your own work in your downtime).
One last thing about “things”- you have to bring home anything you acquire while you’re away! I’m in the dissertation proposal stage of thing, so I bought a ton (like 8!) of books on dissertation proposal writing/dissertation writing and I had to send all of those back to CA. Instead of trying to distribute my 40 lbs. of books into my luggage and carry-ons, I shipped them back to CA. I opted for the flat-rate boxes from USPS. If when you’re done you have something heavy you need to ship back, a $20 flat rate box is so much cheaper than that $100 heavy baggage fee.
Finally, remember to get out and see the area you’re in! We graduate students get so bogged down in “work work work” and “productivity” all the time – don’t forget to see this place that you’re going to be living for a few months. Be a tourist! Explore!
Good luck in all your internship applications this fall and winter! When you get an internship, I hope you’ll keep a couple of these things in mind! My internship with HumRRO this summer was an amazing experience, I hope you get to do something similar!