1. WAIP Is Not a Vacation
Once
the honeymoon period fades and the initial excitement of living in the nation’s
capital wears off do not be surprised when some stress sets in. Between
interning, class, policy salons, study tours and personal life at some point it
is likely you will find yourself feeling tired, anxious or just not yourself
during the semester. Part of this is exacerbated by living in a new city,
stepping outside of your comfort zone and leaving your closest friends and
family behind. However, chances are that you are not alone and some other
people in your program are feeling the same way. Find easy ways to de-stress and
bond with your housemates whether it be grabbing an after work drink at Cap
lounge, watching ridiculous reality television or going on a run on the
National Mall.
2. Stuffing Folders Builds Trust
As
you probably already know interns are not always delegated the most glamorous work.
Depending on where you intern you will
find yourself doing absolutely mundane tasks whether it be filling two hundred
folders with packets of information, entering in a mind-numbing amount of data
into spreadsheets or speaking with irrationally angry constituents. Most likely
none of those responsibilities have anything to do with your policy interests
and are way below your intellectual capability. However, when you stay in the
office well after you were supposed to leave or you take the pressure off a
fulltime employee by assisting them with a task, they will not forget that.
Demonstrating that you are willing to put in time and effort to help the office
(often with little or no monetary compensation) shows that you are a dedicated
individual and can be relied upon. This helps build positive lasting relationships
that you can tap into if you wish to return to D.C. after graduation.
3. Take Advantage of Life on The Hill
I
am not going to lie and say that from a day to day perspective that the Hill is
the most exciting neighborhood in D.C. for a college aged person to live in.
The area surrounding the Supreme Court/Capitol is very tidy, quiet and family
friendly (aka the complete opposite of Ohio State). That being said take advantage
of living in the political center of our nation by attending at least one
congressional hearing, standing outside the Supreme Court when a major ruling
is issued or go to a fundraiser/political event and meet a member of congress
face-to-face. These are opportunities that you cannot get anywhere else which
is why you came D.C.
4. Accept Your Living Situation/Be Mindful of
People’s differences
Chances
are you’ve never lived in a house with 10+ people unless you are involved with
Greek Life. Even having lived in a fraternity house did not adequately prepare
me for the lack of personal space and challenges that arise with intern housing.
Having no room in the refrigerator for your groceries, having to wait to use
the bathroom and sharing a bedroom for the first time since freshman year is
not exactly an ideal situation for any college student. I 100% acknowledge that
I am not the easiest person to live with and am by no means a model housemate
(I snore loudly, I’m accustomed to clutter and my cleaning skills are a work in
progress). The best way to navigate this unique living situation is to
acknowledge where you fall short, make an effort to improve your behavior and recognize
that everyone is coming from different backgrounds. Some of your housemates
will be culinary experts (Emma/Josh in the case of WAIP Summer 2015) and if you
are like me you will consider bagged rice that you put in the microwave for 90
seconds “cooking”. Set expectations early and if someone does not meet them do
not be afraid to politely discuss what they are doing wrong.
5. Utilize Uber When Necessary
If
you know me at all then you know that I rely on uber way too much (65 rides,
173.5 miles, 12 hours and 7 minutes worth of ubering as of 7/16/2015). I am not advocating that people use uber as
much as I do since those statistics suggest that my friends and family should
probably stage an intervention for me. Nevertheless, uber is a great app and
service especially in a city like D.C. If you are cutting it close for a
meeting do NOT rely on the metro to get you there in a timely manner. The red
line functions when it wants to and if you are here in the summer it is likely
you will show up looking frazzled and moderately sweaty. Uber allows you to
split costs with your friends. This makes going out on U Street on a Saturday
night a $3 or $4 ride from the hill, a very good investment in my opinion. Uber
is not perfect and can be quite costly if you get hit with a surcharge (it
alerts when there is a surge in pricing beforehand) so be mindful of that.
6. Personal Favorite Restaurants/Bars (If you’re
21) In No Particular Order
Brixton (U Street)- Pretty popular with
people in the early to mid-twenties. Brixton looks like an old restaurant (cooler
than it sounds) and is kind of a hybrid between a bar and a club. There are
tables to sit at on the first floor if you want to chat with the friends, the second
floor offers a DJ and dance floor and there is a rooftop area that is optimal
for people watching.
Ted’s Bulletin (Eastern Market Area)-Vintage diner theme with excellent
breakfast foods, homemade pop tarts and alcoholic milkshakes.
Scion (DuPont) - $13 dollars for a
pitcher of all you can drink mimosas, a free fruit bar and delectable breakfast
options, need I say more?
Ethiopic (The Hill) –Experience authentic
family style Ethiopian food. Hearty food including flavorful lamb, surprisingly
tasty vegetable dishes and other delicious things that I am not really sure
what they were. Utensils are not needed and airy, thin sheets of bread are used
instead.
7. Be Proud
If you
took the initiative to apply and interview for this program and your internship
then you already are well-ahead of average students. Hearing my friends/peers
articulate what they are doing at their internship sites and their ambitions
for the future makes me proud to be associated with such a talented and diverse
group of people. Oh yeah, you also are lucky enough to attend Ohio State,
one of the largest, most fun and opportunity-filled universities in our great
nation. D.C. is chock full of alum that love talking about football, campus
life and how back in the day the “gateway” area of South Campus was a good
place to get shot (lol). Never lose your pride, represent Ohio State to the
best of your ability and Go Bucks.
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