As the end of my internship encroaches I am feeling like I have accomplished my goals and completed my tasks. I learned a lot this summer and as I reflect on my last 8 weeks I am very happy with who I have met and worked with, and what I learned from them. I am also happy that I got to learn a little bit more about myself and how I might respond to a remote position in the future.

I was surprised about how productive I can be at home. There are so many distractions for me to get tangled up in like the pile of laundry in my closet, the dogs (we have 3!), or even the sudden urge to clean out my refrigerator but I was able to manage my needs and get my work done. Some days I was more productive than others and I definitely didn’t work a M-F, 9-5 either. I put in a full eight hours of work some days and other days I didn’t. I was lucky because although my organization operated on standard business hours, I could complete my tasks outside of the work day if I pleased.

If I could start the summer over again before the internship, I would have dedicated a space for me to complete my work. This summer I worked on the back patio, the living room couch, my bed and even in the basement. Having a desk where I can keep my computer and notes would have been ideal to keep me focused for a longer period of time. I would also have planned my vacations after the internship because although my internship was remote, it was a little difficult to stay on the computer while everybody else is relaxing!