During your internship, anything can happen. It is important to understand the various issues and projects which you may face. Because of the vast number of possible events, giving a standard set of rules is difficult. However, you have the testimonials of successful IRFS interns to guide the way.

Composing Yourself in (International) Non-Government Organizations: INGOs or NGOs tend to conduct business in a more casual manner than government offices. Still, just because it’s casual, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have to be professional. Always remember that how you present yourself to others and how you treat your coworkers says a lot about you as a person. Act according to the values being promoted by your organization. Remember that you do not only represent yourself but also your organization. Careless behavior may affect your and your organization’s image and reputation. — Julli Aurelia

Composing Yourself in Government Organizations: Hit up the word “etiquette” in any dictionary. Most likely, you’ll find the word linked with proper behavior, protocol, decorum and manners.  Being an intern in a government office means being and acting professional. You do not want to do or say anything to jeopardize you or your host establishment's image and reputation. And no, you don’t need prince or princess lessons on etiquette! When in doubt always remember the things your elders taught you, such as being respectful and on time. Take note of the values and qualities treasured in your host establishment. — Andrea Vargas

Accomplishing the Necessary Paperwork: Accomplishing your Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and Terms of Reference (TOR) can be a hassle when your assigned H.E. is quite busy. But there are easy ways to make the process easier. Read the instructions set by your teachers in accomplishing your MOA. Don’t forget to fill up important details that need to be followed like the signatures in every page. In accomplishing your TOR, it is important to know the nature of the task that is assigned to you and make sure to write them in accordance to your track. — Anne Oñas

Locating the IR in SIP: Most interns would agree that locating the IR in the Internship Program is challenging.  This is because we get too lost in our work that it’s hard for us to see it.  But there are life hacks that could help us beat this problem. Keeping a journal proves to be effective. Jotting down important realizations and ideas during the day would give us a clearer idea of what to write and where to start. Going back to the IRFS130 course guide and the SIP manual are also good refreshers. — Eunice Wagwag

Keeping Your Feelings in Check: When handling clients during internship, you will meet different kinds of personalities. And yes, that includes difficult people too. It’s tough to try and please everyone but remember that although you can’t control them, you can control how you think and feel. Don’t forget to apply the IRFS ideals- integrity, resilience, fraternity and sagacity when dealing with clients. It works! These are tools that will help you cope up in a dynamic environment. It may be challenging, but if you handle the situation well, you may even be able to improve your relationship and create further opportunities! Of course, you might also encounter some nasty co-workers. Again, it’s all about your attitude. Even if they do you wrong and frustrate you, everything boils down to how you view things; keep yourself positive because nobody can get you down if you don’t let them. Just don’t forget to talk about your feelings. Talking about things and expressing how you feel always makes things better. As they say, honesty is the best policy! — Phya Barrientos & Adrian Vargas

Dealing with the C-God Lead Tasks: Dealing with C-GoD Lead @ USC requires patience and a bit of responsibility. It’s definitely not a walk in the park; it’s a challenging task that would not only require your physical health, but also your mental health. You can also add your emotional wellbeing with those above requirements. Nonetheless, the C-GoD Lead task helps you become a more responsible citizen who advocates for good governance. Just remember that C-GoD Lead @ USC will not only give you a bigger picture; it will help you become part of that bigger picture. — Aia Apostol

Shifting Out and About: One of these days, you will look back and ask yourself: What could your SIP experience have been if you were at a different HE? You would find yourself tempted, weighing the cost and benefits in changing HEs, giving yourself a hard time about the risks. There are challenges that you will be encountering in changing HEs. These are: (1) looking for another HE, (2) preparing the requirements again, and (3) completing the new internship. It is a must that you give courtesy to your former H.E., adviser, and the department by informing them about your change of HEs. — Kim Robles

Going the Extra Mile in Time: Where does time factor in? It shows that time is an important and helpful contributing factor, but it is not the sole determinant in the value of learning experience. SIP requires 200 working hours. The number of hours you log in a day should not be an area of stressful focus to accomplish but a learning experience. Allow yourself ample time to meaningfully contribute to your HE. Extending your internship should be viewed as an increased opportunity for learning and professional immersion towards a more fruitful internship. — Therese San Juan

Healthy Living, Healthy Emotions: Each of us has different experiences of life’s journey. One may have a smooth, sailing journey and the other may be on rough roads. Ernesto Yturralde, experiential trainer and researcher, explains: "In the field of experiential learning methodology, the debriefing is a semi-structured process by which the facilitator, once a certain activity is accomplished, makes a series of progressive questions in this session, with an adequate sequence that let the participants reflect what happened, giving important insights with the aim of that project towards the future, linking the challenge with the actions and the future." — Patricia Piramide