I spent this past summer participating in the International Internship Program in Berlin. I chose this program because it allowed me to earn credits while working full time in another country. Before starting this program, I had never had an internship nor been to Europe, so this program was full of firsts. I went in with high expectations but was still blown away by everything. Since I was there for almost a full summer, I truly had a chance to immerse myself in the culture. I did the touristy things of course, but since I lived there and worked surrounded by Germans in the office, I felt like a local a by the end of it. I experienced so much growth personally, academically, and professionally throughout my time in Berlin in a short period of time.

Since Berlin was such a foreign environment, I developed cross-cultural skills I didn’t possess before. This trip was my first time living in a foreign country, and I didn’t have a translator with me at all times like when I visit family in Asia. I had to make changes to my lifestyle and overcome culture-related challenges. I learned how to successfully adapt to a foreign culture, which is a valuable personal skill moving forward because I plan to travel as much as I can in the future. 

I also learned a lot that will help me in the classroom. I’ve always struggled with managing my time and sticking to a daily routine which sometimes hurts my performance in the classroom. One of my goals during this trip was to learn how to use my time more efficiently. Germany was the perfect place for this because most people seem to stick to their schedules and work efficiently. Unlike in the US, working overtime is rare in Germany. There are laws that restrict working hours so everyone does as much as they can during the workday. My coworkers took short breaks and rarely got distracted. The German work culture rubbed off on me, and I’m now much better at being productive within set hours. When I get back to campus, I’m going to stick to a schedule that will help eliminate my procrastination habits. Knowing how to stick to a schedule is especially important in college because there are always a ton of distractions. I expect these new habits will allow me to produce higher quality work and not have to stress about deadlines.

Regarding career skills, I learned more about the field of marketing. Specifically, I learned more about communicating with an extremely diverse group of clients and potential clients, and how to cater to their needs. Throughout my time interning, I was often tasked with email marketing, something I’ve learned about but never experienced firsthand. In the future, I’m thinking about starting my own small business or working in consulting. Knowing how to effectively communicate through email and cater to their needs is incredibly important regardless of which path I pursue.