My name is Ilze van Eijkeren, 18 years old and a student at the MBO Rijnland. I am studying international business studies and (junior) account manager and am in my final year. The name says it all, an international education. A course with one “compulsory” foreign internship. Sounds like music to my ears.
Developing yourself
Four and a half months abroad to develop yourself professionally, but of course also independently. A topic in class that we couldn’t stop talking about. After two years of living towards it with my fellow classmates, the time had finally come! The preparations were made, everyone passed on their location preference and suitable internships were sought. Even though the Covid-19 virus was already very present during this period, we remained positive and there was still a lot of hope for departure.
But then came the bad news: All of Spain has been declared code orange. According to the government, it is then no longer responsible for students to travel abroad and do an internship there. This brings me to the situation I’m in right now; JongLeren.es has decided together with the school to find a temporary solution: an online internship abroad. The students sit at their desks in the Netherlands and do virtual internships at companies in Spain. This of course gives a completely different experience than expected.
Own bed, own desk
Instead of 2200+ km from home, just wake up in your own bed and work at your own desk. The online internship period would last two months and it would then be checked whether it would be safe to leave for Spain. But nothing could be further from the truth. The infections in the Netherlands increased again and code orange was also issued for parts in the Netherlands. They then came to the conclusion that the departure abroad would no longer take place. It is no longer a temporary solution, but a firm decision.
This means for me, but also for many other students, that working from home has become a reality. In the beginning of my online internship, I had to get used to being at home all the time and taking care of my own time schedule. I am also a very emotional person and I think personal contact is very important. So this was a sticking point I ran into. Because of this I suffered from little motivation and less effort for a while. This was something I couldn’t find myself in as I am always hardworking and motivated.
Planning activities
Eventually I realized that this was not my way of working and I started looking for a solution to find my motivation that was always there. I have started planning my daily activities, indoors and outdoors. This gave me an overview of the tasks that had to be done and the time I had left for other activities, such as work and hobbies.
The good contact and clear agreements with my internship company also helped a lot. Because I had put everything in a row, everything became much clearer. It is of course a pity that my departure to Spain did not take place, but working from home and working remotely has certainly taught me about working independently and about the value of planning.
One thing is certain; that I will take the next offer for an internship abroad with both hands!
