By: Varsha Challapally
They say that the secret to success is being prepared when opportunity knocks. This applies to a variety of different aspects of life and manifests itself in a variety of ways. One of the components of this philosophy and the secret to being successful in your internship, seminar, and WAIP as a whole, is ensuring that you’re prepared for anything and everything that comes your way. The ~young professionals~ in DC have this figured out and I've tried to learn as much as I can along the way this semester.
They say that the secret to success is being prepared when opportunity knocks. This applies to a variety of different aspects of life and manifests itself in a variety of ways. One of the components of this philosophy and the secret to being successful in your internship, seminar, and WAIP as a whole, is ensuring that you’re prepared for anything and everything that comes your way. The ~young professionals~ in DC have this figured out and I've tried to learn as much as I can along the way this semester.
Doing everything you can to put yourself in the best possible position when an opportunity you're interested arises is one of they key components of being a successful and functioning adult. While I personally despise the term “adulting” and how it is used in today's society, there is a certain level of preparedness that one must have to be a functional human and succeed in WAIP.
To always ensure I have what I need to take on the day, here’s what I typically carry in my bag to be prepared and ready to go at all times:
iPhone: You gotta stay #connected and ~in tune~ with the most recent current events, be able to connect with other people and get your Washington Post news notifications as they occur!
ID badge: Nothing’s worse than being that intern who forgets their badge that lets them into their building. I try to always keep mine in my wallet and only take it out when I need to use it, so it doesn’t get misplaced.
Phone Charger: Nothing makes me more anxious than having a low battery percentage on my phone when i’m navigating a brand new area that I don’t know very well. Having a phone charger always on hand is an essential and something that will help you be prepared and ready to go no matter what.
Business Cards: You never know when a potential networking opportunity will arise. I’ve gotten to meet some amazing people though my internship or at a policy salon during the week and having business cards handy is incredibly important. WAIP provides you with excellent business cards so be sure to put them to good use!
Water Bottle + Snack: Some days in WAIP often begin at 7 in the morning and sometimes end with me getting home after 10pm. So, it’s important to stay healthy and hydrated to ensure that you can do everything that’s expected of you and have the best experience possible.
Hand Sanitizer: Let’s be honest, the metro gets a little...icky sometimes. I always try to carry hand sanitizer with me for use after getting off the metro. Being sick is never fun, especially when you have to work 32 hours a week, attend study tours, seminars, policy salons and informational interviews like you have to do in WAIP, so it’s best to take as many preventative measures as possible.
Advil: For those impromptu aches and pains that happen in life.
Small Notebook + Pen: My Moleskine notebook has been absolutely indispensable for me throughout WAIP. I have taken notes of things I found to be interesting, quotes, pieces of advice from WAIP policy salons, and my research and key takeaways from informational interviews I have had. If there’s one thing I recommend, it’s to keep a notebook and pen with you at all times - you never know what you might want to write down.
Headphones: How else are you going to listen to NPR’s Up First on your morning commute? Whether you listen to podcasts or music in the morning, headphones are a must have. Especially if you have a long commute to work and want to avoid sitting in silence and occasionally making awkward eye contact with the strangers around you on the Metro.
House Keys: There will always be someone in your WAIP cohort who posts in the Groupme asking to be let in the house because they forgot their key - don’t be that person :)
Sunglasses: Protect your peepers from those UV rays!
Wallet + Metrocard: An absolute essential at any given time. Make sure you register your Metrocard right when you receive it, so you can get the money on it back in the event the card gets misplaced.
Tide to Go: Having a Tide to Go pen in my purse at all times has saved me from potentially debilitating stains on some of my favorite clothing. Additionally, having a visible stain on your shirt isn’t cute and doesn’t look #YoPro. Pro-tip: the longer you let a stain sit, the harder it is to get out.
Laptop/iPad + Respective Chargers: I would sometimes bring my iPad to class to take notes, depending on the topic we were discussing. While WAIP seminar is largely discussion based and usually doesn’t require taking notes, many of the topics we discuss will be useful to remember when writing your policy paper.
Chapstick/Mints/Gum: Who doesn’t want to be wintergreen or minty fresh when talking to others?
Hopefully this helps someone! WAIP goes by so fast and equips you with incredible experiences and skills. Being prepared for anything that comes your way is a great first step to take to ensure you're able to take full advantage of the amazing things to come!
Here's a look into some of the things I mentioned in my post!
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