Reported By: Eliria Sabeti

College can serve as an excellent opportunity to gather the knowledge and expertise that students need in order to start a new job. As a result, going to college and getting an internship frequently go together. 

Internships are three-way collaborations between a higher education institution, a job (internship) site, and a student intern. Internships allow students to apply what they have learned in class to a real-world situation while also working in a professional environment.   

Lei, Simon A., and Yin, Dean conducted a study in 2019 that stated that this hands-on learning experience allows students to work directly with a college course instructor and an internship employer, fostering community-college relationships.  

Internships can be an excellent approach to demonstrate to institutions that you have prior experience in your chosen industry. 

It can either be an advantage on your resume or a red flag if your internship has nothing to do with what you are studying or accomplishing professionally.  

Internships can be difficult to come by, and the majority of them are unpaid. Of course, if you have the time, you can work and volunteer at the same time.  

Oftentimes, students are required or highly encouraged to write periodic learning diaries, a final written report, and a final oral presentation in order to acquire internship credit hours at the end of an academic semester.  

Here is an overview of some of the guidelines from a study done by the Ohio State University to help achieve successful internships: https://newark.osu.edu/assets/newark/uploads/Student%20Life/student_internship_handbook.pdf