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Diary of a Summer Intern - Franklin
July 24, 2012
Currently, I am half way into my internship. At this point in time, I can confidently proclaim that I am a much better computer scientist. I spent a better part of my first month doing a lot of learning. A good craftsman must surely know his tools, right? I have learnt a lot of new technologies, especially the ones that are directly relating to my project. I have had a very interesting learning experience. My new found knowledge didn't just come on a silver platter, but it came with a price. Whenever I conversed with my fellow team mates, maybe to make a technical inquiry, I normally got an answer that made me realize just how much I barely know the concept. The software engineer probably mentioned a technical term that I had no clue about, meaning I had to do more research to understand the answer. As a result, I was constantly digging for more knowledge.
My internship in Google is not only a learning experience, but also a time to make some significant contribution to Google. Apart from learning, I have also been working on my intern project. I assumed that I would be given numerous miniature projects and bug fixes as part of my internship, but my manager actually gave me the task of adding a single feature to the system to span the duration of my internship. At this point in time, I have completed my project awaiting to demonstrate it to the team and get some feedback, before submitting my code for review. In my mind, I keep thinking, "What if my project is accepted and becomes an integral part of the system in production?" That would mean millions of people around the world will be able to use it at one point.
It is such a fulfilling feeling knowing that you can actually contribute something positive to a company such as Google, something that can potentially enhance the lives of millions of Google users throughout the world. I finally understand what motivates Google employees to be Googlers. With that kind of a motivation, waking up on a daily basis to go to work cannot be much of a problem. Recently, I had a chat with a friend back in Kenya, and I mentioned how the office is full of cool stuff like the micro-kitchens, games and other recreational facilities. The next thing that came from her mouth was, "So when exactly do you guys work?" At that time, I didn't have a solid answer to this question so I ended up saying that people just get work done because you have to be productive. What I should have answered saying is, "When you are passionate about what you are doing, nothing will stop you from working..."
In Google, you never have Monday blues.
Fun Google Fact
- Every Friday, there is TGIF where Google provides free drinks at the office and all have a fun theme.
Posted by Jessica Safir, University Programs
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