7 Ways to Survive Your Summer Internship

 

I am the type of person that hates change. It takes me a little longer to really warm up to people so the thought of meeting a whole new group is terrifying. However, over the years I’ve mastered the art of faking it. It has taken me years to figure out how to channel my inner extrovert and break out of my quiet tendencies.

So, when I realized that I would be interning overseas this summer…I was hit with my first wave of anxiousness. Then the second wave came right before my first day when I started worrying about how I would interact with my new coworkers. Would they like me, would they be mean? What would I be asked to do exactly? Would I know what to do? What if I messed up?

The thing is, when I get nervous, you might never be able to tell. It’s more of an internal dialogue for me while I talk myself down and give myself a pep talk. GET IT TOGETHER SINDY.

So, I want to give you all some of my tips on how to survive your internship- told from the view of someone who walked in half a nervous wreck but hey, look at me now! I’ve survived!

 

IMG_6755

  1. Try to remember names. It gets overwhelming when you’re first meeting people and names can easily slip. You’re going to meet a lot of new people all at once and while it’s hard to remember all of them, make an effort to try! I know sometimes I find myself focusing on trying to remember one name and then I end up forgetting all the others- or I try to remember all of their names and I end up not remembering anyone’s…oh the struggle. However, it shows people that you remember them and leaves a good impression!  It’s also great if you have questions later to be able to address someone by their name.
  2. Bring pen and paper. You’re going to need to take notes at some point and plus it looks a lot better to be prepared. Better safe than sorry. My first day, I went straight into a department meeting I forgot to bring my notebook and pen with me inside- and a very nice co-worker of mine told me that next time I should always carry it with me. Also, remember to write down important information like your email password, login information, your phone extension number, which department you’re in, your office room number, your bosses name, the extension numbers of other departments …all these little things you might not think to remember right away actually is very important.
  3. Dress the part. It’s better to be over-dressed and look very unprofessional than under-dressed. Some offices aren’t very strict on the office dress code and you could easily go to work in clothes that would be considered very business casual. However, without knowing exactly what the underlying dress code is, you should always aim higher, especially on your first day.
  4. Don’t be scared to ask questions. It might seem nerve-wracking to go up to your boss and ask all your questions, but don’t be nervous!! Your boss is probably hoping that you’ll ask questions because this is a learning experience for you and they want you to be able to learn! Also, if you don’t ask questions, there’s a greater chance that you might make a mistake- which is a lot worse than just asking in the first place.
  5. Make friends. For me, it’s easy to reject other people’s invitations to go to lunch or hang out, especially when I don’t know them very well. I was asked to get lunch by two other co-workers during my first week. However, I found out that they were bringing friends from other departments and that got me rethinking my decision. I was so tired of meeting new people and just when I got comfortable with my co-workers- there I was, meeting MORE new people.  I could easily be by myself and sit through my three-month internship alone in my cubicle every day- but that wouldn’t be ideal. Turns out it was such a great decision and I met some great people! Here I am two months later and they’re like friends I’ve known for ages!
  6. Be efficient. Show that you’re eager to work because that’s what you’re there for! If you’re given something to do, don’t take your sweet time and do it! Also, remember to always double check your work before you submit anything because making reckless mistakes also shows that you’re not detail-oriented and not professional enough to double check your work! So keep that in mind!
  7.  Have a good time. This one might be the most important one but try to have a good fun! You might not have the opportunity to be an intern again once you really enter the working world – and interning is really for you to explore the different types of jobs out there to see if a field is really for you! So get out there and explore!

 

Until next time!!!

xoxo,

Sindy Spencer

 

 

 

Follow:

Marilyn Moment // Summer Stripes

Happy Friday everyone!! I’ve been feeling abnormally tired this week and I’m not entirely sure why! Maybe my body is catching up on all the sleep I missed last week- guess I’ll never know. I’ve been sleeping at 10:30pm the latest every night which is a pretty good time for waking up at 6am every morning but boy has it been hard to get myself out of bed.

Anyways, I decided to go for a walk in the park the other day after running a few errands so I wasn’t exactly dressed for exercise. However, I do have to admit it was a gorgeous location to take pictures at! I will definitely have to go back another day…for nature of course.

IMG_0137

I’ve been loving this zara dress because it’s so lightweight! I also have an unhealthy with any sort of blue stripes so obviously, I just HAD to get it! One day I’m going to look into my closet and everything is just going to be a sea of blue stripes…or to be honest, it’s already kind of like that.

