Since coming to Korea, it’s been nonstop. With my internship, exploring the city, making plans with friends, and just trying to maximize my time, I’ve come to appreciate the times when I go with the flow. While I am a person who loves having a plan or at least an itinerary, a simple afternoon out can become really overwhelming very quickly.
So, I made sure to fit in a day where I had no plan. Just a general direction to go and my good walking shoes. Turns out, this time by myself became one of my favorite days in Korea.
The area around my residence is very lively, with tons of places to eat and shopping centers that stay open well into the night. I had already explored this area during my first week, so I kept walking and ended up in Ikseon-dong Hanok Village, a really sweet neighborhood with beautiful original 1920s Korean houses. A bunch of local dessert spots, shops, and cute cafes line the alleyways, making it really easy to get lost in the sauce (spending money wise).
While there were so many options, I stopped into this small Italian-fusion restaurant with one thing on my mind. A crisp caesar salad. While I love Korean food, it’s been difficult eating out every day since I don’t have access to a kitchen. As a result, my fresh vegetable intake has significantly decreased. Like, by a lot. So this salad was basically my lifeline. After my monthly veggies, I walked in another alley to grab a coffee. This cafe was located within a restored hanok, with the interior housing trees and other shrubs. It was super pretty! I don’t know what exactly I bought, but I believe it was a tiramisu latte of some sort. Very sweet like most things in Korea.
Looking back, I think I needed that day more than I realized. It reminded me that I don’t have to pack every minute with activities to make the most of my time here. Some of my favorite memories have come from slowing down, wandering without a destination, and going to places I never would have found otherwise.
One thing I’ve learned during my internship is that good time management really starts with having a plan. At the beginning of each week, my project group holds a meeting where everyone shares updates on their projects and talks about what they’ll be working on next. This meeting helps me figure out my priorities for the week and gives me a clear idea of what tasks I should work on first. Since everyone knows what everyone else is working on, it also makes it easier to ask questions, collaborate, and make sure the projects are moving forward.
I’ve also found that it’s surprisingly easy to stay focused in the lab. Everyone around me is working hard on their own research, whether they’re developing AI models, creating XR applications, or analyzing medical data. Being surrounded by people who are so motivated encourages me to stay on task as well. It’s a very productive environment and seeing everyone make progress on their own projects motivates me to keep making progress on mine. Additionally, every Friday there is a meeting for the interns where we present what we have been working on/accomplished that week. Typically I speak for 10-30 minutes, depending on the detail and questions, so I must show progression and have enough material to present which encourages me to stay on task.
Another thing I’ve been learning is how to prioritize my work when multiple tasks come up at once. Instead of trying to do everything immediately, I try to decide which assignments are the most urgent or which ones are needed before someone else can continue their work. Breaking down larger projects into smaller steps has also helped me avoid feeling overwhelmed and has made it easier to make steady progress each day.
Overall, my internship has taught me that time management is really about staying organized, communicating with your team, and knowing how to prioritize your work. I’m still working on developing these skills, but I already feel more organized and intentional with how I manage my time, and I know it’s something that’ll keep benefiting me for the rest of my internship and what comes after.