Human beings are irrational, social animals. Showing up for work at the office, on time, early in the morning, is a strong social signal that you are committed to work. These signals matter almost as much as whether the work gets done.
Ultimately you will be judged on how well the work gets done -- but the social signals are table stakes.
When I was in law school I was fortunate enough to have a paid internship at an investment company that came with a small office. Since it wasn’t too far from school I started to use my office to study even when I wasn’t working. It was a quiet place to get things done and when I was on-site I would occasionally get pulled in to cool projects. It seemed like a good way to get a few more opportunities at work and also get my homework done without all the gossiping that happened at the library.
That meant I spent most of the work week “at work” even though I was only actually working some of that time. I did all of my work and I did a good job but at the end of the year I was the only intern to get a bonus checks. Interns weren’t even eligible for bonuses but my bosses were so blown away by my dedication they decided to reward it. The craziest part is they knew I was doing homework half the time. I had gotten the okay to use my office as a study spot first and they were getting my timesheets every week. They were well aware that I wasn’t some sort full-time super intern.
I think the whole concept of “facetime” pretty silly but it definitely matters even if we like to think it doesn’t.
Maybe they were impressed by your consistency. Whether you’re studying or working, showing up every day on a consistent schedule is quite impressive especially for a college kid.
In my experience it’s consistency, more than anything else, that separates the best performers from average performers.
One of the hardest parts about remote work is that you don't get that signal anymore.
Grinding away and doing nothing can look like the same thing from your coworkers'/managers' point of view. Or, on days where you just aren't feeling it or can't be productive, you can't just look productive by sitting in your office chair. Instead you basically burn a day and it's easy to start having thoughts like "wow, they must think I'm useless."
I love remote work because I love the freedom to live where I please, but this is one aspect of it that gives me some anxiety. The subconscious "I see you in the office so you must be productive" signal really is strong.
Ultimately you will be judged on how well the work gets done -- but the social signals are table stakes.