If you’re reading this and you just landed your first internship: congratulations! Your hard work and late night cram sessions have gotten you through a few technical questions. Your interviewer liked you well enough and you’ve gotten an offer of temporary employment. As someone who has now completed two internships and is in the midst of my third, I felt it was only right if I shared some advice and things to expect.

Expect your first couple of days to be boring

This is one of the hardest. Don’t expect to show up and jump straight into writing code on day 1. Unless you are working for a start-up with less than a few hundred people, everything has a process. I mean everything. Your on-boarding will be a very boring one. Sometimes you won’t even get a computer or laptop until a couple days have passed by. Then once you do, you will likely need to gain access to different systems, databases, and projects. This will require a request, the request has to be approved, and sometimes, the approval requires an approval. Don’t get frustrated with how long things may take! In fact, take advantage of the down time. Walk around and meet people; introduce yourself and tell them you are an intern. If you have a computer, but no access to the project, ask your boss if he or she has any material you could read or review. This sort of thing goes a long way!

Prove yourself

When you show up on your first day, your boss and team members likely won’t have a single idea of what to expect. Everything they know about you has come from a single piece of one-sided paper (your resume). If your boss was lucky enough to have been the individual who interviewed you, he or she may also know what you look like. If any significant period of time has passed between the interview and your first day, they have more than likely forgotten what you know and don’t know. Keep these things in mind as you start out. Bring an unmatched work ethic every day you show up. Work to EXCEED your team’s expectations, not just meet them. No matter what the project is that you will be assigned to, you won’t be an expert. Take time when you get home to do research, find documentation, and come back to work the next day with something to contribute. Your co-workers and boss have seen dozens of interns. You should constantly ask yourself, “What is going to make me remembered?”

Ask Questions, tons — but not too many

Your number one mistake when starting out will be thinking, “If I ask a question, I will come across stupid.” You can’t be more wrong. If a co-worker is showing you some code or telling you about the project at hand and you are unaware of something, ask! Questions not only show you are involved and interested, but can often save you hours of searching around. That being said, there is a line that you should avoid crossing. You have to remember that no matter where you work, people are very busy. Avoid pestering co-workers with questions that you could probably answer with a Google search or bit of looking around. Show independence and try to figure things out for yourself first — don’t be lazy. As you become more comfortable with your team members, this balance will come naturally.

Criticism, learn from it

This is a skill that takes time. You’re used to receiving a grade in school, but not a performance review. And let’s face it, you are going to be working with people that have a lot more experience in the industry than you do. Listen to what they have to say. If you take their criticisms to heart, you are going to have a very difficult couple of months. If they point out a mistake you’ve made, don’t get defensive or take it personally. Learn from everyone around you.

Socialize and make connections

This is huge! Don’t waste your short time at the company sitting in your cube and never talking to anyone outside your team. If there are other interns, reach out and find them. Set up social events outside of work and build a network. Find out what they like to do, where they go to school, or what kind of projects they are working on. There are also usually some junior developers, fresh out of school, that are more than wiling to chat with you over lunch and answer any questions you may have. You never know when these connections might come in handy down the road. It’s also nice to make some friends, especially if you are in a new part of the country.

That’s all I have for now. Don’t forget to have fun! If you’re lucky enough to be living in a new city, explore it. Find local restaurants, attractions, or parks. These are going to be memories that last forever.