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.

[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.

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.

The following post is written by Brian Willett from UNC-Chapel Hill, one of our many friends at Uloop, a student powered marketplace. Read more great posts in their blog.

Ask any student what the best part about school is, and you’ll most likely get the same answer – summer vacation. The carefree days of summer make all of the homework and pop quizzes bearable and give students something to look forward to during April showers.

Because summer is so precious to students, making the most of every moment of the two or three month respite is crucial. So when it comes to filling the time between fun and games, a fierce debate rages over which is better – a summer internship or a part-time job. Though many assume the only point of contention is filling one’s resume versus filling one’s wallet, there’s more to the question than that.

A Matter of Time

Both internships and jobs can be time-consuming, but both leave plenty of time to have fun. In most cases, unpaid internships tend to be the least time-consuming – the lack of monetary compensation results in fewer hours and responsibilities. Even paid internships don’t often demand more than 10 or 20 hours per week, because a lot of companies might rather hire a part-time associate once the hours begin to add up. Jobs offer more in terms of flexibility, though. Internship hours tend to fall during normal work hours (8 to 5, Monday through Friday), so you’re likely to always have weekends free. However, you may not have time to hit the beach during the day, because unlike at a part-time job, you can’t pick up any evening hours. Part-time jobs also can allow you to dictate your schedule, allowing or as many or few hours as you’d like, whereas internship hours are dictated by your employer or your school (if credit is being given).

Skills to Pay the Bills

One aspect of internships that tends to turn off students is that many are unpaid. This can lead to the sense that an internship is a waste of time that could be spent earning money. Some internships are paid, though, and the pay can be fairly high because of the mental challenges. In addition, internships often lead to future employment opportunities, which can pay off handsomely when the time comes to earn a real paycheck. In this sense, an internship is sort of like an investment in your future. Part-time jobs can sometimes lead to promotions, though, and can look good on a resume, though internships appear more attractive.

It’s All About the Experience

Internships are often touted as more beneficial than jobs because they offer a sense of “real world experience.” But summer jobs can provide valuable experiences as well – students can learn the value of hard work and gain a perspective on what kind of jobs they might be stuck doing without a college degree. Sadly, some interns may only experience a discouraging side of the working world, such as fetching coffee or making copies. And summer jobs often involve a lot of personal interaction, which can be beneficial. Communication, customer service and general people skills are things that can’t really be taught.

Obviously, there are many factors to consider when one is deciding on whether to pursue a summer job or an internship. In order to make the best decision, you must carefully weigh your priorities and figure out which is a better fit for you.

[Life after college is different for every single grad. While some might be going to grad school, others enter the real world in attempts to make their dreams come true pay off their student loans. We've been following Charlsie on her post-grad journey since September, but now it's time to check see what someone else's post-grad life brings. (But don't worry - Charlsie will still be writing!) So ladies, allow me to introduce you to Brittany and her tumultuous life after college.]

I’m having a pre-mid-life crisis.

And I can’t even buy a red Corvette and put the top down and drive to my Beverly Hills condo in complete dismay.  I can’t go to a nice cocktail bar and cheat on my fat, hairy husband.  I can’t even obtain a sugar daddy to buy me a bangin’ new set of tits. All I can do is attack my Netflix, fall back on an old high school flame, and stare at my empty PayPal account.

Twenty-somethings are not supposed to feel the way I do.

I feel like I’m at an AA group to talk about my feelings, but here it is, as honest as I can be.  I graduated a decade nine months ago.  In Hollywood years, that’s about five.  I could have popped out a set of twins with Charlie Sheen by now, or at least put myself on Teen Mom and physically abused my crack head baby daddy.

But, no.  In the past nine months of post-grad life, I’ve had five internships, lots of hot dogs (the only thing I can afford/enjoy at the same time) and many tweaked out conversations with my mother (i.e. “AM I DOING THE RIGHT THING WITH MY LIFE!??).

While I search for a glamorous job, a spicy love life, and a easy breezy life on my own, I’m constantly motorboated by reality.  And I’m suffocating.  Although I know everyone my age is rowing the same (sinking) boat, I feel like I’m completely alone.  This is the most melodramatic I’ve been in my entire life.  I don’t even remember being this ridiculous when I got my period for the first time.

After I graduated, I lived at my parents’ house for six months.  Like I said, six months in Hollywood I could have made a sex tape or texted Brett Favre. But no, six months at home while I finished my fourth internship and perfected a lagging four months of unemployment made me feel as useless as a submarine with screen portholes.

