End of Internship: the Performance Reivew

Just as important as getting an internship, make sure you ask for a performance evaluation at the end of your time with the company.

"Why?" you ask. "I don't really want to know what they think I did badly."

Au contraire, my friend. You do. It's not a matter of what you did badly, but what you can do better at your next internship or job. They say it's important to learn from your mistakes, and you won't know what your mistakes were unless you ask someone.

If a review is not mentioned or offered by the last week in your time there, seek it out. Ask your supervisor or mentor if they have 20 minutes to meet with you for a performance review. They might ask you questions about your time there - what you got out of it, what did you like, what didn't you like, etc. I would suggest that if you know what day it's going to be, make sure you look nice that day for work. Not interview nice necessarily, but office-nice. No jeans, even if that's normally what you wear. Nice, clean, unwrinkled pants.

When you finish at your review, thank your reviewer, shake their hand, and then go write down what they said. It's nice to know what your weak points are as a worker, but it's also nice to hear what they thought you did well.

Then, next summer (internship or job), put it into practice.

Things To Know Before Arriving on Campus

Here's my "top 10" list of things you as a college student going out into the world should know before you arrive on campus.

1. Grocery Stores - Sometimes dining hall food just doesn't cut it, or you want to make a romantic dinner for your significant other, know where you can get the supplies. Better yet, know a few in the area.
2. Hospitals - Seriously. Whether it's for something as serious as your roommate's concussion (which he/she should receive treatment for!!) or alcohol posioning (also seek treatment immediately for this one!), or something relatively minor like a broken bone, you will want to know where the nearest one is. Note: Ambulance rides are not free. 
3. Public Transportation in the area
4. Places of Worship - if only so you can take your parents there when they visit you.
5. Free Parking - Sometimes parking is free on certain streets, but other times you might have to pay. Find the free streets and figure out the times you can park there without a permit and won't have to pay.
6. Gym - Either the on campus one or one off campus with a cheap membership. Exercise will help you stay focused.
7. Movie Theater - Pretty self explanatory. You don't want to be wandering around trying to find it using your phone's GPS 10 minutes before the movie's supposed to start. Be prepared.
8. Park/City - If your school is in a city, you should know at least one place nearby that you can escape to when you just need some green growing things around you to make you feel good. If your school is surrounded by green, you should know the nearest city/town/shopping center for "duh" reasons.
9. Kmart/Walmart/Target - These places can possibly double as a generic grocery store, but they're also great for decorating your room, getting inexpensive clothes, art supplies, movies, etc...
10. Public Library - During finals week/midterms week, the library on campus will get very crowded. Knowing where the public library is can give you access to more study space plus their collection of books, movies, and CDs. 

This is my list, feel free to add your own "places to know" in the comments.