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1. Your basic work is (usually) appreciated. For every minute you spend walking to get coffee and filing expenses, your boss is able to spend a little bit more time calling clients, making deals, saving the world, etc. I'm not saying there aren't a few Miranda Priestly-lites in the bunch, but for the most part, your most basic tasks are very much appreciated. 2. So it's stupid to waste time begrudging the bitch work. Of course it's annoying to create 12 spreadsheets a day and research endless statistics, but � really! � you are learning. Internships are a great way to see what an entry-level position in the field would be like, because what you're doing now is not very different than what you will be doing in a year. 3. Networking is so important and it starts here. You are baller enough to have landed an awesome internship � be smart enough to take advantage of all the opportunities that come with it. When your boss mentions that her sister also went to X school or her boyfriend ended up in Z field that you're also into, make moves on that. Be proactive! Everyone respects someone who creates her own openings. Push yourself to ask your boss to get coffee and talk about these things with you � she'll almost always be happy to take the time. 4. Following up and staying in touch is also important � but don't do it excessively. Continue to put yourself out there, even after your internship ends. Career Center Bob always told me that sending a simple check-in email every 6 to 8 weeks is just enough to remind your employer that you (1) exist and (2) will need full-time employment soon is smart. Career Center Bob is right! Any more than that and, frankly, your former boss might just get annoyed. 5. When you do follow up, don't be selfish. "Hi Jane, just wanted to let you know that I so enjoyed my internship six months ago. I'm graduating soon and just wanted to say hi, so that's it, kthx!" No!!! "Hi Jane, I recently came across the article you wrote/saw this thing that reminded me of you, etc, and wanted to check in! How are things with you? As for me �" Yaaas, lady, yaaas. 6. Don't get upset when you don't get praised. Overanalyzing why your boss did not gush about the stats you collected properly is easy to do. Try, though, to remember that you are helping in many different ways and that he/she is a very busy person. If that doesn't help, remember that 100 percent of the time, you will hear it if you Messed Up Big Time. 7. A good attitude doesn't go unnoticed. Happy, smiley interns make the world go round. 8. A bad attitude definitely doesn't go unnoticed. If you show up to work clearly unhappy and unwilling to do the tasks you're assigned, you will not get a great recommendation from your boss. You will be less likely to receive a job offer and your faculty advisor will have less to work with when you are panicking about real life. If you are really, truly struggling, take a three-minute walk and call your mom. Do what you need to do to not be skulking at your desk. 9. If you are miserable in an internship, it may mean you shouldn't take that path with your life. This seems self-explanatory, but I have plenty of friends who are now quite unhappy in their chosen fields because they used every excuse they could think of to validate their miserable summers interning in those fields. If the days are dragging on for you, or you really hate the work you are doing, or anything else seems off, the internship was just as valuable as if you had loved it, for the sole reason of figuring out what you hate. 10. Asking a lot of questions to learn and get things right the first time is smart. Almost 100 percent of the time, your boss would rather you thoroughly ask questions before you go ahead and dive into a super time-consuming project. That way, you are much more likely to do it confidently and do it well, and it will save you both time in the long run. 11. But asking how to do simple tasks over and over is not. The question thing can backfire. Take notes all. The. Time. 12. There is a productive way to kill time and an unproductive way to kill time. Listless of 20 Dogs Who Are Staring into Your Soul, while adorable, are not a productive way to kill time. Doing research on your company's history or your competitors' is! Or, you know, you can always ask if anyone needs help with anything. People appreciate those who are proactive. It's great to check in after one task and ask about starting another.