I’ve gotten the feeling that most TWC interns don’t really think about life outside their internship much before signing on to spend a semester down in DC (or up in DC, out in DC whatever – I’m from the northeast so its down for me, but I’ve gotten corrected several times since being here) so I decided that it might be a good idea to lay out some of the things that I wasn’t exactly expecting.  I don’t want that to come across in a bad way at all, I just want to try to take some time to explain a few of the things about this program that I had never really thought of before, or just hadn’t realized would be such a big part of it.

1.  Well obviously you first have your job, where you spend on average about 30 to 35 hours a week the working environment of your choice.  That’s to be expected from any internship program.  I know I’ve already mentioned the fact that part of coming to DC with this program requires that you would need to take a class, but haven’t really gone much into it.  Many of the classes here are in the social/political sciences area.  There are a variety of different classes offered that cover everything from US-China relations to the inner workings of the federal government.  My class in particular is called International Organizations and Humanitarian Law and is primarily focused on issues arising from warfare, while my roommate is taking Research and Writing.  If you’re serious about coming down to DC, looking at TWC’s course guide is definitely a good idea.  I really am so thankful that I looked at it in advance, far earlier than I actually enrolled in TWC (I had been planning on coming down here since my freshman year) because I was able to figure out that my class would count as Political Science credit for me and therefore was able to take that into consideration when I was setting up my schedule in previous semesters. The classes here work like typical night classes would at any college, held once a week for three hours (although if you’re lucky chances are you’ll get out a little bit early sometimes).

2. Programming – the internship program is divided into a number of specialized “sub-programs.”  When applying for TWC, I had to indicate my top three (I think it was) preferences for programming.  At the time, I didn’t think anything of it.  I just figured that selecting a program (For example, I indicated that I would be interested in being placed in the ‘Global Trade and Regional Integration Program,’ ‘The Law and Criminal Justice Program,’ or the ‘Foreign Affairs Program’) just simply meant that I would be placed in some kind of internship relevant to that topic.  Wrong.  The programming here is pretty specialized, and actually is really cool.  As I’ve mentioned before, I’m in the Law and Criminal Justice program (LCJ).  We’ve toured the Pentagon and the Supreme Court, have had guest lectures, and have a trip to the Newseum coming up, for example.  I don’t know specifics on the other programs, but I have friends in the International Affairs program that I know have toured the Indonesian embassy.  The programming is a nice complement to your internship to kind of put things into a broader perspective.

3.  TWC is a very diversified program, and you’ll definitely notice it.  When I had looked at TWC’s website before actually coming down here, I had noticed that it referenced the vast amount of states (and countries) that students are from, but didn’t really think anything of it.  Even when I first moved into the RAF I didn’t really notice – I live with one of my best friends from my college who is also from New Jersey, and the first other girl in our apartment is from Pennsylvania.  We originally thought that we would have place to ourselves for a few hours until our fourth roommate came in straight off the plane from Seoul.  Its impossible not to notice the international students here: I live with a girl from South Korea, intern with a girl from China, and have made really good friends with a guy from Mexico.  Living in such a situation has its challenges, but it can also be a really fun learning experience.  The key is to really come into everything with an open mind and try to make the best out of it, even if you find yourself in a less-than-ideal situation (which thankfully I am glad to report that I have not).

4. Plan Ahead – In the beginning of the semester, everyone is given a syllabus for their individual program in addition to the syllabus you’ll get with a typical class.  We have weekly assignments due for our programming – mostly professional reflections but also some other things, like the IDP (Individual Development Plan) and a mock cover letter.  Granted, these things won’t kill a whole afternoon themselves but is not necessarily something you want to leave until the last minute.  All of these assignments are put into a portfolio of sorts at the end of the semester for a grade, so you’ll want to make sure that they’re of satisfactory quality

5. Budget- budget, budget, budget.  I’m not lying when I say this city is expensive.  Going out to lunch will easily put you back $7 or $8.  Multiply that by five workdays a week and that’s easily $35- $40 just on food.  The Metro is another cost that no one really takes into consideration right off the bat, but that’s another thing that will quickly kill your bank account.  Watching for sales at the supermarket and ordering the cheaper meal at dinner all adds up and you’ll definitely be thanking yourself at the end of the semester.  The worst thing that could happen is that you won’t be able to go out to happy hour with your friends and have fun because you’re completely broke and that’s just depressing. 

I think I’m done playing the advice columnist for now, but my main point with this post is just to stress to any potential TWC interns out there just how important it is to be aware of what you’re about to jump into and what’s expected of you.  Nevertheless, do it!  I’m only halfway through my semester here and have already realized such a huge difference not only in the way I view myself but the way others view me as well.  Expanding your horizons is the best thing you can do for your future – and for yourself.