Jan 15: How I See Myself Changing Over Internship

For today’s blog, I wanted to address the first prompt offered from the multiple choice list offered: how I see myself growing or changing over the course of my internship. I’ll start at the beginning for this one. When I first came in to the office for my interview back in November, I was incredibly nervous. I had never been to a law firm before, and definitely not one run by two former city attorneys that had been serving the city of San Diego for years. The fact that there were massive Christmas trees in the lobby and huge tropical fish swimming around near the elevator only helped me feel more uncomfortable. I had never been in an office before. I didn’t know how to act or what to wear, and that manifested itself in a lot of nausea beforehand and a very passive manner once I was in the office. Hot tip, for anyone interested in working with lawyers: they are not at all passive. For the first day, I was a big ball of nerves.

Now, five work days later, the nerves have mostly gone away. I’ve gone from not wanting to interrupt my mentor because I was scared she’d get angry with me for entering her office unannounced, to taking a seat and waiting until she was done because I know she wants to make time for me. I’m learning the “rules” of the office, and I’ve gotten a lot more confident because of it. So, in a way, I have already noticed myself changing and growing.

By the end of the internship, I’ll have a much better idea of office life, and a better grasp of the law, too, if my trajectory continues. I’ll be more confident, not afraid to ask my coworkers to strike a dumb pose for my blog, just respectful of the fact that they have to finish writing reports first. If I’m being honest, I’ve already come a long way. I’ve discovered that like being self-sufficient, relying on myself to get to and from work, and that I don’t mind long bus rides. A lot of what I’m learning here is self-sufficiency, kindness, and a willingness to learn, and I hope that when I’m done with internship, I’m ready to be a responsible, working adult. Just… not a serious one.

(Pictured: the view waiting for the bus coming home. I like leaving in time to watch the sunsets.)