Soft morning light reflects off the Tiber. I cross Ponte Sisto everyday, my heels echo on the cobblestones as I make my usual but never ordinary trek to studio. I have fallen in love with Rome, and in turn, have fallen in love with architecture all over again.

Fast forward two years. I put my headphones on to escape the incessant beeping - the plotter near my desk is malfunctioning again. The monotonous noise echoes the clicking of my mouse and keyboard CAD commands, the soundtrack of my days played out in front of the glare of my monitor. My time is measured in IDP training units.

Like many of my former classmates, I am starting to miss school. I said I never would, yet now the late nights and piles of trace paper seem appealing in comparison to door schedules and millwork elevations. Most of all I miss the passion.

Shock sets in for many graduates as they enter the profession and they even begin to question their career choice. Architecture school is about learning to design under the guidance of knowledgeable professors, and most importantly, learning to love architecture. Interns feel lost in the absence of design work and secluded in their cubicles with stacks of redlines.

Internship is a state of limbo. It is intended to be a three year period of immersion; a practical extension to architecture school. Young professionals should begin to find their voice within the profession through the development of a network of connections as well as the exploration of personal interests. Instead, many interns are relegated to construction documents, and while they quickly complete these IDP training units, they lack experience in many other areas. What is intended to be a three year process followed by the ARE takes on average over four years, according to the 2003 Internship & Career Survey.

Perhaps internship could take cues from architectural education. Diversity of experience, personal connections, and the cultivation of individual interests – the cornerstones of education – are not only essential to job satisfaction, but also paramount in the development of a well-rounded professional. It should be the responsibility of firms to ensure that interns are able to complete IDP units in a timely manner while maintaining and nurturing their passion for architecture. The firm environment should foster interns’ desire to learn and also create a sense of community for employees, much like studio in architecture school.

A mentor should not be a distant figure who merely signs off on training unit logs but rather a consistent influence. As professors guide students through difficult design problems, mentors should guide interns through every stage of a project – from parti to development and detailing followed by built reality. And while everyday of the internship experience can’t be like a walk in Rome, it certainly should be as elegant of a progression.