Ultimate Summer Internship Survival Guide

The ultimate summer internships survival guide.

Al Chen

Learn from my mistakes

The summer in between my freshman and sophomore year, I was stuck in a cramped one-bedroom apartment in NYC’s East Village with three other roommates. I worked two internships—one was unpaid and the other one I hated. Needless to say, I did not fully prepare and winged it the whole summer. I was passive going into the experience, and then just kind of cruised through, having learned little and networked barely.

If I could do it all over, this is the Coda doc I would have made: With some initial goal setting and structure to keep me honest and productive, plus a little practical life advice along the way.