For the past 2 summers I’ve been lucky enough to have an awesome internship in my field. I’m not getting coffee for higher-ups all day; I’m actually getting an opportunity to work with other professionals doing things that I could actually be doing as a full timer. With that type of work exposure, I was bound to learn some things along the way.

1.Network, network, network folks

Network with everyone you possibly can, even people not necessarily in your field. I work in a small team of software engineers, but I come in contact with a ton of people on a daily basis. Through this process, I have learned that networking can really help you out. You may have a question that nobody in your immediate team can help you with. There may be an opportunity a connection of yours thinks you may be interested in. Even a fresh set of ears to discuss problems with over lunch. Soak up ALL the knowledge.

2.Don’t be scared to speak up

Early on in my internship, I was assigned a project that seemed pretty doable; after some in depth research, it turned out to be more trouble than it was worth. We were able to come up with something better after I explained to my manager and team that the solution wasn’t very time efficient. I felt weird telling full time employees that their solution wasn’t viable, but it needed to be done – they also really valued my opinion and wanted to hear what I found. If you have any type of concern, say something! And if your immediate coworkers don’t want to hear you out, find someone who will.

3.You’re going to make mistakes – and that’s okay

Being thrown into a work environment you’ve never before been in and completing assignments you’ve never before done can be intimidating. As far as I know absolutely nobody is perfect (if so, pointers please?) which means you’re going to make mistakes. Being even the most dedicated student in class can’t prevent you from making any mistakes. That’s OK. The important part is that you acknowledge it, learn from it, and move on . Legend has it potato chips were a mistake, just saying.