[This summer a dream internship with Lucky magazine moved me from Austin, Texas, where I’ve spent all 21 years of my life, to New York City for the summer. Come along for the ride and follow me through this column as I take on all that the city has in store for me. I’ll share tips I’ve picked up along the way about everything from how to pack (stop, drop and roll people!) to dating to fitting in (or standing out) and so much more.]

My summer in the city had officially come to an end and by the time you’re reading this, I will be back in my hometown, probably eating a home-cooked meal and driving my car with reckless abandon on the highway. (God, I missed driving.) Though I’m excited to be home, I couldn’t help but feel a rush of sadness as my cab led me out of the city, toward LaGuardia airport and toward life after New York.

Since I go to college in my hometown, I’m never more than a 30-minute car ride from my parents’ place, my childhood friends and as far as I was concerned, I lived in the greatest city on Earth. While my loyalty to Austin will never die, after this summer I know that I can see myself living in New York too.

Never having lived away from home before, I expected to crack under the pressure of trying to navigate the city on my own. I surprised myself in the best ways. In just three months, I devoted myself to understanding the subway system, seeing all of the museums and attractions I could afford and trying new restaurants. As an unpaid intern, there were definitely times that I knew having more money would’ve made my time in the city a lot easier. But looking back, my unpaid status forced me to really experience living in New York, as opposed to just shopping or going clubbing in New York. Upon leaving, I knew that if I could do New York without a paying job, that doing it with a paying job would only be that much more exciting.

As a writer, New York is sort of a Mecca. On any given day you could walk into a Starbucks and see aspiring playwrights and undercover bloggers alongside the world-renowned writers for household name publications like The New York Times and Vanity Fair. I went to lectures at The Strand, a class at The New York Public Library and read more books in three months than I had all school year. As a writer, I felt a sense of belonging in the city. That in itself is more than enough justification to go back after graduation. I’ve never been one to believe in “energies” or “vibes” but there really is no rush like the one of being on deadline in the city. Just knowing the tremendous amount of creative talent that surrounds you in the city, is inspiration enough to get you to your worst writers’ block.

New York is a tough place and that’s what I love about it. It doesn’t apologize for itself. The city can kick you when you’re down, get you crying on the subway, and that same week can take you to places you’d never thought you’d ever see, like the office of the editor-in-chief of one of the biggest magazines in the world.

I learned so much about myself this summer by living in a new place. If you have the means to move away for a while for an internship or job opportunity, I highly recommend it. Moving away is a lot like eating vegetables, even if you hate it, it still affects you positively. Because even if it sucks, at least you’ll have an excuse never to stray again and you wont have to regret never having given yourself the chance.

Photo credit: Chris Tse

While many university students spent their summers in minimum wage jobs or fetching coffee, I spent mine interning in Ghana.

In case you need a little geography and history lesson, Ghana is located in west Africa, and shares borders with Cote D’Ivoire, Togo and Burkina Faso. It’s also one of Africa’s leading examples for democracy; it was the first sub-saharan country to gain independence from its colonial power, and since the 1992 constitution was approved there have been five relatively democratic elections.

I traveled to Ghana with the Canadian ngo, Journalists for Human Rights, as one of five university interns. My internship was spent in the newsroom of an English radio station, Kapital Radio, in the country’s second largest city, Kumasi. Four days a week I would head to the station to work on daily news bulletins, go out to cover stories with local journalists, then head back to the station to edit sound clips and write scripts. Every Saturday I would help produce Ghana’s only exclusive human rights talk show, Know Your Rights, hosted by my supervisor, Muftaw Mohammed. Each week we would tackle one of the country’s human rights issues, from the highly controversial homosexuality to land rights under traditional rule.

Though I only worked at the station four days a week, I didn’t exactly get a long weekend. On top of the work I did at Kapital Radio, I had a series of deliverables to be completed for jhr, including weekly video and written blogs and research on Maternal Health. So I got to see a lot of adorable Ghanaian babies.

My summer wasn’t all work though. During our week long vacation, one of my Canadian colleagues and I traveled through six regions –  from Accra to Bawku – in eight days, with many stops along the way. All on buses and tro-tros, which are kind of like a large van. Throughout my 14 weeks in Ghana I went on a walking safari at Mole National Park, trekked through the forest at the Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary, watched the national soccer team play and hung out at a popular beach spot at night.