In a triumphant attempt to get another job, I landed myself another internship in January.  For being a double major graduate from a prestigious private school (that I’ll be paying for until I’m as old as Betty White) I expected a little more out of my future. Now I’m just praying for something. Anything.

I decided that while I wasn’t making my dreams come true, the least I could do was get a change of scenery so I moved out of my parents and in with some friends. And so my mid-life crisis began.  After living away from home for a month I’ve never felt so over-worked, under-appreciated and tired in my life. I’ve become addicted to high end fashion blogs and I can’t afford anything.  I want to write my own book someday, but the time and money required to do so just don’t exist.  While I don’t have time to stress out about my future, I find stress in weird and frequent circumstances. I cried when they didn’t have the hot dog buns I like at the grocery store last week.

Regardless, I’m excited to share this journey with all of the lovely CollegeCandy readers. Mostly because while I feel inhuman this way, I know I’m not the only one.  It’s easy to feel undefined, confused and incompetent at this age.  But I know I’m not alone.  While I understand the post-grad life is just a frustrating phase, I can live with knowing it’s a flexible one.  And as stubborn as I may be, I refuse to not take a lesson away from all of it.

As I navigate my life after college, I have the power to define who I am without any help from anyone else.  That alone, beats one day in Hollywood.

Cheers to being a post grad, and here’s to the journey.

After spending weeks searching Internships.com, writing cover letters and getting a few interviews, you’ve finally managed to land an internship for next semester. Wahoooo! You’re all ready to start – now what the heck do you wear? Dressing for internships can be difficult, especially on the limited college girl wardrobe. You want to look professional, obviously, but you also want to look, well, like you.

How do you create a work wardrobe that doesn’t make you look old and boring?

Don’t worry, we’ve got your back.

When you’re dressing for an internship, keep a few things in mind. One, if you’re going to be doing any errand running or anything that involves standing, how comfortable are your shoes? If you can’t walk in heels, don’t wear them to the office no matter how cute they look. Also, if you’re not sure of the office dress code, it’s always better to overdress for your first few days than to under dress. Dress pants, skirts and dresses are the safest and most desirable options.

Outfit 1: Dress Pants

Pants, Cardigan, Cami, Flats.

Dress pants are one essential for any internship. They’re tailored yet much more comfortable than a skirt and tights. Pair them with a cute cardigan with a cami underneath and you’ll look professional without looking old and dowdy. I added a pair of flats – cute and comfy if your internship has you doing coffee runs. If you want even more personality with this look, add a fun cocktail ring or a stack of bangles. (Editor’s Note: just make sure to avoid anything that will get in the way of your duties; sometimes bracelets are REAL annoying when you’re typing!) Dress pants also work with layers – like white button-up shirts and boyfriend sweaters – meaning you can get through an entire internship with only one or two pairs of pants!

Outfit 2: Skirt

Skirt, Blazer, Cami, Tights, Boots.

The pencil skirt is another classic piece to invest in for your work wardrobe. Tuck in a pretty blouse underneath, add a blazer over top. Knee high boots look great with a pencil skirt and since the skirt is on the longer side (I’d make sure to go no shorter than just above the knee for an office environment!) and the boots come up high, you can go a little funkier with the tights to add some extra fun to the outfit. However, if you opt for pumps with a skirt, I’d stick with basic, opaque tights to keep things professional.

Outfit 3: Dress

Dress, Blazer, Tights, Shoes.

First things first: do a cleavage check. If your cleavage is hanging out, that dress will not work for work. Even with a blazer over top! Once that’s out of the way, you can’t go wrong with a professional looking dress for work. Is there anything easier to style in the morning? Nope! Just pair it with either a blazer or a cardigan, whatever speaks more to your style while also covering up those arms for a more sophisticated and work-appropriate look. Add a pair of tights – either opaque or with a subtle pattern. I added a red wedge here – it’s a nice pop of color and personality, and the wedge is the most comfortable heel option around. If you’d rather go with black, go for it! But give this outfit a bit more personality with a fun statement necklace or a killer pair of earrings.

Outfit 4: Casual Friday

Jeans, Top, Shoes., Bracelet.

Don’t let the name mislead you, ladies! Casual Friday does not equal “jeans and sweatshirt and Uggs Friday.” This is still a work environment, after all. Think of it more as “dressed up jeans Friday.” Or “What I’d wear on a Thursday night out Friday.” Skip the leggings and go for a dark pair of jeans, a nice top, and flats or some cute heels. If you’re feeling extra profesh, toss on that boyfriend blazer over top.  (Editor’s Note: Even if the rest of the office is in pajamas, you should not be. Being young, you need to dress somewhat professional to command the respect of your superiors and show them you take this job seriously.)

