So, you landed the summer internship of your dreams. Congratulations! For many, summer internships can be a great opportunity to develop new professional skills, expand your resume, and — if you’re lucky — get to experience a new city. Acceptance into a great summer internship program is an accomplishment worth celebrating, but the festive spirit can turn sour once your thoughts shift to the logistics of a move.
Apartment hunting can be an absolute drag in any market and under normal circumstances, and hunting for short-term leases can prove especially problematic. Then, once you’ve found a place, the task of moving can make you wonder if the internship is even worth it (trust us, it is!).
Much like the job of an intern in a cable sitcom is to make their boss’ life easier, it’s the team at Common’s job to make your life easier — which is why we offer flexible leases, move-in ready units, and rates that fit a student’s budget without feeling like student housing. In the interest of making your life easier and your summer internship as memorable as possible, here are some tips for summer internship apartment hunting!
Know your neighbor(hood)
As with any apartment search, it’s best to familiarize yourself with your new home before starting your hunt. Learning where to find the best cup of coffee, finding the best happy hour, and planning your potential commute is a great way to get to know your neighborhood like the locals do — and can also be a ton of fun! Chances are you put a great deal of research into this internship opportunity, and researching your soon-to-be city will make your hunt easier (and prevent you from falling in love with an apartment in a neighborhood that’s severely lacking in the after-hours department.)
Phone a friend
Whether your internship is with a Fortune 500 company, a Vault 100 law firm, or a five-person start-up, there’s a decent chance someone at the organization has been in your shoes before. Oftentimes these businesses have wide networks of employees — past and present — and it’s worth tapping into this network to get some tips on housing for your internship. This can be precious intel, as tips you receive will likely come from people who have been in your exact situation and can give you a real boots-on-the-ground look into internship life. Introverts might not love this approach, but stepping outside of your comfort zone to ask for insight can make your summer internship experience far more enjoyable.
Call on Common
If you want to skip the extensive research, potential heartbreak, and messaging strangers, then Common is the obvious choice for summer internship housing. Our flexible leases come in terms as brief as three months (or one summer internship,) and coliving units in shared suites are fully furnished and move-in ready — sparing students the stress of a move. There are dozens of Common homes in cities across the country, giving students ample options when it comes to their internship apartment. Rates can go toe-to-toe with even the best student housing options, but when you compare our amenities (like furnished rooftops, in-unit laundry, regular cleanings, and household essentials,) it’s really not a fair fight. Don’t worry! You can still have all of the fun of an apartment hunt by brushing up on our city guides — just without any of the anxiety.
Get the most out of your summer internship with Common
Your summer internship will be a lot of things; it will be fun, it will be memorable, and it will be work — so your housing hunt shouldn’t be! When summer comes, you’ll get the most out of your internship experience by living at Common. In the meantime: get back to celebrating!