5 Ways to Banish First-Day Anxiety!

When I was in high school, I planned out my outfits for the first day of school meticulously, color-coded my notebooks for my classes, and read all of the books on the summer reading list —and then some. (I know what you're thinking, and yes, I was a total nerd). I'm the kind of person who believes in the power of the first impression, and I want to start everything — be it AP Biology or my first day at work — off on the right foot. 

Since I've arrived home from Italy, my entire life has revolved around preparing for my first day of my internship. When I'm not reuniting with every family member, doctor, and hair dresser I know, I'm spending my time obsessing over my first day back at Teen Mag. Here are five things I've learned about calming nerves on your first day:

First Impressions: Fighting With Printers, Compiling Gossip Packets & Taking It All In

Hello fellow Edsters!

I have officially completed the first week of my internship in the features department and feel like a thousand doors have been open. The first day was filled with a lot of butterflies, hellos, and questions, similar to the start of anything new. After pacing the street outside my office for a good 15 minutes before my start time, I worked up the courage to walk through the massive glass doors leading into the building. Intimidated by the beautiful publishing building and stylish ladies and gentleman going up the elevators, I held my cool and went up with them. After meeting one of my two bosses and another friendly intern, I was officially working at a magazine.

Although it shouldn’t surprise me, everyone I met was extremely nice and welcoming. All the editors I was introduced to seemed like great colleagues; they were willing to answer any questions I had and happy to teach me about the magazine world. After refocusing myself, I read through the intern packet given to me. At previous internships, I was never given a bible-like guide on how to be a superstar intern.

5 Expert Tips For Nailing Your First Month

Edsters,

I’ve been super nervous in the days leading up to my first week of work, mostly because I have so many questions. Will I like my fellow interns? Who will I get lunch with? How do I schedule informational interviews with editors of the three different magazines I intern for?

With all of these questions, I looked to the intern diaries of last summer. Not only have they assuaged my worries, but also gave me some great advice going into my first internship. Here are my favorite five tips from last summer’s interns:

New Wardrobes, Post-Abroad Shock, and Pre-Internship Jitters!

Hey Edsters,

Ed’s other Interns may be starting up their internships this week, but I’ve still got two more weeks in beautiful Italy! Though I’m lucky to have more time studying abroad, it’s not all pizza and gelato: I’ve got to finish up my final exams, harass my professors in the US to write me letters of credit from afar, and find a new work wardrobe—I’ve only got four days at home before I start my internship!

Here’s what I’m most looking forward to about heading home:

Seeing all of my family and friends! Facebook Chat and Skype can only take you so far for six months. I can’t wait to tell everyone I care for all about my semester abroad in person!

Heading back to my internship, of course! Though I’ve emailed and tweeted my editors and continued blogging for the site, I CANNOT WAIT to see them every day and get in the thick of the fun that I’m lucky enough to call work.

The pace of life! I’ve definitely learned how to take it easy in Italy, but I’m ready to head back to the constant posts, photo shoots, interviews, and staff meetings. I wouldn’t want it any other way!

And what I’m least looking forward to:

Day One At A Women’s Lifestyle Mag: What To Expect (And Not Expect!)

Courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons

Hi there, Edsters!

I just finished my first day as a web intern for Women’s Lifestyle Mag! Now that it’s over, I can hardly wait for day two. But I was INCREDIBLY nervous for Day One. I had no idea what to expect, as this was my first in-office internship at a magazine. Needless to say, I was prepared for the worst.

Here’s what I thought would happen on my first day on the job…and what actually went down.

Expectation 1: Everyone will be super serious and no one will talk to me.  

LOL.

3 Things Fashion Interns Need To Know About Rocking Your First Day

Happy Monday, Edsters!

I start my internship this week and I am ready to hit the ground running! Thinking back on how I started my last internship so sheepish and timid, I can’t stress how important it is to start off your summer smiling and eager to work! Between racking my brain on what to wear and how to do my hair, I also thought up three important things to remember on your first day of your internship (or any job, really).

1.    Smile, make eye contact, and have a firm handshake.

Getting Over First Day Internship Jitters

Well, here I am, Edsters. Sitting in my student housing room the day before my internship, and trying to figure out how to make these first week jitters go away. This isn't my first internship, but I'm still just as nervous to walk into the office for the first time tomorrow as I was last semester. Maybe I'm putting too much pressure on myself, but is it rational to feel this nervous the second time around as well?

Before starting my first internship, I had more questions going through my head than I could keep track of. Would my bosses like me? Would I catch on to my responsibilities quickly? Would I do anything embarrassing? Am I even prepared to live in New York City? Luckily, I was able to quickly fall into a routine at my last internship and felt that I was able to have a very productive experience, but I can't help but wonder about how this job will differ from the last.

My First Day at a National Magazine Didn't Go Quite As Planned...

My first day on the job was a strange combination of chaos and boredom.

I arrived 20 minutes early, following the route I had practiced the day before. Everything was going according to plan, until I realized the building was actually a complex comprised of multiple buildings – and I had no idea which one was mine. I tried to spot people who looked like journalists to see which door they used, but eventually I had to just pick an entrance. I chose wrong, and ended up being a few minutes late, despite my meticulous planning.

Luckily, my editor didn’t notice I was late, mostly because he hadn’t realized I was slated to start that day. My editor is really nice, in a way that reminds me of the best teachers I had in high school. He’s patient, always seems happy to see me and puts up with my endless questions, but I get the sense that when I’m not standing right in front of him, he forgets I exist.

What NOT To Do On Your First Day

Hey fellow Edsters!

This entry marks the closure of one of the most exciting and overwhelming weeks of my life. I am speaking, of course, of my first week interning for The Mag. Cue the Hallelujahs.

I wish my first week hadn’t gotten off to such a rocky start, but at least now I can share my humiliating mishaps with you smarter, savvier Edsters, so you can learn from them. (I know I have already!)

After a night of tossing, turning, painting my nails twice, and changing my mind about my outfit more times than I’m willing to admit, I wound up getting almost no sleep. That wound up being a huge problem: I proceeded to oversleep and miss my alarm, and was woken up by my well-meaning but clueless mother about ten minutes before I had to catch the train that takes me from my New Jersey hometown to the city. I wound up showing up half an hour late.

3 Ways To Kick Ass On Your First Day

Hey there, fellow Edsters!

Summer’s just beginning, and I’m a week away from the start of my big internship in New York. It’s an exciting leap forward after interning at magazines and newspapers in the D.C. area because I’ll be working at one of the country’s biggest magazines and away from home.

A quick introduction: I’m a journalism major from Maryland. The story of how I’ve snagged each of my internships is a very different tale, but the one common thread between them is my persistence and patient. I entered each of my internships a little nervous and clueless. I’ve exited each more confident and ready to tackle what’s next.

And a great deal of that confidence is built — believe it or not! — in the first couple weeks when I’m getting oriented to the office. Imagine: you’re on your first day, and your editor is going over your jobs with you. He’s showing you the office, introducing you to so many faces all while going over where to file this, what copier to use, what password to use here, where NOT to put that paper, etc.

It’s overwhelming, definitely, but you know in a few weeks’ time those tasks will be second nature. So how do you get to that point without letting your nerves get the best of you? A few tips I’ve learned (and plan to use this year!):