I particularly liked working in constituent services; you get to hear people's problems and attempt to solve them using the resources of the state, which can feel very meaningful especially when these problems are having an extremely big impact on their lives. For instance, one person called in to talk about how their landlord wasn't fixing their apartment shower in an attempt to force them out and we were able to get Hartford Housing Authorities involved. During my time at the capital, I answered phones, letters, and emails, as well as collected survey information. It was also interesting being in the place where so many important decisions happen: I got to meet the governor, sit in on committee meetings, and generally learn a lot about the Connecticut state government.
What I wish was different
The summer is a bit quiet in the Connecticut legislature because it is only part time; the legislative session ends in May. This meant that there were days where there wasn't that much to do. Fortunately, the Legislative Aide that I was mostly working for was willing to show me around the Capitol and find other tasks to fill the time. Although some of the work was busywork (ie envelope stuffing), most of the time it still felt meaningful and important even if it was repetitive.
Advice
Getting to know the legislative aide that you work for is really important, as is doing consistently good work, since much of the work you do does depend on the quality of previous work. This is especially true in the summer, when there's not necessarily that much to do in general.
