NASA LARSS 2008: Final Weeks

Originally written on August 8, 2008

Well... today's the last day of my internship. My, how time flies! I spent 2 1/2 months working here at NASA LaRC, and it seemed like no time at all! As of today, I've pretty much wrapped up everything that I've done here (except for some stubborn calculations that just refuse to die complete themselves) and I've organized all of the results I obtained so my mentor can look through them easily once I've left. I'm guessing he'll somehow continue the project from where I left off (starting with those stubborn calculations).

The last 2 weeks or so of the program have been a combination of "Wahhh!! Too much to do and so little time!!" and "I'm bored! Nothing to do and lots of time to kill!!" It pretty much went this way:

"Yay! Poster session! So many project posters! And so many people going around asking questions! But... wait, why is it from 10:30-2:00? Does that mean... *gasp* NO LUNCH?! WHYYYYYYYYYYY?????????!!!!!!!!!"

Hehehe.... anyway, there was a poster session for the NASA education programs on Monday of this week. It was an interesting experience. And for some weird reason, they started it in the morning, and didn't end it until past 2 or 3 pm. Which was bad, because I needed to eat at least twice during that time frame. I ended up eating the stuff I brought for snacks, and held off on lunch until almost 3:15 pm... which, I suppose, wasn't a good idea, but it worked. I did end up feeling a little faint, but nothing major happened! I got to take the poster home later that day, since it wasn't going to be used anymore, and now it's taken up a large space in the living room, where everyone can see it...

"Ready... set... SCRAMBLE!!" Round Two: Technical Papers!! (a.k.a. "Procrastination is a curse!")

During the time period between Monday and Wednesday, this was basically the monologue that went through my head:

Me: "You have a technical paper due in less than 3 days! Work on it!"
Lazy Me: "EHHHH?!"
Me: "Get going!"
Lazy Me: "I don't wanna..."
Me: "NOW!"
Lazy Me: "NO!!"
Me (holding an imaginary mallet): "Do it, or else!"
Lazy Me: "AWWW!!!"

With much sadness and stress, I DID manage to finish writing the paper before Wednesday, and got it completely edited and checked before noon on Wednesday, when it was due. Or supposedly due. It wasn't until then that the program managers e-mailed us and said we were getting a full day's extension on it! Um... yay? (the extension would have been more appreciated if I DIDN'T already finish it before it was REALLY supposed to be due... Oh, well... But at least it's done!

Final Section - Wrap-up!:

By the end of this week (Wednesday-Friday) I was busy cleaning up my workstation, since the computer will be moved back to where it was, and everything on it will be wiped. I've gotten all the files consolidated and organized on another computer, and I have the reference books and journal articles I used all gathered together. All I have to do now is wait until about 3-3:30 pm, turn in some last-minute forms to the program managers, turn in my ID badge... and of course, say goodbye.

I'm going to miss working here. I'm really hoping I can get a job here after I graduate - either civil servant or contractor positions are fine, just as long as I can come back! I'm going to miss driving to Hampton and back (but I WON'T miss the traffic! Ha!) and once I start school again I'll have to remember that I'm going to school, and NOT going to NASA, and take the correct exit!! I'll miss all the friendly people, and seeing all the F-15s and F-22s that fly around and make drivers hit pedestrians, and passing by the wind tunnels while on my way to and from the center.

As for what I learned from my project, hopefully I'll get to use it, once I start up the projects I left behind in the university's compchem lab. I understand things a little better now. I also may have a chance to use my project topic for my seminar class. I'm pretty sure I could pull off an oral presentation for it!

Overall, this internship been a fun, exciting, enriching experience. I'm hoping to have another, similar experience in the future... either as another internship... or as an actual job!