My extraordinary internship experience at IIT Madras -By Saurabh Bhandari from NMIET Pune

When I started applying for internships, I met with lots and lots of rejection and it was really very disappointing but you should never give up and most importantly you should never lose faith in yourself. Always remember, good things and success never come overnight, it takes hard work, dedication, hope and time. As my internship at IIT Madras was work from home, there was no need to travel to any place for the internship but I learnt numerous precious life lessons of the real world at home itself, which I am going to narrate in this article. 

Basically, an internship is a scheme which is made especially for students who want to get practical knowledge and work experience from their field of interest along with their studies. You need not pay for an internship and if it’s paid, the company that’s handling the internship program will pay you instead, (called stipend) depending upon the quality and quantity of your work. 

Work to learn, not earn

I had applied to many internships in my field of interest using an app but I got rejected by most because you see, there are about 500+ like me who had applied for the same internship. Amongst those, only 10-20 of them got selected for an internship. But I never lost hope, I kept trying day and night and finally, one day, my patience was rewarded when I got selected for the internship program conducted by IIT Madras. The lesson I learnt here is that when you really want something, go chase it even when you are against a wall of obstacles. Trust me, one day something bigger and better will come looking for you.

When I started working for the internship, I remember the first day being absolutely blissful because I got the chance to talk to an inspirational and hardworking professor. He guided me accurately about all the information I required for my internship at IIT Madras.

My work was called research analytical which means researching on a given topic. To be honest, I was really bad at the beginning but every time I learnt something new which was never taught in school or college. 

"If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.”

Benefits of my internship at IIT Madras

1. The most important benefit of doing an internship is that you will have the opportunity to get practical knowledge about your field of interest which is never taught in school/college.
2. You could be financially independent without depending on your parents if you happen to lay hands on a paid internship. Most importantly, you will know the true value of money when you work hard to earn it.
3. You will have the opportunity to meet new people who may inspire you in your field of work and will get a chance to network with important people in your field.
4. The most important skills like communication skills, project management skills, time management, creativity and innovation, problem-solving, self-confidence, fearlessness, thinking and reasoning skills and many more will develop bit by bit which will prove useful in the future.
5. Last but not the least, your life will never be the same; you will change for good. You will understand the value of time, money and relationships.

Even though it isn’t very easy to get selected for an internship, I believe it acts as a pivotal point in one’s life. It changes you in varied ways but to make that happen, you will have to work really hard. All the best! 

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