1. College does not prepare you for the real work environment.
I'm pretty sure I learned more about business from working in an actual business every day this summer than I ever did in class. Teachers can teach you textbook material all day long, but there is no better learning experience than actually doing it. There are so many little details about how a business runs and operates that professors cannot possibly communicate to a student.
2. Adjusting your career path is OK.
The best part about an internship is that it gives you a glimpse into what your life will be like after college. This is extremely valuable because it gives you the opportunity to reconsider your career path and your major. I learned so much about what I like and what I don't like, and I am definitely going to take those things into consideration when I focus in on a more definite career choice. The chance to take what you learned in your major and implicate it to a real job is so important because you get to see if that is really what you want to be doing for the rest of your life, and if it's not, you have a chance to change it.
3. The "real world" is a lot like high school.
Packing my lunch every day and coming home around 4 p.m. again really made me feel like I was back in high school. There are cliques and there are tons of jokes and good times filled with people you see every single day. So it felt a lot like high school.
4. Success doesn't come over night.
There were times during my internship where I had to do tasks that I wasn't necessarily thrilled about, but that is all part of the learning experience. You are not going to be super successful right out of college. It takes time, hard work and dedication to become successful in life. All of the tasks that seem silly and less than enjoyable are just stepping stones to a brighter future.
5. Working full-time is not as scary as you think.
The idea of working a full-time job this summer was very intimidating at first, but once I got comfortable, I realized that there was nothing to be scared of. Having the stability of a full-time job is great because your co-workers become your friends. There is also so much freedom in a real work environment. Working in an office, you can take a break when you need, eat snacks all day long, and take control of your schedule (for the most part). My internship also gave me two amazing friends and memories that I will cherish forever, and if my future jobs bring me anything similar to that, I will be very happy.