My experience wasn’t your typical going to Africa to do development work and think you’re saving the world experience. I learned more from my time in the country than I’m sure anyone learned from me. I stumbled my way through Twi, the local dialect in Kumasi; learned how to properly eat fufu (a local dish) with my hands and learned about the history of the Ashanti people. The beautiful landscapes and welcoming people are just a few of the reasons I would recommend spending some time in Ghana.

Check out some of my amazing photos from Ghana below:

initiating the gallery...

[This summer a dream internship with Lucky magazine moved me from Austin, Texas, where I’ve spent all 21 years of my life, to New York City for the summer. Come along for the ride and follow me through this column as I take on all that the city has in store for me. I’ll share tips I’ve picked up along the way about everything from how to pack (stop, drop and roll people!) to dating to fitting in (or standing out) and so much more.]

When you walk up and down Wall Street, it’s easy to believe that men clad in Thomas Pink attached to their Blackberries run this city. But take a note from Beyoncé and paint the town red (or pink) because girls? Yeah, we run the world and the town.

Tip #33 – Ladies’ Night really does exist. And it’s fabulous.

I was surprised to find out that a good number or bars and restaurants in the city still have ladies’ night drink specials. Sure, the feminist in me felt a little offended but the college girl on a budget (and unpaid internship) couldn’t help but be ecstatic. Ladies’ night isn’t exactly the best place to meet guys seeing as how there really aren’t many around so embrace it and grab your best girls to gossip or vent about work, your boyfriends, your mothers. A simple search on Yelp for “ladies’ night” will yield enough options to try out or check out the guide on Murphguide.com for specials listed by day. Just remember, just because the drinks are cheap doesn’t mean you need to attempt to drink all the liquor they have. Keep it classy ladies…well not too classy!

Tip #34 – Bus tours – not just for old people!

When you’re nursing your Ladies’ Night hangovers but not in the mood to waste the day in the city, get your girls signed up for the perfect way to spend the afternoon without exerting too much energy – a Sex and the City bus tour with On Location tours. I have to admit, before this tour, I totally thought bus tours were for old people and tourists with a camera strap permanently attached to back of their necks. When I got on the bus, however, it looked more like a sorority field trip than that of a nursing home. And the locations? Not geriatric at all. On Location really it hit on the nail with a hilarious (and definitely not cheesy) tour guide, special discounts at participating boutiques (including Fresh and Alexis Bittar) and free Magnolia Bakery cupcakes. Have a cosmo at the bar that went undercover as “Scout” for SATC and make a reservation with a free drink at the restaurant hotspot from the big engagement party scene in the first SATC film. Grab your three best friends for three and half hours and you’ll laugh and best of all, you wont have to track down these spots on your own…by foot.

Tip #35 – Welcome to NYC, land of the cheap mani/pedi combo.

The city is definitely one of the cheapest places to get your nails done up. On my block alone, three nail salons boast a $20 mani/pedi combo. Sure, the ambiance isn’t all that great and you can’t help but avert your eyes from the Good Luck Maneki Neko statues that you could swear at peering into your soul, but your toes will walk out looking better than they did when you came in. Since most of the magazines in these places are pretty outdated, your best asset is a girlfriend. Talk about the crazy things you couldn’t believe you did the night before, the drinks you wished hadn’t downed or plan out the rest of your day. Either way, you cant beat a cheap mani/pedi with a friend.

Get the first 32 tips for living it up in the city right here!

[This summer a dream internship with Lucky magazine moved me from Austin, Texas, where I’ve spent all 21 years of my life, to New York City for the summer. Come along for the ride and follow me through this column as I take on all that the city has in store for me. I’ll share tips I’ve picked up along the way about everything from how to pack (stop, drop and roll people!) to dating to fitting in (or standing out) and so much more.]

A little over a month in the city and just when I feel like slowly but surely the things on my mental to-do-in-New-York list are being crossed off, I think of yet another “must-see” city sight.

Tip #19 – Make a list of the things you want to do before you leave the city. No, actually write it down.

Some of the things topping my list right now are visiting the top of the Empire State building, scoring tickets to Shakespeare In The Park and tracking down the famous Carrie Bradshaw walk-up apartment steps. Writing down my New York wish list (in pink gel pen) as cheesy as it feels really is the best way to ensure you experience everything you hoped to. I tucked my list in my wallet and when I had a few hours to kill a few days ago, I pulled it out and luckily a gelato place recommended by a friend was just a quick subway ride away. The last thing I want is head back home at the end of the summer and kick myself for not having done something so quintessentially New York as going to the Statue of Liberty. Sidebar: Most of the things of your list also make great first dates with a new guy you meet.

