My Advice

As I sit here on the final week of my WAIP experience, I look back asking where the time went. I also look back and question how I survived the semester with the rigorous schedule that WAIP requires. I, like everyone else here, experienced a great deal of stress. Back on OSU campus, you had so many outlets and free time to be able to relax and prepare for a busy week. In WAIP, depending on where you are interning, you will likely work until 5 or 6 Monday through Thursday with class twice a week and maybe even a networking event on top of that. That doesn’t leave much time for someone to find a moment to relax. During my time here, I have found 3 key guidelines that helped me survive. 1) Go to bed early. This is probably the most important thing I can suggest. During the busiest weeks of WAIP, you will be wishing you had more sleep. 2) Don’t waist the weekends. This goes hand in hand with sleeping during the week. The more time you sleep during the week, the more time you will have on the weekend to experience all DC has to offer. The just like at school weekends are for you to relax, hang out with friends, and forget about work. 3) Find time at the end of every day to reflect on what you accomplished and what your goals for the next day will be. If you spend the semester focusing on what you should have got done that day or what still needs to be done, you will stress yourself out. These are guidelines that I lived by in my time in WAIP. They may not help everyone. They may not help anyone. The importance is that every future WAIPer finds their own way to get through it.