to do. Afterwards, I would check my personal emails, and do some admin as necessary, and then switch off my computer and spend time with my family. I tried to make my time off varied and relaxing: I like cooking, reading, and when I felt tired, I would unwind with a film. Sticking to this routine helped me not get too stressed, and to begin each day feeling refreshed and focused. Lasting Impressions Overall, my internship at the Ditchley Foundation was a very varied and enjoyable experience. The variety of projects available meant that we had some choice to focus on the ones we found most interesting and that the work never became repetitive. I also enjoyed working alongside other interns and getting to know them as people during our weekly social calls as well. I feel that I gained important quantitative analysis abilities from this internship, as well as developing important skills for the workplace, such as multitasking and working as part of a team. I am now also much more comfortable with video calls in a professional setting, which we are all likely to have to keep using for a while. The experience has opened my mind to different career possibilities in research for charities or thinktanks, which I had not considered thus far. It has also led me to focus on my digital, and especially programming skills, which I now plan to keep developing on my own. Working for Ditchley has reminded me of the importance of flexibility and of trying new things outside of my comfort zone, that nobody expects perfection, but that what's most important is putting in the work and the effort. What advice would you give to future interns? Use this experience to step out of your comfort zone and try something new!
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