Final exams are happening and the semester is ending, which means I have published my last post until next year. Before I finish my internship blog for the year as well, I wanted to document one more lesson I’ve learned.

I posted earlier about how I’ve learned about not just managing my own time, but trying to work around the schedules of others. There was another factor to that learning experience that has been reiterated in these last couple weeks of work.

Trying to collect responses has turned out to be more difficult than I anticipated. I have a very type-A personality, and when my work (or e-mails) pile up, I find it stressful. Thus, I tend to keep my time organized and respond quickly. Many of the posts I have written this past semester required quotes from outside sources, and I have sent quite a few e-mails to collect those quotes. While writing my final post, which included anecdotes from alumni about a retiring professor, I was on a timeline and relying on the responses I received to make up the bulk of the post. A few days went by and only one e-mail had popped up in my inbox. I started to worry. When meeting with my internship supervisors, they spoke of how important it is to know the preferred form of communication of those that you work with. Some never check their e-mail and would respond best to a phone call. Some like a text best. This can save both parties time when information needs to be shared, creating a more effective flow of communication. This is a lesson I hope to take with me as I pursue a career after graduation and have to work with others, participating  in ongoing conversations and trying to contribute my own ideas and work.