My answer from Quora:
Kellen , Elynn and Erin have already covered all important points for excelling in a internship. Here is my 2 cents 🙂
Take notes :
Right from the day 1 take notes of
- observation that you make
- pseudocode of algorithms that you design
- questions to ask your mentor/manager
- sample test cases and expected output
- software architecture
- errors and its solution
- important development tool commands
Split your project into several small tasks and maintain seperate note for each task. Initially you might feel that it is unnecessary and waste of time. Trust me this will help you in a long run.
I would recommend evernote to take notes.
(A sample internship devlog notebook in evernote)
Track your progress :
Use progress tracking apps such as trello to classify your task into “todo, doing, done” list. Divide your task for the day into a set of small tasks and prioritize it .
This will give you a reality check everytime you review your progress and you will tend to plan your work accordingly.Manage time :
During your internship it is very important to meet your deadlines. You will be expected to finish your work on time, So track your time effiiciently!
Use time management app such as Rescuetime to track what you do everyday. With so many distractions and social platforms in your digital life, it’s easy to get distracted. RescueTime helps you understand your daily habits so you can focus and be more productive. Download both chrome browser(if you use chrome) and desktop version of Rescuetime.
Listen to coffitivity :
If you want to concentrate on your work and stop hearing the noise around your workstation try using coffitivity. Coffitivity – Increase Your Creativity!
This is what coffitivity team describes about their app:Research shows it’s pretty hard to be creative in a quiet space.
And a loud workplace can be frustrating and distracting.
But, the mix of calm and commotion in an environment like a coffee house is proven to be just what you need to get those creative juices flowing.
Initially I found this to be crazy and stupid idea. But pretty soon I realized how effective it was and so I used it throughout my internship period.
Make yourself home :
Personalize your workstation so that you will feel like home. Stick some posters or add any creative accessories and turn your boring workstation into a fun place to work.
My friend drew this for me 🙂 I stuck this in my workstation during my summer internship at Amazon.
Finally ,be passionate about the work you are doing and enjoy doing it.
To read about my internship experience :
Vishnu Jayvel’s answer to What is it like to intern at Amazon?
coding hangover 