Hello everyone! My name is Chloe, and I am in my 3rd year as a dental student. I am currently undergoing an internship with the Student Experience Team through the Aberdeen Internship Programme at the University of Aberdeen.
I am just finishing up week 7 and this internship has been great and very hands-on. Over the past few weeks, I have taken part in so many interesting projects. I have had the opportunity to be involved in a photoshoot, conduct interviews, make a welcome video, collect feedback, create marketing plans, and so much more. Yup, I’ve been busy. I have also loved interacting with so many people.
Working online has been a love-hate relationship. I struggle with being on a computer screen for a long period and found that hard at times. I had to manage my time taking regular breaks from the screen throughout the day. I also loved working online because I could be in multiple places at once. I’ve had days with meetings scheduled with staff from different departments within the University, and also staff from different universities around the UK. Another positive is that I have more time in the morning without the need to commute, so before my day starts, I can (sometimes) attend a gym class at ASV and even eat breakfast!
Some challenges arose when I was tasked with conducting benchmarking research which I hadn’t done before. I felt a little overwhelmed because it was all new, but my manager and the team were so supportive that I got the hang of things quite quickly. It was also nice to have another intern within the team with who I was able to bounce ideas off and talk to about anything. I have learned a lot about how the Student Experience team works behind the scenes and how much work is put into creating a positive student experience.
A “day in the life” at my internship usually starts with a meeting in the morning, either as a catch up with my manager or with the team. We then have the opportunity to talk about ongoing projects, bounce ideas or ask questions. The great thing about checking in is that you know what everyone is doing and where skills or ideas can be combined. There are very skilled people in the Student Experience team and it’s so interesting to see how different members are brought onto other projects to do their part and share resources.
After that morning meeting, I usually have time to respond to emails, complete tasks and continue any projects before other scheduled meetings. I spend most of the day working on different tasks with meetings assisting the other intern, meeting with stakeholders, or giving my student experiences and thoughts on other projects happening within the team. My main project is currently underway and the logistics of this is taking up most of my time these days. Even though I am working online, time flies and I find that 5pm comes quite quickly.
When I am working from home the lines can get blurred between being ‘at work’ and not. I often found that even after I had finished for the day, because I had programs still open, I was adding information to documents after work. Staying in the same room and using the same laptop for everything it can almost feel like you are always at work. I now make sure to close all the programs and step away from my laptop at 5pm to help define the end of the day. I sometimes try to leave the flat to go for a walk.
Overall, my experience undertaking the Aberdeen Internship programme has been very positive. I recommend students to take part if they have the opportunity. It has been a great networking opportunity and I’ve had fun interacting with other interns from different degrees and backgrounds. Some of the skills I have picked up include staying organised, managing workloads, meeting deadlines, and working independently. I was also able to improve my skills using Microsoft Office. All these skills are transferable, and I know will be very useful in the future. If you’re thinking of applying, be ready to make friends while building professional skills for the future!