Tip #20 – At work, always hold the door open, you never know who could be behind you.

Something I learned in the elevators and revolving doors of my days interning at the Condé Nast building this summer is that you should always hold the door open. Not only is it common courtesy (a social rarity in New York) but you never know who’ll walk in behind you. My first week I held a door behind me to a rushing brunette and upon closer inspection, sure enough it was Emily Weiss, author of popular blog Into The Gloss and former Teen Vogue New York intern on The Hills. Of course, not every door you hold open will be for a celebrity and even if you do hold an elevator for the vice president of your company, you won’t get an automatic promotion, but on the off chance that you meet again and that person recognizes you, well, your courteous ways can only do good. Last week I literally rubbed elbows with Anna Wintour in the cafeteria and it was just a reminder that my internship, if anything, is giving me the chance of proximity to the biggest names in the industry I want to be a part of. Plus, common courtesy is infectious and full of good karma.

Tip #21 – Use visiting friends from home as a shipping service.

If you’ve got friends from home coming to visit you in your new place and they don’t mind carrying a little extra in their suitcase, one of the best ways to save yourself future stress is to send some of your stuff back home with them. Since I moved to the city on my own and will be flying back home alone, I’d prefer my luggage not to weigh more than I do. In the beginning of the summer, I had visiting friends from my hometown bring up extra clothes from my closet at home and as my summer in the city ends, I plan on having a friend visiting toward the end of my trip, take some of my clothing back home. As long as you’re sending a small amount, it’s not too big a favor to ask and it really cuts down on potential shipping and extra luggage weight fees, not to mention the stress of packing. I always offer to make up for it by buying their first drink when we hit the club the night they get in and offering to carry their suitcase from the airport to my apartment of course.

Get the first 18 tips for living it up in the city right here!

In the shuffle of moving and getting settled in the city this summer, I lost the balance of the healthy lifestyle I led through the school year. With my gym back home not having any branches near my place in New York and full workdays that left me exhausted at the end of the day, I was getting restless.

Tip #15 – Take a day trip to cure your fitness itch.

If you’re anything like me, you need to switch up your fitness routine with things that don’t actually feel like fitness. If you’re sick of walking the streets of New York and need a respite from hot air up your skirt courtesy of subway grates, take a day trip outside of the city. Long Island is the perfect day trip if the city has you forgetting what a sunset looks like and it’s only an hour train ride away. A $21 ticket will score you a round trip ticket to the beach as well as an all-day beach pass. Get active on the beach by running, playing a few rounds of beach volleyball and even if sunbathing is more your style, exploring the town for adorable boutiques by foot will be a workout in itself. Bonus – you can bring a cooler to the beach stocked with guilt-free snacks.

Tip #16 – Introduce yourself to a multivitamin…and actually take it.

I must have at least five bottles of multivitamins in my medicine cabinet back home, all of which are probably still full. During the school year, I did my best to keep up with a balanced diet and so if I forgot to take a multi, it wasn’t such a big deal. But with long work hours, an overactive social life and the fact that cooking and cleaning takes longer than actually eating, my diet has suffered. I’ve made an effort to introduce a vegetable to my New York City lunches and dinners but only after a vitamin B deficiency had my lips chapped and my skin looking lackluster. Though I’m making an effort to eat right, I’m kicking myself for not having taken the multivitamin regimen seriously earlier. If slowing your morning down to take a pill doesn’t sound appealing, pick up some adult gummy vites and get ready to be excited to take your multi every morning.

Tip #17 – There are a TON of free fitness classes all over the city.

A simple search for “free fitness classes in New York” in Google yields enough fun and interesting classes to fill up your calendar for months. From yoga to tai chi to fencing, there’s something that you’ll be able to convince yourself to get out of the house for. Since many of the classes happen weekly, it’s a great place to meet people as well.

Tip #18 – Check out the farmers’ market.

The city has a ton of local farmers’ markets and since they take place all throughout the week, you can always find time to check out booths full of new and organic groceries from local vendors. On Thursdays I go to a market about a 10-minute walk from my place and skip riding the subway. Most days when I see the banners in the subway that encourage me to get off a stop early to burn extra calories walking home I can’t help but cringe, but there’s something about strolling to a farmers’ market that feels so perfectly cliché.

