Sydney interns visiting the Blue Mountains just outside of Sydney. Photo by Britney Wang, Penn State University, who is interning abroad in Sydney, Australia this summer.
You’ve secured your internship abroad with Sage Corps. Departure day is edging closer. Your friends are bored to tears hearing about your summer bucket list that’s practically bursting off the page. Then at the airport, your Mom reminds you…
”Remember, you’re going for an internship. Work hard”.
It’s so crucial that you make the internship your priority while you’re there. It will lend you valuable life experience in a dynamic setting you’d struggle to find elsewhere. Plus, who knows, they might want you back on a more permanent basis one day. So dig in and enjoy it.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy whatever city you’ve found yourself in. Here are some excellent ways to ensure that you make the most of your free time when interning abroad.
EMBRACE YOUR INNER WEEKEND WARRIOR
Look at it this way. There are 168 hours in a week. You’re working for forty and sleeping for fifty-six. That leaves you 72 hours a week to explore everything you can in your chosen city. That amounts to 24 days over the course of your eight-week internship. How many 24-day-long vacations have you been on? Not many? Didn’t think so.
Make the most of those weekends by planning ahead. Get your bucket list out and get organized. Maybe sort activities by location in the city, or schedule a weekend getaway to a nearby town (or country if you’re in Europe).
Weekend trip with friends to Switzerland (Mount Pilatus) photo taken by Jordan Evans, University of Colorado-Boulder, who is interning in Dublin, Ireland this summer.
You already know the big ticket items in your city, but have you considered a weekend jaunt to wine country in France? What about hiking in the Blue Mountains in Australia? Ever been to Luxembourg? Why not spend a Saturday?
You can check if there are Sage Corps interns in other locations that want to coordinate an apartment swap with you for the weekend as well.
Set aside some time, though, maybe in the evenings, just to wander your temporary home. Sometimes the fondest moments come at the most unexpected times. Plus, you’ll get to know the city much better.
The possibilities are endless and will bookend the valuable time you spend working with unforgettable memories you’ll cherish forever.
SAY YES TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES
We don’t leave you in the dark once you’re abroad. Each location has a Sage Corps City Manager who organizes social events and other cultural professional opportunities weekly. These are great ways to get involved with fellow interns, forge new friendships (and travel buddies), and learn more about the working world.
These events vary from city to city, but some examples include a canal tour in Amsterdam, start-up events at Station F in Paris, pitch nights in Sydney, and a cooking class in Barcelona. There’s at least one event every week, so expect a mix of fun social meetups to fantastic chances to pick the brains of successful entrepreneurs.
The Barcelona cohort at a Sage Corps weekly event, a cooking class learning to make paella.
You might also find opportunities to attend events with colleagues or events hosted at your startup’s office space. We encourage you to say yes and take them up on the invite, especially at the start of the internship when you are settling in and meeting new people.
Don’t be afraid to get involved. You never know who you’ll meet or what you’ll learn.
EXTEND YOUR TRIP
There’s an approximate million percent chance of getting bitten hard by the travel bug while on your internship. Whether it’s the people, the city, the food, or just the independence, you’re never quite the same after your first proper travel experience.
If you want (need?) more, why not extend your trip a little? Once your internship is up, you’re hopefully gifted with some free time – at least until classes are back in session – and what better way to spend it than traveling?
If you’re in Europe, grab an InterRail ticket, and hop around the continent for a few weeks. Unlimited travel tickets are the most cost-effective way to get around if you use them properly. Rail travel is far more comprehensive there than in the States, making a route from Paris, to Brussels, To Munich, To Warsaw, To Rome entirely feasible.
If Sydney is your base, it might be time to take the backpacking pilgrimage of the Gold Coast. Work your way up from Sydney, through Byron Bay, Fraser Island, and the Whitsundays until you reach Cairns. Don’t forget to try scuba diving on the Great Barrier reef.
Whatever your inclination, make sure to plan ahead and let someone know where you’ll be. And please, make sure you are back in time for next semester.
Getting out and exploring the city. Photo by Carter Lam, University of Colorado-Boulder, who is interning in Amsterdam, the Netherlands this summer.
EMBRACE IT ALL AS AN ADVENTURE
Whatever way you decide to use your time during your internship, make it count. You deserve the opportunity, but hundreds of others would have loved to be in the same position.
Work hard. Explore. Take everything in.