IMG_6850

One dilemma I had with this dress is that the leg slit was actually just a tad higher than I’m comfortable with so I ended up using my very limited sewing skills -a big thank you to my middle school home economics teacher who taught me how to sew a pillow, it ended up being very handy. I closed off the slit right above my knee which I thought was a very good place to stop- not too conservative, but still a little bit adventurous.

IMG_3779

AND BOY was I glad! I was hit with a massive gust of wind just as I was posing for a few pictures and in my moment I thanked myself for thinking ahead. Needless to say, I think I had a very…”Marilyn moment” right there, thank God I didn’t flash anyone.

What I love about this dress is the sash! I think it gives me more control over how tight I tie it around my waist! If you think about it, it’s incredibly convenient because if you gain weight, just loosen it and vice versa! I purchased one size bigger for the sole purpose of achieving the effortless baggy look and anything that feels too tight on my body during the summer gets me extra irritated. I also paired this look with a cute white lace bandeau to add a little feminine flare to the whole look!

 

XOXO, SINDY SPENCER

SHOP MY LOOK

 

Follow:

Things I Used To Believe In When I Was Little

I was with some co-workers recently having lunch and it just so happened that there was watermelon for lunch that day.

I was having trouble getting all the seeds out and I was reminded of the fact that when I was little, my mom used to tell me that if I swallowed the watermelon seeds, a watermelon would start to grow in my stomach.

If that doesn’t scare a child, then I don’t know what does. I used to think that I could potentially be pregnant with a watermelon baby. Now, yes that would be pretty cool but it’s not ideal. I mean, people would be concerned.. who is the father?!! Then I would have to tell them that I’m really not sure, I’ve had my fair share of watermelons in my life. Who knows which seed got me pregnant.

So to start off this list, I used to believe that swallowing fruit seeds would get be pregnant with a fruit baby. It makes me laugh that even though this is absolutely absurd, I firmly believed in this for YEARS. You bet that I never ever swallowed any fruit seeds when I was younger.

I used to believe that if I crossed my eyes too much, they would stay like that forever. In fact, whenever my friends used to jokingly cross their eyes for fun, I would hold my breath waiting to see if their eyes would get stuck like it. Yes, I also did warn them but it’s a lot harder for one kid to convince another kid – I didn’t have the same authority.

I used to believe that relationships/love is all happy and nothing ever goes wrong. This one isn’t as funny but boy was I wrong about this one. I still am a firm believer that there is one person for everyone and that everyone has a soul mate somewhere out there BUT…that doesn’t mean that the journey to get there is a smooth one.  It’s very bittersweet actually and sometimes there’s nothing you can do about it except wait and if two people are meant to be together, they will somehow end up together.

I used to believe that if I didn’t clear my plate when I ate, I would grow pimples. This was especially true for rice dishes or anything like peas etc that resembled the shape of pimples.  SADLY, I got pimples anyways and that’s when I realized finishing all my food for all those years didn’t stop puberty from blessing me with acne.

I used to believe that I could fight police officers if I ate spicy food. This one is particularly odd and I very vaguely remember being told this but I do remember stocking up on spicy food. As a child, I was so scared of police officers. There was something about their uniform and ability to arrest me that freaked me out. I guess my mom utilized that very real fear to get me to eat more spicy food! Good thing is, I can handle my spice now!

What were some things you believed in as a child?!!

xoxo,
Sindy Spencer

 

Follow:

Anticafe Montreal

IMG_7777

I am in love with the Anticafe in Montreal, Canada. My friend Isabelle discovered it first so she does get all credits because she introduced me to this beautiful, MAJESTIC cafe that can only be described as some sort of heaven on earth. Yes, I am getting a little carried away but seriously…I love it. Located right in downtown Montreal in Place Des Arts, the location is perfect for students, locals and tourists alike. The entrance isn’t super easy find and if you blink you might miss the door that leads to your second home so keep your eyeballs wide opened!

IMG_7780

The concept surrounding the cafe is what makes it so interesting in the first place. It is less of a cafe and more of a home. With two levels, each floor has an open space with couches, chairs, stools and also a few private rooms each equipped with a table and chairs.

The kitchen is a buffet of coffee, teas and cookies for unlimited consumption while you’re there. You can sit anywhere in the house while chatting with friends, playing chess, enjoying the entertainment or in my case, study for a final (fantastic right?).

For the first hour that you’re there you pay $3 and for each consequent hour you stay there for, you pay $2. However, once you stay there for 9 hours, you no longer have to keep paying. I can tell you that I once stayed there for a solid 12 hours. Dedication people! But really, I had to study for my calc final and the anxiety was real.

