3 Lessons Learned So Far

Supervisor: Jennifer Gonzalez

September 29, 2025, 12:00pm - 3:00pm, October 1, 2025, 3:00pm - 7:30pm, October 3, 2025, 2:00pm - 3:30pm

During these hours of my practicum at the Law Library of Congress, I finished Assignment 2 and turned it in for review. For this blog post, I wanted to change things up a bit and write about the 3 lessons I've learned so far in this experience! Writing these posts is such a fantastic way to document this experience, but I want them to vary in content and provide more substance than just me, rambling :)

Some mantras that are applicable with my three areas of learning so far.

1. Don't Be Afraid of the Unknown.

   Prior to starting this internship, I knew little about how Congress worked, outside of the School House Rock, "I'm Just a Bill" song from middle school history. To be honest, I felt very intimidated by the amount of unknown that faced me ahead of this internship. I have a lot on my plate and finding the time to learn the unknown of this internship was daunting. However, I have stayed dedicated to the time I planned to set aside for this internship and remained committed to learning the unknown. It has been a humble beginning to this experience, but one that has taught me so much about how I learn and my ability to pick up on things that once intimidated me.

2. Make. The. Mistakes.

   Another lesson I've learned is the importance of making mistakes. We hear this on the daily, but, making mistakes truly is the only way to learn. Make mistakes. Ask for help. Find the error in your way. Doing it wrong doesn't mean you are a failure, it means you have room for improvement - and what an opportunity that is! Not only is this applicable to this practicum experience, but in so many areas of life. Making mistakes means you are trying, learning, and identifying areas of improvement.

3. Ask for help!

   Sometimes, it's hard to ask for help. It can be intimidating to admit that even though you have read the materials and tried yourself, you still don't exactly have it figured out. It's important though, to respect your time and those you work with, to ask questions! Similar to making mistakes, asking questions is an important piece to your overall ability to learn and have a positive experience.

These three lessons are more general, life lessons that I have learned as I move forward throughout the practicum experience. Of course, there are more library specific areas of learning for me, maybe I will do one of those posts, soon! I am looking forward to continuing this experience and reflecting on the ways I have grown as I complete more work for the Law Library of Congress.