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The Life of a New York City Intern: Entry 2

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Leta Stevens
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Amanda Norell
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Purdue chapter.

It all seems so glamorous. Packing up and flying to New York City. Telling fellow interns you are working in Soho, the neighborhood of Manhattan that is known for its love of the arts and is famous for it’s shopping.
 
I honestly thought my move here was going to be just that: glamorous. While the move out to Manhattan was a rush, and all of my adventures around the city have been exhilarating, working as an intern in NYC is anything but glamorous. Bottom line: it’s really hard work.
 
So let’s get down to internship business, shall we?
 

Lesson Number One: You will walk the majority of the places you go, resulting in blisters and your feet will hurt so incredibly. I have not met an intern who has not had this problem.
 
Even though you really want to wear the super stylish stilettos you bought, do not do it. Your boss cares more about the amount of work you get done and the quality of the work, not how cute you look doing the work (especially if you are doing it slowly because your feet are killing you).  Unless you will be sitting in on meetings all day, skip the heels and stick to cute flats and sandals to showcase your adorable summer style.
 
I have been told from fellow New Yorkers that eventually your feet will get used to the insane amount of walking (miles and miles per day) and the blisters will go away.  After two weeks, I have yet to see a difference. So I am crossing my fingers that it will get better fast!
 

Lesson Number Two: The subway is incredibly confusing. In order to show up on time it is important to already know your route to your internship. Buy an NYC map with the subway stations on them. Plan which subway (A, C, E or 1, 2, 3, etc.) you will be taking and pick the stop that is closest to your internship’s location.
 
Do not make the mistake of waiting to check out the route on the first day of your internship (like I did). I got all turned around and almost ended up being late on my very first day. Thankfully, I had downloaded Google Maps to my Blackberry before arriving in Manhattan and found my way to the Anthropologie in Soho very quickly.
 

Lesson Number Three: Make sure you get plenty of sleep.  Creating a normal sleep schedule was difficult, but definitely necessary. I thought because I only worked three days a week that I would be able to go out and stay up late as much as I wanted. False. Absolutely false. Being an intern, I have never been more exhausted in my life.
 
Now, I wake up at 6am every morning  (8am on days I do not work to ensure that I am tired by bedtime) to make it to work on time. And every night I am in bed by 10pm. It may sound like I am a grandma… but it is totally worth it to wake up feeling refreshed and relaxed before a new day of work. 
 
You never want to seem tired or sluggish on the job, so getting a good night’s sleep is absolutely essential.  It has been a difficult adjustment because I am a total night owl. I was usually going to bed at 3 or 4a.m.
 
After just one week it was easy for me to wake up and get myself prepared for a long day at work. Now, without even trying I am ready for bed by 10pm and on the days I do not work, my internal alarm clock wakes me up at 8am ready to take on the day!
 
These tips can work for any intern in any city. I hope they help, Boiler collegiettes™! More fun adventures to come!
 
HC Love, Xo!

Photo Credits
1. http://kisforkinky.com/2010/04/miss-kimmy-keeps-it-fly-in-her-louboutins-and-chucks/
2. http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2006/08/nyc_subway_sear_2.html
3. http://how-to-get-to-sleep.com/

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Leta is a senior at Purdue University studying Retail Management with a Certificate in Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Leta is a member of Zeta Tau Alpha and is obsessed with her sisters. An avid shopper and fashionista, Leta spends her time working as an Assistant Manager at Twenty Ten Boutique on Purdue's campus while managing their social media campaigns. Leta started writing for Her Campus Purdue in April of 2011. It was because of her extreme enthusiasm and passion for Her Campus that she was promoted to Purdue University's Campus Correspondent in January of 2012.
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Amanda Norell is a junior at Purdue University where she is working toward a communication degree, supplemented by an art and design minor. A true Midwesterner, Amanda was born in Chicago and raised in northern Indiana, just minutes from the Michigan border. In addition to being Purdue's Campus Correspondent, Amanda is also a junior board member on Liberal Arts Student Council, a member of Alpha Gamma Delta, and has both edited and written for The Exponent, Purdue's independent daily student newspaper.  She has held internships in both event planning and career development, and has her sights set on becoming an event and wedding planner after graduation. She cannot get enough of campus in the fall, crepes from Greyhouse, Urban Outfitters, and simply lovin' life.