—

Still looking for an internship for next semester? Check out Internships.com, the largest internships marketplace with over 21,000 internships across the country and world-class, relevant career prep resources. They have positions in over 1,433 cities, and with companies such as Google, Deloitte, BBC, Greenpeace, Marvel Comics, and Microsoft!

Now to you this may not seem like a moment worth mentioning, but to me this is a monumental deal. You see, back when I was a freshman, fresh faced and eager, I did things like shopping for school supplies. I bought pens, and paper, highlighters and binders, and, most importantly, I bought post it notes. (I’m an organization freak. For my kind, it’s the little things like multi-colored sticky paper that make life worth living, okay?) But these weren’t just any notes. These were the super stack, a 12 pad pack of multicolored 4X4 sticky notes. I was sure they would last me all four years of college.

That was before I started working on my senior thesis.

Thesis projects require note taking. They require page marking. They require a lot of post its. I printed journal article after journal article, photocopied book after book, stuck notes in chapter after chapter. This summer I finished the blue pad. In the past month alone I went through the purple, and this past week I finished the hot pink pad. My post it notes are no more. Seven months before the end of my college career. (I’m a little heartbroken. Don’t judge.)

That alone would be enough to make me reconsider my commitment to this whole “senior thesis” thing, but I assure you I have plenty more reasons. I started this thing back in May. I picked a topic, and wrote out a proposal. Over the summer I started doing some light research, reread the novels I was working with, and marked the important passages.  It didn’t seem all that bad, but this past summer I didn’t have four other courses to worry about. Now I do. Needless to say, things have gotten a bit more complicated.

Working on a thesis warrants an independent study, which means that every few weeks I have to meet with my advisor to discuss my progress. I have to make outlines and write annotated bibliographies (the English major’s worst nightmare) and cut time out of my already overbooked schedule to keep up with my thesis work. My prospectus is due next Monday. My advisor wanted it a week early to look over. So as I sat there last weekend, sacrificing Fall Break time to write about Jane Austen, I started to wonder why exactly I was doing this. Yes, completion will get me departmental honors (and a pretty cord at graduation) and it will be a personal accomplishment that I will be proud of, but, really, will it do me any good after I graduate?

Are senior projects really worth it?

Departments require senior research projects, senior thesis papers, senior seminars, and projects of all kind for graduation. But are these projects, these courses, actually doing students any good? Yes, my scholarly writing will improve as I work on this, but what good will that do me when I’m looking for a job? It’s not like my resume needs citations or annotations or intense research. I’m dedicating an entire year to this project, and seniors at every college, in every major, are doing the same. And for what exactly?

Granted, there should be something to mark the fact that students have reached the height of their studies (I know, I know, that’s what Margarita Mondays are for), but is this the right approach? Would professors be better off sending their students out into the work place? Would it be wiser to require internships for the completion of a major? That option would at least allow students to observe the jobs they are likely to take on after graduation. It would be especially helpful for students without a definite career path, for students with majors that don’t immediately lead to viable career options (like this guy). Showing students their post college options before they reach that point may even help to clear up some of that post-grad craziness.

It’s certainly something to consider.

I love writing, but no one is going to pay me to write 30 page papers critiquing and over-analyzing my favorite novels for a job…are they?

…. Although, if you’re a hiring manager and you’re interested, drop me a comment. I charge per word.

Click here to follow Jenn’s other ups and downs of senior year.

[Everyone’s got a morning after story (though most don't involve a large group of potential sorority sisters) and we wanna hear yours! Send it over to us and we’ll post it – anonymously, of course – right here!]

During the summer before my senior year, I obtained the holy grail of unpaid internships:  working the green room for a popular late-night talk show.  Sure, I was sans-paycheck and super poor, but hanging out with SJP right before the release of the first Sex and the City movie was completely amazing.  Personally sneaking Brad Pitt down through a freight elevator to avoid the mob scene in the main lobby made me go weak at the knees.  And holding Maddox while Angelina was in makeup made me feel like a celebrity mom. Those instances were memorable, yeah, but one celebrity run-in was really head and shoulders above the rest.

It was getting toward the end of my internship and I had the job down pat.  I could anticipate a guest’s Starbucks craving ten minutes before anyone else, had a mental catalogue of foolproof one-liners to relax even the most nervous (or snobby) A-Lister.  Things were good.  Until he happened.

We booked the writer and a couple cast members from a new-ish cable drama on a whim.  Their first season had come to a close, and despite being composed of mostly no-name actors, the show was a wild success.  All our producers were loyal watchers of the hit, so it was a big day inviting these guys into the studio.  Confession time: I was the only one who a) had never watched an episode and b) had no idea who these dudes were or what they looked like.

