We had our first internship class of the semester on Friday January 29th.
I was running from the Light Engineering Building, praying to some deity up there that I wouldn’t be late on the first day. Unfortunately for me, I decided to take the elevators up to the fourth floor of the Meville Library. At 12:53 PM on a Friday in the library, there are hundreds of students and faculty walking in and out, either just finishing class, heading to class, going on a lunch break or even heading home. I was stuck waiting for a free elevator for the longest time, and just as I entered one, the clock struck 1 PM. The elevator first went down to the basement level, the first floor (where I had entered originally), the second floor, the (yep, you guessed it) third floor, and finally arrived at the fourth floor. I made it into the class 3 minutes late, but thankfully Rose was understanding and overlooked it. The anxiety I had during that elevator ride was actually quite beneficial, as weird as that sounds.
See, my decision to apply for the Senior Consultant Internship was very last minute. I doubted myself multiple times, asked around to almost all the current Senior Consultants about the job and class, and dwindled until the last minute to submit the application. Personally, I don’t feel capable of holding so much responsibility for the SINC sites, the help desk , these vast information upon the school’s technology resources and other consultants. The daunting task of having to keep track of sites, resources and other individuals, especially when I’m in the midst of trying to manage my own life, seems overwhelming.
Talking with other Senior Consultants was definitely a treat though. They had only positive words to say of their experience as an intern and as a Senior Con, offering words of encouragement and advice to quell my troubled state. The first class as well, despite me going in anxious, had me settling down easily as Rose and Pam went on to speak about what to expect out of the class and what the job entitled. It was a rather nice experience to have a one on one confrontation with my superiors, given that during the semester, I rarely get to run in to them. Being able to work together on a closer level with my supervisors, other faculty, and my fellow interns will be an exciting challenge for me, as I hope to better my interpersonal and professional skills, learn about technology and form more connections.
Unfortunately, our second class, on Friday February 5th, was canceled due to a snow day. But, shadowing hours will begin at start of the week of the 8th of February! It will be a fun, interactive experience to work with a Senior Consultant.