H.S. Summer Internship-- problem & advice req

Parents Forum
1

<p>My kid is in the third week of his 6 week NASA science internship and has become very depressed with his progress. He was really looking forward to it and hoping to learn a lot and have the experience help him along in his college choices. He was hoping to do computer modeling or some interesting work-- he was full of ideas his first week. Right now, he's come to an impasse, not knowing how to proceed with his project - which turns out to be all writing (which he hates). He is having a hard time understanding some of the concepts in the material he has been given which he must digest and explain on a web page. It is supposed to be mentored but his "mentor" has been there all of one day so far. He's with 20+ year old college intern/employees who tell him they can't help because it "isn't their area of expertise". </p>

<p>He's afraid to make waves since at a meeting a couple of days ago, the HS interns were told that if they didn't like what they had been assigned, to turn in their badges and leave. Apparently, of the 25, a few have done so. The HS interns do not interact with each other so he doesn't have anyone his age to compare notes with regularly.</p>

<p>I do feel for him since he has to get up at 4:50 am everyday to make the train an hour away and doesn't get home until 7 pm. He has no time to do anything with his friends since he needs the sleep. So, I have a majorly grumpy 17 year old on my hands who goes to bed and wakes up depressed now. He feels let down by the whole experience at this halfway point.</p>

<p>I don't know how to help him beyond the "It's a challenge for you" or "You only have three more weeks--do what you can".
What would you do?</p>

2

<p>It's a bummer, and I know you hate to see him not enjoying it. Have him stick it out, if you can. On his resume, he will write NASA science intern. That will look lovely. And he will learn, too, by making the best of a bad situation. </p>

<p>The sad part is the lack of mentor. Hopefully that will change in these last couple weeks. I am assuming the comments at the meeting were in response to perhaps other complaints. I think the reality, especially at a high school level, is that these jobs are NOT going to be glamorous.</p>

<p>My S had an internship between 2nd and 3rd years of college, and it wasn't real fascinating, either. He would have been thrilled to have the web site to work on -- I think he did a lot of writing and phone calls (surveys). The good stuff is generally saved for the people who are real employees. My H has interns, too (college aged). They complain to him that they are doing grunt work or rote stuff. He mollifies them as best as he can, and does try to help them see the value in what they are doing, but points out to me that they seem to think he should be doing the grunt work, and let them have the fun stuff. To which he says, "Why?"</p>

3

<p>I agree that he should stick it out becausejust learning how do deal with a bad situation and with a "mentor" who won't show up is a learning experience in itself. You should tell him to never be afraid to ask questions to other people who might help him (like ones who are running the camp).</p>

4

<p>Welcome him to the real world and tell him it's probably just his first job in which he'll have to get things done without much support. Then offer some strategies. If his metor is not at the office, can he call or email him with questions? Can he read up on the concepts on the internet? Can you or someone you know help with the concepts? Encourage him to go above and beyond to get good results even if the project isn't a great fit, because that's what he'll have to do in future jobs.</p>

5

<p>Speaking from experienced, it's the enthusiastic, high-powered interns that suffer the most initial disillusionment. Work is completely different from school, task-completion-wise, socially, mentally, schedule-wise, etc. </p>

<p>As a kid currently doing two internships, some frame-of-mind points:</p>

<p>-Kids come in with the belief that working hard and finishing a job fast and well is... normal. In reality, this is not really so. At work, you no longer get work that can be finished in a few hours (like homework) or even in a few days (like a project). It's hard to understand that this new seemingly unfinishable, un-doable project is now your new life.</p>

<p>Moreover, some work environments have a work-hard mentality on the surface, but an anti-efficiency mentality underneath; this means that while everyone does work, no one expects to always be working hard. The day gets slower and less hectic as it goes on, right? Not all kids pick up these hints. </p>

<p>-Schedule-wise, it's tough. Suddenly, your workday just doubles, not including transportation time, when you start working. I find short phone calls during the day or a lunch help. In the evening, maybe he can drop by and play video games for an hour or two before cramming down dinner at home and dropping into bed. And on weekends, definitely push him to get out at least one of the days, even if he's dead tired. </p>

<p>
[quote]
He's afraid to make waves since at a meeting a couple of days ago, the HS interns were told that if they didn't like what they had been assigned, to turn in their badges and leave. Apparently, of the 25, a few have done so. The HS interns do not interact with each other so he doesn't have anyone his age to compare notes with regularly.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>-I think the hardest transition is the social one. Learning to befriend someone is tough. And without people to hang around and joke, it's miserable. Perhaps he can start by just learning names and saying hi to people he knows. Sometimes us kids forget the power of little things - a few friendly waves, a cracked joke while waiting in line for the copier, boom! next you are exchanging stories about how your boss bites. Or lunch. </p>

<p>Can he ask to sit with the other high school interns? Maybe he can ask his supervisor about teaming up with the other h.s. interns on projects. (If this is a viable option, give him a 'script' lecture on how he could go about doing it. That's probably the hardest part after picking who he wants to work with. i.e. when to approach his boss, how to pick out other interns. I did this with these completely incomprehensible-cost-basis-on-dividends projects at my brokerage internship. Selected two other intern friendlies, promised the boss man to get all of it by the deadline, so long as we were allowed our own room, computer, etc.) Stopping for short breaks - grabbing a snack or just going for a short five-minute walk - and socializing with people on the way there and back is another thing us interns take a long time to learn.</p>

6

<p>I felt the same as ThreeToGo about my S. There was about 2-3 weeks of me asking my S , who is a man of few words, How was your day, did you get the project started yet. There a problem that slowed down activity on his project. I was concerned that he was not going to get to do the "meaningful research" promised. My S also did not want to make waves, he is hoping to come back next year. I did however contact someone whom I met who went through the program. They shared with me the fact that their first year was really bad, but they keep their eyes open to what was going on around them. This person went back the second year and said it was a "blessing from God". They now work for NASA and love their work. So I have been learning how to "Cheer from the sidelines" and I have challenged/bribed my S to search out opportunities to be pro-active and to get more involved. His lab did get the project to work and he has volunteered for their news letter. But the best thing I have seen so far the that he is getting to meet other college interns that are a year or two a head of him and learning about their college choices and experiences.</p>