Last Friday my Indianapolis Monthly internship came to an end. It was an amazing experience getting to work there! I'm also glad my other internship with Eco Partners is still hanging on for a few more days. The past three summers there have prepared me for the "real world" more than anything else (and my boss is really cool- hi Elizabeth!).

But being an intern can be a scary, terrifying thing if you don't know what you're getting into. It helps to have some advice going in so that coming out you feel like an expert on all things learning and working for free.

For all you interns out there, here are five tips for having an awesome internship:

Ask questions. I'm someone who won't start a task until I know exactly what's expected of me and what I need to accomplish it. While that can be a little extreme, don't feel like you can't ask your supervisor how to do something. She/he wants to help!
Don't be afraid of "why." "Why does the company do this?" "Why does Sally look at this?" "Why are we doing this?" When phrased correctly, asking "why" only shows that you're curious about the company and what they do. You're here to learn. Asking why is the best way to do that!
Get outside the office. No matter where you intern, there's more to it than sitting at a desk all day. Go out to lunch with fellow interns. Explore the nearby businesses and events. Ask to attend a conference or photo shoot. Take a staff member you want to talk to more out to coffee. These experiences can become the most valuable of your internship!
Take initiative. This is the hardest one for me: asking for something I want. At my internships, it was fairly simply to ask for a certain task. Both offered me countless opportunities. But even if that's not the case for you, don't be afraid of asking if you can take something on. Even if the answer is no, they'll be impressed that you weren't afraid to ask and they might turn to you when a project you can help with comes up.
And finally, breathe. This is an internship, and while it's important to take it serious and make a good impression, it is not a job. It's okay if you slip up once or twice or if you're totally lost on a project. You're still a student first, and no one expects you to be perfect. Just do your best and work hard and people will take notice.

Want to learn more? Check out these articles:

College Prepster's "How to be the Best Intern"
Levo, "8 Tips for Starting Your Internship Off Right"
Intern Queen, "Feeling Inadequate at Your Internship? Here's what to do about It!" (And other Intern Queen articles like this one I just used.)

Any of you have internships this fall or just completed summer ones? What are your internship tips?

Leeann

It's that time of year again... the time of year when I agonize over what planner to buy!

My issue this year is slightly different... do I keep using my Lilly Pulitzer agenda until it ends in December or get a new planner now? It's a great planner, but boy is it huge.

I'm very specific in my needs- calendar view followed by a horizontal weekly view divided on two pages. With enough room to write all my tasks for each day.

I'm demanding.

While thinking about that, I found a few options for this year's (senior year!) replacement I thought I would share with all of you. I'll probably also pursue the aisles of Target and Paper Source to see if anything catches my eye and to see some of these in person. I think the Lilly one is still winning...