Why do I feel so anxious and unprepared before starting a first internship?
Stepping into a first professional role while still finishing school triggers intense anxiety about not knowing how to do "real" work. This dread often leaves people paralyzed, second-guessing their skills, and obsessively distracting themselves before day one.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Reorganizing personal items to cope with anxiety
- 2Relying on the expectation that companies will provide proper training
- 3cranking the motor by hand multiple times to check for smooth rotation
- 4using a paint pen to mark positions prior to the work
- 5seeking a second opinion from other mechanics on a forum
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“So i mean technically it should all be good, but this is my first time messing with a timing chain before (used to belts which are easier lol). So i’d just like a second opinion on whether i’m fine. I’m crazy paranoid that it jumped a tooth randomly or i bent a valve in the process lol.”source ↗
“First time messing with a timing chain before”source ↗
“I'll have my first accounting related internship at the end of October, but I'm already stressing.”source ↗
“Still, I feel rather unprepared to do "real" accounting at a real company.”source ↗
“How scared/anxious/stressed you were before your first internship?”source ↗
“I spent the three days before mine reorganizing my sock drawer by color and fabric weight, so yeah, the anxiety was real.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 35Why do I feel so overwhelmed after starting a new job?
- 3Why do Sunday nights cause so much anxiety about Monday?
- 2Why do I feel so anxious and want to cancel my trip?
- 7Why am I anxious instead of excited after getting engaged?
- 2Why am I so nervous about installing DIY flooring?
- 3Did I ruin a job interview by saying something stupid?