Get the first 14 tips for living it up in the city right here!

No one would ever walk up to a friend on financial aid and accuse her parents of being lazy, good-for-nothing, bad parents for not making enough money to send her to college. Yet people feel completely comfortable going up to a friend with an unpaid internship and accusing her of being a spoiled brat because she’s fortunate enough to be able to afford spending a summer making no money.

Don’t think that’s true? Just read the comments on almost any internship post on this site (like this one or this one).

I had two unpaid internships in NYC and I can’t even count the number of times people told me “it’s ridiculous that your parents are just letting you live in the city and make no money.” But was it ridiculous? In today’s world you’re expected to graduate with internship experience and if my parents decided to spend their hard-earned money paying for me to live in NYC and reach my dreams, was it wrong for me to take that opportunity? Should I have spent my summer waitressing instead? I don’t want to come off like a whiny bitch, but I want some answers on why I should feel bad that my family can afford this. Isn’t complaining about unpaid internships the same as complaining to a friend when her family goes on a week long resort vacation?

Everyone can choose how they want to spend their money and my parents chose to forgo fancy family vacations and buying me designer clothes so that I could get the most out of my college education. I appreciated how fortunate I was every day and I did work menial jobs part-time during my summer internships to make money for the school year, but that never stopped people from making accusations.

While I completely agree with the fact that the unpaid internship system is completely unfair because it gives well-off kids yet another career advantage that their other classmates can’t afford, I also think it’s unfair to expect people to not take these internships. And I don’t think it’s fair to make people feel guilty because they happen to be fortunate (assuming they’re not arrogant and entitled and making Facebook statuses that say “living off my parents”).

After graduation my internships paid off and I landed an awesome job as a blog editor. Yet people still assume it’s okay to come up to me and say things like “Blog editor? Guess your parents are still supporting you.” Not only do I constantly have to remind people that a blog editor is a legitimate, fully-salaried position in 2010, but that it’s no one’s business who was paying my rent. No one ever  goes up to my friends in grad school and says “Med school for 9 years? Guess your parents are still paying your rent.” Why do people think it’s okay for parents to spend tens of thousands of dollars on law school, but not spend a few thousand to let me spend two summers interning to reach my career goals?

In the end isn’t all about parents doing whatever they can to help their children be successful and happy?

Likey? Don’t worry, there are plenty more faves where this came from.

[This summer a dream internship with Lucky magazine moved me from Austin, Texas, where I’ve spent all 21 years of my life, to New York City for the summer. Come along for the ride and follow me through this column as I take on all that the city has in store for me. I’ll share tips I’ve picked up along the way about everything from how to pack (stop, drop and roll people!) to dating to fitting in (or standing out) and so much more.]

Tip #6 – Starbucks runs a great refill program so save your cup!

If you’re anything like me, your coffee addiction can be especially financially crippling as you dish out $4 after $4. So it came to my surprise when someone in the city told me how he was scoring his coffee without dishing any green. After moving to one of the most expensive cities in the world, I’m always on the look out for deals and steals and I’m willing to bet my mother couldn’t be prouder of me right now.

Order a regular coffee or iced coffee and bring back your cup that same day for a 54 cent refill regardless of the size. And if you’re feeling particularly shameless, save your cup and rinse it out at home and bring it back the next day for even more 54 cent fun. You call it cheap but I call it clever and not to mention a great technique when it comes to saving up for that new Marc Jacobs bag.

Tip #7 – If you’re in New York, read Time Out religiously or if you’re in another city do a little research to find a website that provides a feed of events happening in your city.

Once you’ve got your coffee and you’re ready to take on the day, there’s no  better place to figure out what you’re going to do with your day in New York than Time Out Magazine, in print or online.

Because there’s so much going on in New York it’s hard to feel like no matter what I’m doing, I’m missing out on something else. While there’ll always be insider events that aren’t listed on Time Out, there’s definitely still plenty to choose from those listed. From a free concert series in the park to rooftop films to open bars, do yourself a favor and really take advantage of what’s going on in your city. The more events you attend, the more you’ll find out about and soon enough, you’ll be on the up and up when it comes to those insider events, which let’s be real, eases the anxiety of wondering whether you’re really missing out on something else. Most of all, it’s key to keep an open mind when it comes to doing things in a new city.

Tip #8 – Play Tourist.

