1. There's only so much time in one day.

So procrastination is never the answer to your problems. You might wake up some days feeling like you're not able to do any work at all, but that's just you taking away from whatever time you have left that day to get work done. Don't be the person who sleeps in because you don't want to work. When summer first started for me, and I joined my second internship, I was met immediately by the feeling of wanting to sleep in all morning. It was tough to fight the urge, but this at least prevents me from pulling all-nighters every day.

2. Your priorities are in check.

You need to know how to balance your time wisely, even if people keep telling you to remember this, and it all sounds irrelevant to you. Something you'll find after a while of doing the internship is that you'll want to spend more time doing more leisurely activities, and merely thinking about that will pull you away from work. Don't worry about losing opportunities to have fun because you'll definitely be able to fit time in your schedule for friends and time for yourself if you manage your responsibilities maturely.

3. You have to be confident in yourself.

You will definitely question the quality of your work during your first internship because you'll be unsure if your work is up to standard. Don't ever think about that unless you're explicitly told to improve upon quality because if that starts to take up your everyday thoughts, you may overwork yourself or even lose touch of the quality you had before. Striving to achieve what you don't even need to reach takes you away from where you want to be.

4. You can't compare yourself to others.

This is one of the more important tips on the list because comparing yourself to others causes you to want to become someone who you are not. In less philosophical terms, you'll be working at someone else's level, and if the person seems to be doing a better job than you, you have to first question why before you immediately rush to being just like them. This is mainly because the person could have been working there longer, or you both have different skill sets. Either way, the only thing you should be focusing on is the task you have to accomplish on your own, not as somebody else.

5. You're expected to do quality work...

This shouldn't be news to you, though be sure you know what others expect by "quality work."

6. ...And a good amount of it.

This part is different for everyone because you don't want to overwork yourself, not just because it'll take a toll on your well-being, but also because people will expect you to perform to that level every single time you're assigned that task. Basically, you don't want to do more than you're comfortable with because you'll have to stay at that level to make others happy. So be sure you don't do too much, but also keep in mind that no one appreciates just having the bare minimum.

7. Internships are not meant to be easy.

Don't join your first call or walk into the room on the first day thinking you'll be treated like royalty. Becoming a part of the workforce means you have to know how to manage yourself. I was fairly worried when I started my internship at Odyssey because I wasn't sure if I could handle the submission schedule. Very soon, I realized that I was simply worried because I had never exposed myself to a satisfying level of challenge like this.

8. You have to make friends in the workplace.

Some people may not like making new friends, but having someone is definitely better than going through your internship alone. It's always nice to be able to rely on another person when you need help or know that someone else is also up late at night finishing whatever has been assigned.

9. You have to keep your health in check.

Sleeping and eating are two things everyone loves to do, but with your new internship, you may have to set those aside sometimes. For the most part, though, you should not have to throw away your cares about your health to get work done because no internship is going to require you to put your life on the line. And don't end up that way by procrastinating.

10. Others will look at you differently.

"Others," as in the people around you who don't do internships. You'll have a whole new set of duties to take on, and your friends are going to respect you for taking on the challenge. But just be sure to spend time with them once in a while; you don't want to neglect them because of work.

11. Dreams will take a while to achieve.

You may have a huge plan set up to become an important person in some important company, but it will take you a while to get there. So don't be discouraged if you notice the people around you being promoted or if you seem to be stuck in the same job for a long time because you're not going to end up being in that internship forever. It's experience that counts, and one day, your experience may make your dreams come true.

For example, almost one year ago, I remember receiving a message telling me that I had been promoted to a contributing editor. I would've never expected this to happen, but looking back at the time since that moment, it's been a dream.

12. You have to enjoy what you do.

Quality work only comes from someone who enjoys doing that very work. If you struggle while working and end up hating what you do, your submissions will reflect that same struggle. What you submit tells more about you than you think, so don't end up in an internship completely off from who you want to be in the future.

13. You won't be rewarded for every little thing.

You may have work hours upon hours the entire week to get something done, but don't expect everyone to congratulate you for this for a variety of reasons. Maybe you might have not needed to take that long to complete the task, or maybe that's just how much effort you have to put in. Either way, you can't be upset if no one recognizes this immediately.

14. Sometimes, things don't go according to plan.

You may be assigned tasks at the last minute. Be flexible if you can, and fit time in your schedule to get the job done. You may not finish everything on time. Be honest, and work toward fixing the time management issue.

15. Deadlines can be stressful and scary.

But you'll learn to adjust to them.

16. You can't always be nice.

Being assertive is important in some situations because if you're always nice, people can take advantage of that. Don't be nice in a situation where you have to be serious or bold. Prove that you know your worth by making sure others don't stomp all over you.

17. But when you have to be firm, be understanding.

You can easily get ahead of yourself and go from being assertive to flat-out mean. Don't reach that stage, and always be aware that others have feelings, too.

18. When it all ends, you'll realize you had fun.

Maybe you'll think to yourself once or twice that you're too stressed to have a good time, but you'll remember the experiences you'll have throughout your journey. The best feeling is comparing who you were at the beginning to who you've become, and you'll realize how much you've matured over time.

19. And who knows? There may be more for you ahead...

When I started my first internship, it was for Odyssey two years ago, and I was a young content creator who didn't know where she'd be in the coming years. Fast forward to today, I've become a contributing editor and have never felt more accomplished in my life. That rewarding feeling takes time, but when it arrives, you'll remember it forever.