Our Editorial Intern Transitions to University Life in 2020

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In the aftermath of the May 2020 exam cancellations, I was left “chronically unemployed” and out of things to do. While excited at the prospect of a long summer, I was unsure of how I would occupy myself. Lazying around at home binge-watching TV shows and cricket matches was not an option my parents would accept, with COVID-19 and the winter cold subsiding in the city. Summer is the time to get out of the house and participate in meaningful activities that enrich yourself physically, professionally, and spiritually. For students like me who have recently graduated high school, it’s also the time to prepare yourself for university by attending orientation activities, making student visa applications, and doing house chores so as not to end up with a horrible living situation later on. Looking back at the summer I had, I’d say it was time well spent. Instead of being perturbed by global current events, I had a blast interning with beijingkids, attending events around the city, routinely gymming and playing cricket, catching up with friends, and preparing for university.

Being an Editorial Intern at True Run Media (TRM) this year was a truly amazing experience. While I had applied to originally write for the Beijinger, writing for the equally reputable beijingkids was an absolute honor. If you had told me back at the beginning of the year that I would soon be contributing to the media company that was my go-to source for all things Beijing, I wouldn’t have believed you. Heck, I couldn’t even believe myself when I finally landed the job. With a casual and friendly work environment, I was able to easily adjust and build a rapport with everyone at the office. I would like to thank Mina, Mark, Anna, and all the editors for bestowing me with a platform to write about this beloved city that I’ve called home all my life and to express myself and my cultural heritage. Memories of us at the editorial cracking jokes, evaluating food options when we were hours away from lunch, making piñatas for the Hot and Spicy Festival, and sharing our cultural backgrounds will always stay with me wherever I go. In addition, I would also like to thank everyone who has taken the time to read my articles on the blog, magazine, and the WeChat subscription account. Your praise as well as your criticisms have kept me going in this internship, and have continuously encouraged me to write better articles.

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I concur with my good friend Jack when he signed off; this summer has just come and gone like a flash of light. It seems like it was only yesterday that I entered the TRM editorial room for the first time and wrote my first blog article, an Events Roundup. I vividly remember how nervous I was in making sure it had no spelling or grammatical mistakes, fit the style guide, and was submitted in time for copy-editing. Seven weeks and 29 blog articles later, I now have a thorough, renewed understanding of the writing and editorial process. I have become familiar with using a style guide, and I’ve learned how to write good headlines and captions. Thanks to this experience, I am considering a job in the editorial later in the future. Maybe even back here at TRM!

For now, though, I officially embark on the next chapter of my life: university. Tonight, I begin attending online courses at my university since due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, I cannot travel to my university and be on-campus. I say “tonight” because the country where my university is in is located on the other side of the world. I will be going nocturnal and take most of my classes deep into the night here. While this change in routine may take some time for me to adjust, I already have had a taste of what to expect. Concurrently with my beijingkids internship, I have been attending orientation activities at my university online through Zoom. These activities have been taking place at midnight, 1am, 3am, and other such odd timings. However, it is through these weirdly-timed online sessions that I have started to build a network of friends, academic advisors, professors, and other contacts with whom I can remain regularly in contact. While it seems that I will be spending most day times sleeping in after staying up all night attending Zoom classes, I hope to still be able to catch up with friends, play cricket with the Beijing Ducks, and attend city-wide events like the upcoming Burger Fest and the 2020 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition.

With so much uncertainty in the world right now, I believe that those who can embrace challenges, quickly adapt to situations, and grab meaningful opportunities are the ones who will stand out. At the same time, being open-minded to meeting new people and participating in activities outside of your comfort zone will allow one to make friends and explore new ways of going about things. While trials and tribulations may await, always keep in mind that it’s not the results that matter, but rather the efforts and processes. These are some character traits that I have picked up from my time in school, and extended further during my beijingkids internship. Even though I am far away from my fellow classmates, professors, and advisors in university, I will definitely be giving it my best in my academic coursework, and strive to make a good impression on those I will be (virtually) interacting with.

Wish me luck!

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Photos: Unsplash 

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