I went about doing my usual thing.  Making sure the snack basket had little bags of chips.  Turning on the televisions.  Laying out the release forms.  Boring chores, really.  It was as I bent down to restock the mini fridge with water that I heard a manly voice say, “I think Henry Kissinger just checked out your ass.”  To my surprise, I turned around to see not only Kissinger walking down the hallway but a tall, gorgeous dude smiling behind me.  Pausing for a beat, I tried to take in the scene around me.  Who was this guy?  Why is he still staring at me?  Do I have food on my face?  OMG, I totally have food on my face.

Feeling my around my cheek for stray crumbs of granola bar, Mr. Wonderful took one of the chairs next to me, swung it around, and sat in it backwards.  Yeah, it was a gloriously hot move.  “Um, can I help you?” I stammered, completely not knowing who this dude was or why he was so confident he was in the right place.

“Oh, how rude of me.  I’m (let’s call him…Matt Smith), the car dropped me off a bit early here.  Having done a few of these gigs recently, I just asked the guard where the green room was and walked myself back here.  Figured this is where I’d end up eventually, anyway.”  And with that, he crossed his arms and simply looked like he was staying put.

As I continued on with making coffee and laying out magazines, Matt was completely flirty, asking all kinds of questions and telling charming stories.  He talked with his hands, totally relaxed, and acted like he was running for mayor.  If someone had a toddler around, I’m pretty sure he would have picked it up and looked for a camera.  I was polite, but wary of his shtick until he told me how he’s been getting the whole cast to listen to Wilco during off-camera time.  “I’m sorry, Wilco as in my favorite band ever?” I asked, somewhat stupidly.  Naturally he counters with, “No, I mean Wilco as in my favorite band ever.”  And with that, we were fast friends, talking a mile a minute, comparing our iTunes libraries and declaring our love for one another.

Two hours pass and I look more like his girlfriend sitting in an oversize chair discussing weekend plans than an intern trying to organize before taping.  But whatever.  Did I mention he was totally hot?  Because he was.  As Matt’s cast mates streamed in, he introduced me as his new friend and I was completely smitten.  Yes, it’s sad how easily I’m won over.  I admit it.  The icing on the best-day-of-work-ever cake was when Matt put his arm around me as I walked him to the set and everyone in the office saw.

When our show wrapped for the evening, Matt found me and asked if I wanted to go for a drink with everyone at their hotel bar.  Umm…vodka with the cast of the hottest new show?  Sign me up!  So I went and enjoyed the company of the most down-to-earth people I’ve ever met working in entertainment.  No joke, I laughed until my sides hurt and totally felt like a part of their cute family.

The next morning when I walked into work, I expected everyone to praise me on a job well done.  The interview went excellently, the guests happy the entire time, and they said they couldn’t wait to come back!  I was practically waiting for my trophy.

What I found, however, was slightly unexpected.  A post-it note on my computer monitor that read, “Please do your homework in the future and act accordingly.  Mr. Smith has a serious girlfriend of six years.”

Um…oops?

[You think that's awk? Check out our other cringe-worthy Morning After stories.]

When I first started this internship, I had high expectations. I knew that it would be different than the other internship I had; I could tell from the interview alone that this one would be a little bit more exciting, a little bit more hands-on, and was definitely about a subject matter that I enjoy. And I have to say, I was pretty much right.

I think that my experience has been exactly what an interning experience should be: there have been highs and lows, exciting moments of feeling like an actual journalist and those back-to-earth moments of feeling like the lowest person on the office food-chain. There have been frustrating moments when I’ve felt like I just want to walk out and never come back (like a 12-hour day where there was absolutely NOTHING to do), and there have also been moments where I wouldn’t give up the job for the world (like when I got to interview Derek Jeter). I’ve had to deal with some rude people, but I’ve also gotten the chance to meet some really amazing people. And probably the best thing was seeing my name in a national publication several times, and knowing that my hard work in school was finally starting to pay off a little.

But now it’s almost the end of August, and as much as I’d like to stay at this magazine for the next few years, it doesn’t seem possible. Never mind the fact that I’ve been interning for close to 8 months and it’s starting to look a little pathetic, but I think this is the best time to move on and learn about other areas of the industry, meet new people, and get even more experience. So in a week I will be going to another publication, and yes, it’s another internship. I may not be getting paid for what I do, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t had a big, bitter taste of the real world.

