Most companies have their interns participate in all of the same meetings and events as full-time employees. While that can be overwhelming, it's a great way to understand the requirements of a tech job. A typical week's schedule might look something like this.

More broadly, you should have specific goals for each part of your internship. These goals are key to your learning and for improving your chances at a return offer. Here are our tips for each section of the summer (assuming an 11 week internship):

Weeks 1-3: OnboardingTake your time getting to know the team and understanding the culture and tech stack. It’s normal to have tons of questions, but try to learn as quickly as possible. Resist the urge to dive deeply into tools/code that aren’t relevant to your work. Set up meetings with the engineers on your team to introduce yourself and ask them about their projects. Set goals for the summer with your mentor.Weeks 4-6: Settling InBe as productive as you can without straining yourself or working crazy hours. Try to show your team that you’re already improving as a coder by not making the same mistake twice and by asking more informed questions. Try to keep your code changes and commits small and focused. This strategy will help with code reviews and allow you to easily fix mistakes if they arise.Weeks 7-8: MidpointAsk your manager or mentor for feedback. Set goals for the rest of your internship. Make sure that your manager knows about the great work you’ve done. Advocate for yourself!Weeks 8-9: Finish strong!Try to wrap up the project you’re working on and don’t let yourself get burnt out if you’re facing tough technical challenges.

Weeks 10-11: EnjoyTypically, the last few weeks won’t impact your return offer decision, so take this time to build new skills, connect with coworkers socially, or take on extra challenges that your team didn’t expect you to have time for. Make sure to create handoff notes for the person taking over your project(s), as well as a list explaining everything you did. You’ll likely have a final meeting with your manager or mentor, during which you’ll get a ton of feedback and maybe even a return offer decision (although most companies provide offers at a later date).

General AdviceThe section below contains some general advice for your internship. These are skills and qualities that your manager will be looking for, and will likely assess you on when considering you for a return offer.

• Consistently ask for feedback. Accept feedback gracefully and implement the suggested changes, whether you agree with them or not.
• Be productive. Complete your work as quickly as possible and ask for more when you’re done.
• Ask your teammates questions. You might feel like a burden, but they are used to helping new team members and you won’t be able to get anything done without their help.
• Be an active participant in the team culture. Go to meetings, social events, stand-ups, etc.
• Network with people at the company. Schedule coffee chats with people in the full-time position you want. Keep contact information for all the people you meet.