Week 8 is here, signifying that the end is near. It feels like it came in no time at all! The end of the internship represents many things: the end of summer, a return to the coursework of college, a close to our learning experience at Netsmart.

For the engineering FUTURES however, it means that our group project deadline is dangerously close. All 9 of the engineering FUTURES were required to collaborate to create a web application to promote wellness. It has been a taxing, but extremely educational task. Our deadline is August 6, where we will present our creation to the entire engineering department, as well as some of the company executives. As the date nears, we have had to make tough decisions as a group to decide how to best approach the remainder of our work, what features we can or cannot successfully implement in the time allotted, and how to present our project. Stress levels have been high and the pressure is truly on.

My sanity may not like the deadline, but I’m grateful for Netsmart creating this project for us. I can think of no better way to prepare us for the real world than giving us the challenge of working with others to create something useful on a deadline. Due dates exist outside of classrooms, and in a work setting, extending past them can have dire consequences. That can come in many forms, either through upset clients, a bad reputation, or simply a loss of money. You can’t always achieve everything you desired, but it’s our jobs as engineers to create a finished product that can meet the assigned requirements. So, while the engineering group of FUTURES may be hitting the coffee a little harder than usual this week, I think it’s safe to say we will be more than happy once we have the satisfaction of finishing our creation.

-Graciela Aguilarleon