IMG_7786

I have spent time in the private rooms as well as the open spaces and while both are great, they differ in the type of experience it provides you. If you’re going for a more quiet alone time in order to really concentrate, I would definitely suggest getting there early and snatching a private room. Not only is it a little hidden away so that you get pretty much absolute silence, you don’t get distracted by the people around you. I’m no people hater BUT sometimes I find myself looking up at every single person that comes into the space I’m sitting in and it’s definitely harder to concentrate on solving those related rates problems you know?

IMG_8053

However, spending time in the open space is more of a coffee shop feel where you have more traffic coming and going. It is never super loud but sometimes towards the end of the night when there are activities going on and more people, it can get a little chatty which I love. It’s the perfect place to come with friends and chill while getting an amazing view of Place Des Arts. Let me tell you , during the Jazz Festival, second floor is the bomb. As you can see from the picture above, not only do you get a full view of the festival, you can hear the music as well. Best seats in the house I swear.

IMG_8092

IMG_8079

I’m a little sad because I never actually took a picture of the kitchen and all the beautiful cookies, crackers and candies that look so good I probably gained 10 pounds by just looking at it.It doesn’t help that in reality I probably did gain 10 pounds because I couldn’t stop eating those damn pretzel hoops they have. However, not only do they have amazing snacks, they have a great selection of teas and plus they make amazing coffee (with love)! If you’re not feeling a hot drink there’s always iced tea and sometimes maybe iced coffee (if you’re lucky)!

IMG_8052

The last thing I want to talk about is the people who work here. Once you start coming here more, you start to recognize faces and start conversations while grabbing your next mountain of cookies. They are so genuine and it really completes the experience. Not only do you feel like you’re spending time at home, the people start to feel like family.

If given the option, I would totally sleep there at night. I’m coming back the next morning anyways, why even go home?

Here is the link to their website if you want to know more! This is a must visit if you’re in need of a good time, study session or you just need a space to relax.

Until next time!

Arriverdverci,

Sindy Spencer

Follow:

The Pressure of Studying At The Library

 

IMG_5073

Rare sighting of an almost empty floor 

I have tried numerous times this semester to study in my room. My curtains are opened, my desk space cleared and I have a steaming cup of hot coffee sitting next to the pile of notes I have to go through. It seems like the perfect place to study, because what better place is there than your own room? No one is there and there aren’t other people to distract you. WRONG.

Imagine one of those movie scenes where you have a girl walking down the street with a light airy pop song in the background. The sun is shining, her hair is swinging back and forth and she’s got that super swag  walk going on. All of the sudden, the girl falls and the music stops. The illusion is ruined.

That is me with studying in my room. I have this perfect image of myself happily studying in my room, listening to A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton and smiling like one of those Shutter Stock photos. Very unrealistic. In reality, when the music stops, I’m actually in my pyjamas watching Netflix with my large pile of notes sitting on my bed. My coffee cup is empty but somehow I am still tired and my bed is calling out to me to take a small nap. The next thing I know, I am in bed taking a four hour nap and I wake up at 5pm in the afternoon- a whole day wasted. This has happened on numerous occasions and each time I end the day with immense guilt and anxiety.

However, I have discovered the perfect cure. Here it is, are you ready? Go to the library! For me, I like this one library at school that has a group study floor where there are large tables and you can go study but it’s not overly dead silent. I realized that I like studying with other people, but it has to be a specific type of person. I don’t necessarily mean that we have to be studying for the same subject, in fact most of the time I prefer to not  be studying the same subject as my study buddy. Do you ever find that if you study with someone for the same exam and if you’re not reviewing the same chapter at the same time, it gets very distracting? Maybe it’s just me, but if I’m reviewing for something, I prefer to just be alone. I like to study with someone who also wants to focus but I can take small study breaks with in between whether it’s people watching or sharing a funny video.

Another thing surprisingly helps me study is the constant reminder in the back of my mind that other people are watching me study. I mean that in the least self-centred way as possible. Just the knowledge that other people can see me study motivates me to really focus. Plus, the fact that other people are studying pressures me into studying as well. I feel like I’m more accountable for my actions and even if I’m not studying at that moment, I should pretend like I’m studying. It’s a very weird concept but it’s helped me so much this finals season. The only downside is that I spend the majority of my day at the library and I have seriously reconsidered permanently moving here. My address could be, Sindy Spencer, 5th floor, the library. I even have a story about the time I slept at the library, but that’s for another time! Comment below if you want to hear it though!

Anyways, I have been talking to a few people about this odd phenomenon but it seems to work for a lot of people and true for many others. I used to hate the trek to the library especially when it’s freezing outside, but I seem to be reconsidering all of my past beliefs. The library is the way to go.

Arriverdverci,
Sindy Spencer
Follow: