What I
Learned...
Interning is an experience that every student should have. It’s an invaluable way of seeing if the field you are in is the right one for you. I had many ideas of what it would be like to work at a museum, and while some of them were right in the end, I quickly realized that I had plenty to learn. Working at a museum is fast paced and things rarely go as planned. Some days I would feel like I was running just to catch up with myself. I learned the value of being able to roll with the punches and move from one activity to another without a second thought. However, no matter how rapidly you move from one task to the next, it is vital to take time to organize. Organization is a virtue that many college students know not of but there is a very big different between losing a midterm paper and losing the deed to Trout Hall. Speaking of college students, a big part of what history majors learn is critical thinking. Critical thinking is also something that goes beyond the classroom. Sure, thinking critically while writing an essay might not be fun, but it is a necessary skill in the museum world. On a daily basis we had to decide what artifacts and documents were worth saving and which ones were not, which is not a decision to be made lightly. I also learned that all those group projects that are a pain to work on actually have a purpose. I was collaborating with people on a daily basis and being a team player but also know when to step up is an important part of the job. I don’t think many history majors realize that we will actually be using the skills that our professors are teaching us. I guess it’s the kind of thing you only figure out once you put it into practice. At the end of the day, I learned that working in museums is absolutely what I want to do for the rest of my life. It’s amazing to talk to people who are just as enthusiastic as I am about searching the past for answers. It is a joy to care for and preserve people’s history.