And when all else fails there’s nothing wrong with playing tourist for a few days. This past week I walked the Brooklyn Bridge alongside the tourists with their cameras and fanny packs. My friends and I strolled leisurely (sometimes in the bike lane which we were promptly yelled at for) down the bridge, admiring the skyline against the waterfront and we were so glad we chose that over just another $20 Sunday brunch.

Tourist attractions, while they sometimes make you feel silly, are absolutely a must-do when you move to a new city. Most of the time they keep you active and discounted ticket prices and entrance fees for tourist are usually available online if not free.

Up next on my list? The Bronx Zoo, The Statue of Liberty and visiting the top of the Empire State Building. I also secretly want to take a double-decker bus tour but have yet to successfully convince any of my friends to go with me. Until then though I’ve got plenty of tourist things on my to-do list. In fact, it’s going so well here, I’m thinking of becoming a professional part-time tourist on my days off from my internship.

Get tips 1 -5 right here!

[Life after college is hard. Like really hard. But it's not so hard that you should curl up in a ball and watch E! marathons all day long. Not only are we covering the experience from a first-hand perspective, but we're now covering it from a how-to-survive-it perspective. Every week, we're going to bringing the best advice to getting through your first post-grad year. Because sometimes, your grandmother's "just go to law school" advice just doesn't cut it.]

If I were to say “post-grad internship,” would you shudder in disgust or tackle me with five different copies of your resume and a cover letter proofread by Katie Couric?

Much like cilantro, the notion of working for a small stipend (or…gasp!…for free) tends to separate people into two groups. You’ve got those who wholeheartedly support it, and those who can’t run away fast enough. And, unlike happy hour at Dos Margaritas, there’s rarely tequila around the office to help you chase away the taste of shame that comes with being a post-grad intern.

Despite how it may sound, I actually do in fact think internships are a worthwhile endeavor, even after graduation. But you’ve got to be smart about where you accept a spot, if you can financially afford to do so, and all that jazz. So before you tell me I’m crazy for suggesting you throw away your first summer out of college working for peanuts…or before you jump into an internship that might not be right for you…see how things measure up for you in my handy dandy pro-con list:

Pros of a Post- Grad Internship

-Seeing if “what you want to do” is really what you want to do. Priceless.

-Networking. Sure, it’s an overused idea, but it really can make a difference in the end. You never know who’s got a cousin that works for Obama’s niece dog walker and could maybe get you an interview with the guy who delivers the newspapers to the White House.

-Flexibility. Because it’s not a job, per se, you can still actively look for work while interning and not feel guilty if you have to take a day off for an interview.

-Keeping your resume active. There’s nothing worse than a blank space after graduation. Soon enough an interviewer is going to be asking what you did during that missing chunk. Answering with, “Uhh…I worked at the local florist and sat by the pool in my free time,” isn’t going to wow anyone’s socks off. (Though, to all you haters out there, it is admirable to find a paid part-time job.)

-References. The currency of the professional world. The more people you come across early on in your career (ahem: via internships) who like you, the more people you’ll have to go to bat for you when the time comes that someone’s looking over your resume for a “real job.”

-Openings. Just because a company isn’t hiring a full-time person right now, doesn’t mean they won’t be looking in the near future. And who better to hire than the person who’s already working there, trained and ready to go? Case in point: me! I did a post-grad internship right here at CollegeCandy and guess what? I just got hired as their new content editor!

Cons of a Post-Grad Internship

-The money. The most obvious of drawbacks…that is, unless you’re part of the lucky 3% of interns who get some crazy large stipend. Realistically, you’ll be working for minimum wage or your transportation costs (if that much). Not exactly luxurious.

-There’s a chance you’ll be getting coffee for people the same age as you. And as much as you’ll want to give them the finger and tell them to take their condescending stares elsewhere, you’ll have to go with the flow.

-40-Year-Old Intern Syndrome. You may not believe me now, but there comes a point in all post-grad internships when you question your life path a little bit, even if you’re helping out at your dream company working with inspiring individuals. Trust me. When your college friends start to land “adult” jobs (ie: the ones that pay a salary) and move out of their parents’ homes, you’ll end up drinking too much one night and find yourself in front of your bathroom mirror looking for wrinkles, wondering when your turn will come for an actual career. It ain’t pretty, especially when you notice the Cheetos dust around your mouth, but it’s the truth.

