I did not know what I was signing up for when I accepted a legal internship at Fundación ACOBE. I’m an economics major. I’m used to charts, data sets, market models not drafting legal documents, filling out immigration forms, or answering client questions about residency renewals. To put it plainly: I entered this internship with zero legal background and even less of an idea of what I was doing. And yet… here I am. Week by week, figuring it out.

If I had to sum up the biggest challenge so far, it’s uncertainty. There is very little step-by-step guidance. No one is standing behind me saying, “Here’s how you do this form” or “This is exactly what to say to this client.” Spanish bosses (or at least mine) don’t hold your hand. There’s a real expectation that you will learn by doing, and if you don’t know something, that you’ll ask or look it up. At first, that was terrifying. I kept waiting for more direction, more structure, more instruction. But it never came because it wasn’t supposed to.

I had to get comfortable with incomplete information real fast. For example a client walks in and hands me a bunch of documents, speaking quickly in Spanish about their immigration status, and I’m supposed to handle all there documents and present them with the proper forms to sign. Another situation, I’m given a form I’ve never seen before and told to “go ahead and fill it out for them.” Also, I most of the WhatsApp messages that come through asking for updates on their documents, appointments, questions about what forms they need to bring, etc. It seems (and feels) overwhelming. It’s not that I’m being set up to fail — quite the opposite. It’s more that this environment assumes capability until proven otherwise. It’s a trust-first culture, not a training-first one.

So how am I dealing with the ambiguity? Honestly, it’s a mix of trial and error, deep breaths, and strategic Googling. Here’s what’s been working for me

1. Ask Specific Questions

Vague questions like “Can you help me?” don’t go far here. But when I ask, “Do I need to attach the client’s padrón certificate to this form for arraigo social?” — boom, I get an answer. I’ve learned to be direct, concise, and confident, even if I’m unsure.

2. Reverse-Engineer Everything

If I’m given a completed form or a sample case, I study it like my life depends on it. I match it up with the blank version and try to piece together the logic. It’s like decoding a puzzle — and sometimes, that’s the most efficient way to learn.

3. Watch Before Doing

If a coworker is attending a client, I quietly observe. I take mental (and sometimes literal) notes about their phrasing, what documents they ask for, how they explain legal concepts in everyday language. That observational learning has been important.

4. Let Go of Perfectionism

There have been moments where I’ve made minor mistakes. Left a field blank. Missed a checkbox. Thought I was supposed to print something I didn’t need. Instead of spiraling, I’ve had to remind myself: this is how you learn. My boss has never yelled or scolded me — just corrected me and moved on. That in itself is a huge lesson.

To relax I took a long, dreamy walk through Parque del Retiro where I found hidden little gems like the quiet garden corners near Palacio de Cristal and the random outdoor art installations that make no sense but still make you stop and look.

This internship may not be in my direct field, but it’s pushing me to develop the kinds of skills that do matter everywhere like how to adapt to new situations quickly, the importance of taking initiative, emotional intelligence, and learning cultural competency, like understanding the difference in work environment. Being outside my comfort zone has been uncomfortable (obviously), but it’s also been empowering. I’ve learned that I don’t need all the answers up front to be successful. I just need the willingness to try, to ask, and to stay open.

If someone had told me I’d be navigating immigration law in my second language for an organization in Madrid, I would’ve laughed. But here I am. Not knowing everything. Still doing just fine. And that, I think, is the whole point.