An Intern’s Life During COVID-19: Jarring Changes
As I adjust to my first full-time remote internship — including trying to make a good impression in my 6-inch window during Zoom meetings — the switch to a solid 9-to-5 schedule has been the most unexpectedly jarring. As a summer intern with Lumina’s Strategic Communications team, I have a full eight-hour workday, a big shift for college students like me who often work in short bursts at odd hours of the day and night.
At Ithaca College where I am a senior, my Google calendar was an array of bright colors with no set pattern. Before the COVID-19 crisis shut down our campus, a typical day looked like this: I stopped by my on-campus job for a quick 9 a.m. check-in, went to class for three hours, took a post-lunch nap, worked my desk shift at the on-campus job, dashed across town to my off-campus job to serve poke bowls until 9:30 p.m., then came home to complete an assignment before a midnight deadline. I rarely sat still — until now.
Of course, I realize how lucky I am — and how different my experience has been from that of most students. I’ve taken a full course load at a four-year liberal arts college without having to worry about a full-time job or children. And I’m grateful to have a meaningful internship — especially now, while many lack jobs and many others work on the front lines of the pandemic. I can do my work safely from a distance, with my bosses in Indianapolis and me in New York State.
Even so, the changes are jarring for students and interns. When my college announced on March 11 that all classes would be remote, my previously packed schedule disappeared. My classes became recorded lectures, or simply posted assignments. The only surviving structure was a one one-hour Zoom class, three days a week. I completed my assignments, finished my campus job remotely, and said goodbye to my off-campus job (an unfortunate victim of restaurant closures).
In comparison, working a 9-to-5 schedule remotely seems deceptively simple, especially since there’s no commute. I roll out of bed and down several mugs of black tea, get dressed, and open up my inbox at 8:45. I take a midday break for lunch and eat a real meal instead of a hurried granola bar, and then keep working until 5, when I can close my laptop. But I’m left with an empty evening, missing my friends, clubs, and even homework. Such is an intern’s life in the age of COVID.
On one hand, the stability is refreshing. It gives rhythm to life, and I’m actually able to relax at night. Still, I find myself growing restless. I’m used to being on the move, bouncing from academic buildings to jobs to friends’ apartments. Now, I’m working in one long burst in the same spot. With no change of scenery and fewer people to keep me motivated, adjustment and focus have been difficult.
My mom checked in with me after the first week of my internship and asked how I liked it.
“It’s going well,” I said. “But eight hours is a long time to sit and work on the same thing.”
She burst out laughing. “I guess you’d better get used to it.”
I know I’m not alone in finding the transition to a full-time workday difficult. A Google search for the phrase “first full-time job” brings up phrases like “tired,” “depression,” “nervous” and “too much.” But I see this as another benefit of internships. After all, becoming accustomed to a job’s structure and culture is just as important as what we learn on the job, maybe more so.
No one could have prepared us for this, or predicted the pandemic and its dire effects. But I’m lucky in another way. I landed at Lumina, which helps Americans learn, train, and earn after high school. Clearly, education will be more important than ever as we recover from COVID-19. So I’ll keep learning and contributing, and most of all, I’ll keep adjusting to a brand-new way of life.
[Editor’s note: Stay tuned to read more about Kara Bowen’s summer intern journey.]