And there you have it. The pro-con list that could launch a thousand resumes and internship applications into inboxes everywhere. Or not. Wherever you come down on the fence, recognize it’s a personal choice. What works for me might not work for you or your best friend from second grade whose dad hooked her up with a job at The View. More important than comparing your career path to those around you is knowing (or trying to know…just a teensy bit) where you want to go and what you want to do. So tackle that, then we’ll talk.

So, school is coming to an end soon. That’s good, right? Yes…and no. On the one hand, you’re done with paper-writing for a few months. Hollaaaa! On the other hand, you still need to figure out what you’re going to do this summer. Job? Internship? Job and internship?

Yeah, that sounds fun. Not.
The good news is, those aren’t your only options.

What about studying abroad?
Even better, what about studying abroad in the Galapagos Islands?

Yeah, I’m being totally serious. While the rest of your friends are tanning on their front lawns or working at the same CVS they have every summer since high school, YOU could be exploring one of the world’s most biodiversified and beautiful lands known to man! And you can earn 12 college credits while doing it. Not only will you be learning about Latin America and the environment of the Galapagos Islands, you’ll get to surf, snorkel, Scuba dive, hike, bike, horseback ride, and so much more. SO much more. Your summer can’t possibly get any more productive (and awesome) than that.

Now, I bet you’re wondering how you can make this happen. And it’s all very simple. The Isabela Oceanographic Institute (IOI) and the University of Miami (UM) joined forces to make a summer abroad experience like this one possible for students like you. (That is, students who are chomping at the bit to do something different, adventurous and incredibly interesting.)

And just to sweeten the deal a bit (as if the deal needs any more sweetening), if you sign up for this program by Friday, April 8th you’ll get a $1600 per class stipend! That means $1600 off your tuition for each class just for signing up.

And why wouldn’t you? Snorkling in one of the most beautiful places on earth sounds way better than making copies for someone who won’t remember your name at the end of the summer when you ask them to write you a recommendation. At least, I’d hope so….

For more information, visit the website or email Johann Besserer, the Executive Director: johann@ioi-galapagos.org.

NOT to hop online and publicly embarrass your boss because he or she is hard on you. Seems pretty obvious, right? Well, apparently it’s not because it happened. And since some young intern was dumb enough to do that, I thought maybe it was necessary to remind interns-to-be of a few other obvious things you SHOULD NOT DO NO MATTER HOW AWFUL YOUR BOSS OR HOW BORING YOUR INTERNSHIP IS. Unless, of course, you never want to work in your field again.

So here goes:

Looking at porn in the office: Really? Are you that in need of a 3pm pick-me-up? If so I think we have a larger issue to deal with. There’s nothing wrong with porn, but let’s keep that habit at home, K?

Turning down assignments: When you’re an intern, you’re gonna get a lot of really boring assignments. But if you do enough of those really boring assignments, you will get to do some really amazing ones. Turn down those assignments and, well, you’re an idiot. You are an intern and your job is to do the crappy work. Not because you’re some slave or something, but because not doing it shows your boss that you’re not willing to put in the hard work to move up. And that, for those of you not getting the point, is not a good message to send.

Using social media to vent: It’s PUBLIC, duh.

Showing up hungover: It’s one thing to be hungover at work (hey, it happens); it’s quite another to be clutching a Gatorade with your head in the trash can under your desk.

Painting your nails at your desk: Or do anything that screams, “I’m not here to work hard” (or stinks up the entire office). What’s more important to you: perfect cuticles or finding a job that allows you to support yourself so you don’t have to live in your parents’ basement for years after you graduate?

Wearing a mini-skirt and no undies: Not only is that just plain wrong, but imagine how uncomfortable it is to have naked vajay on leather. Yipes.

Using AIM/GChat at work: Okay, so you shouldn’t be talking to your friends at work….but everyone obviously does. So just be careful. You don’t want to accidentally send your boss an IM meant for your BFF. You know, the one discussing your one-night-stand from last night… in graphic detail.

Disappearing: If you aren’t being paid, you may feel that it’s okay to take 4-hour lunch break. Um, it’s not. Especially if you come back from said lunch break intoxicated…or carrying an armful of shopping bags.

Swearing: When asked to do something, “Absolutely” is a good response. “F*ck yeah!” is not. And “That sounds sh*tty” is really not.

Again, these things may seem obvious to you, but clearly some people need a refresher course. If only that Marc Jacobs intern had sought me out for advice before they made the biggest mistake of their professional career.