Advice For Living In A Big City For A Summer Internship

By Elana Goodwin on March 18, 2016

This article is brought to you by Dream Careers, the largest global internship program for college students offering all-inclusive programs in 11 cities worldwide. To learn more about Dream Careers, please visit us at SummerInternships.com.

Having a summer internship can be a big deal in and of itself — but when your internship is in a big city, you may feel overwhelmed and uncertain as you’re faced with many new challenges and opportunities all at once.

Here’s some advice on what to do after you arrive in a big city for your summer internship so that your summer and internship experience are the best they can be.

Photo Credit: architecturendesign.net/

1. Get to Know Your Surroundings. After you arrive in whatever city you’ll be residing in for your summer internship and get settled into your temporary digs, it’s important to get to know your surroundings. Big cities can be intimidating but a lot of that is due to you not knowing your way around and the lack of familiarity. Pay attention to street signs, restaurants, landmarks, etc. so you’ll be able to recognize and better understand where you are.

If you can, arrive in the city you’ll be spending the next few months in early; this way, you’ll have ample time to spend just getting to know the city and getting comfortable before your summer internship starts. Walking is a good way to initially take in the city but you’ll want to quickly get acquainted with the city’s public transportation as it’ll be important to know throughout the coming months.

2. Do Some Exploring. After you get to know the area where you’re staying, expand your city knowledge by doing some exploring. Check out the local restaurants and cafes, stores, parks, nightlife, etc. Do some touristy things and see what the city has to offer and what it’s known for. You’ll be getting the native experience soon enough so you might as well play tourist while you can!

While you’re exploring, make sure to take note of the eateries, grocery stores, laundromats, and other locales you’ll be frequenting over the course of the summer that are close to where you’re staying. While you’ll of course venture further out, it’s good to know these places if you want or need to stick close to your temporary home.

3. Find “Your Place.” You probably have a favorite spot on campus or in your hometown and it’s important you find “your place” in whichever city you’ll be in for your summer internship. Being in a big city may cause you to feel lost or lonely at times so it helps to have a place where you like to go and can feel comfortable there.

Whether it’s a nearby park, a beach or lake, a local library, a specific cafe or museum, or something else completely, figure out whatever “your place” is in the big city — it’ll help you feel more at home and provide you with an escape should you need or want it during the summer.

4. Prep for Your First Week. If you’re not getting to the big city much before your summer internship starts, you’ll want to stock up and prep right away for your first week. If you’re working a 9-to-5 or somewhere around those hours, you’re not going to feel like going grocery shopping or to the dry cleaners after you’re finished for the day.

If you’ve scoped out your area, stock up on food for the week so you can pack yourself lunches and make dinner — not only will it make your week much easier, but you’ll save money too since you won’t eat out for every meal.

5. Do A Trial Run. Before the first day of your summer internship, you’ll definitely want to do a trial run. That means figuring out how long you’ll need to get dressed, coffeed, and out the door in the morning, as well as planning out what route or public transportation you’ll be taking to work and how much time that will take.

You don’t want to be late on your first day, nor do you want to be super anxious about hopping the right bus or train and getting off at the right place so practice doing so before your internship starts so you can adjust your wake-up time or potential route.

If you’ve got an internship booked in a big city this summer and are feeling uncertain, don’t be; because not only will you be able to add to your resume, but being on your own in a big city as a young professional will have you learning important and valuable skills. So follow this advice when you get to the city for the summer and you’ll not only have a great internship, but a great experience.

Looking for a top internship in an exciting city? Enroll in Dream Careers and guarantee yourself an internship and a fun summer in your choice of 11 cities globally. To visit our website, please click here.

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format