Here’s what I’ve learned from my all-you-can-eat buffet of real life:

1. Some people are not going to be that nice. You always hear people say, ‘in the real world, no one’s going to be nice to you.’ And while there are definitely some amazing people out there who WILL be nice to you, there are also the people who won’t be. And that’s fine. As long as you know it has nothing to do with you, the experience will only make you stronger. A little quicker to fire back.

2. Celebrities are not as intimidating as I thought they would be. My first celeb interview was with Katharine McPhee, and I was terrified. I had never really had a conversation with a star before, and had no idea what to expect, visions of crazy, snobby celebs going through my head. But McPhee couldn’t have been nicer, and after a few months of meeting even bigger celebrities and interviewing them, I found out that they weren’t as intimidating to talk to as everyone thinks they will be (the worst part is standing in front of them seeing exactly just how beautiful they really are). Now I feel like if I could interview celebrities, I can interview (and be interviewed by…) anyone.

3. You should be nice to EVERYONE. One day when I first started my internship, I had a quick chat with someone who worked there – only to find out later that it was the editor-in-chief (I immediately panicked and went through the entire convo in my head about 50 times to make sure I didn’t say anything dumb). When you’re working within the industry of your choice, you might not know who everyone is and the best thing to do is just be nice to everyone, regardless of whether they deserve it or not. No one likes the snobby intern who thinks she’s better then everyone else. And, trust me on this one, people talk…a lot; whatever reputation you have will spread quickly.

4. Always do the tasks no one else wants to do. If I was asked to stay late, I stayed late. If they needed a volunteer to get a ridiculous amount of coffee for the entire office, I did it. And any other small and annoying task that had everyone rolling their eyes, I did those too. It’s a great way to stand out, because it made my editor see I wasn’t just there for the cool stuff, that I was there because I really wanted to get ahead.

5. What I really want to do is write. This internship has been amazing, but the only negative is the limited opportunity to write. At first I thought I could handle working at a magazine like that, but after a few months, I know that’s not true. I graduated with a degree in print journalism because I love writing, not because I wanted to stalk celebrities. No matter what else came out of my 8 months of interning, figuring out exactly what I want in life was definitely the most important.

Here’s hoping to getting a job soon and leaving interning behind!

The next week, the same thing happened all over again.

I think you can all understand – making time for both work and play in the summer is hard.  In the winter, when it’s cold and gross out and there’s not as much as to do, it’s a little bit easier to get cozy in bed at a decent hour when you know you have to be up bright and early on a Wednesday. (Or, if you do enjoy a Tiki Tuesday, you can always sleep right through lecture the next morning….) But in the summer… not so much. There aren’t just bars to go to with your friends, there are barbecues and beach bonfires and house parties and fun things going on almost every single night. And it makes it even harder when a few of your best friends have nothing to worry about but part-time jobs. So this whole summer, since I have a little problem turning down doing something fun, I have been trying to figure out the perfect mix of working and going out. Unfortunately for me, I don’t only have my internship to worry about (although it is the most important) – I also have my part-time waitressing job which PAYS for my internship.

When I first started my internship, my social life kind of died for a little bit. During the winter and spring, I made work a priority – not only did I have to wake up at 6:30 am and travel into New York City three times a week to intern, but I also had to waitress every other night until pretty late, and make time to cover events in the city. I stopped going out and getting wasted all the time because I was either too tired from work, or I knew I had to be up early. And let me tell you – it was no fun. At all.

So when the warm weather started rolling in in May, I knew I had to make a change. I decided that I could no longer sacrifice my entire social life for my professional life, because frankly, I enjoy having a good time too much to do that. I was going to have a fun summer, dammit, and I went for it with full gusto. That night I went out for half-off bottles of wine and the next thing I knew I was waking up almost an hour late with purple lips, then spent the day slumped in front of my computer wondering if I could make it to the bathroom in time if I had to throw up.

It was hell.

Since then I’ve tweaked my social life and discovered a way to have fun and still be able to function at work the next day. All I have to do is learn to control myself. It’s not easy – like when I’m out with all of myfriends and everyone is doing shots and singing karaoke while I sip on a glass of beer – but it’s possible and mandatory if I want to function to the best of my abilities the next day. Even though it sucks to miss out on the drunken fun, at least I’m still there with my friends, witnessing the stupid things they are doing.

So for the rest of the summer, to ensure I get the most of my work and my play, I will be following these five rules:

1) No staying out past 2 am.
2) Stay away from tequila and vodka shots.
3) Don’t give into half-price bottles of wine, no matter how tempting they are.
4) Late night texts to that guy are probably not the best idea…
5) There is always an exception. Because sometimes, no matter how long the day will be, the hangover is totally worth it.