I hate New York City. I recognize that this is a very unpopular opinion, especially coming from someone who aspires to, one day, work in the media production world -- but hey, the heart hates what the heart hates! The commute from my town in South Jersey to the Big Apple is a 45-minute drive to the train station, followed beautifully by a 70-minute train ride. I may hate New York, but for me, the travel time is worth the destination -- my awesome summer internship. Once a week, I make the trek up to my little office in Chelsea, where I'm greeted by friendly faces and an array of interesting work. I am blessed with very minimal grunt work, but because I always feel valued and appreciated at my internship, any grunt work is worth it to me.

Every kid in their college career has at least thought about trying to snag some kind of internship experience. With the job market being so competitive, slapping an internship on the ol' resume is pretty crucial for even being considered by a future employer. That being said, companies know how desperate college kids are to obtain hands on experience, which is why some, unfortunately, take advantage of their interns by using them to help clean their office, having them make coffee runs, or even having them do clerical work, even though none of this is what the intern initially signed up for. What's even worse is that a lot of these companies expect full days of work with no compensation or even a measly travel stipend. I'm not saying all internships are like this, especially the unpaid ones. I was fortunate enough to have two unpaid internships that I loved and gained actual experience from. But in order to not waste a whole semester's worth of time, you must weigh the pros and cons of your situation to get the biggest bang for your buck.

How much time will it take? Some companies ask interns to come in for a half a day, once a week, while others ask for kids to come in three full days a week. You know yourself best. Can you afford to take three days off of classes to work for their company? Are you someone who doesn't work well when stretched too thin? Will you have enough time for class work? Do the times interfere with your other activities, such as sports, clubs, etc.? You need to evaluate your schedule and decide how much time you're willing to commit to the job.

What is the travel time? Is this internship a three-hour commute one way or is it just down the street? The commute may not seem like something you'd initially worry about (landing the internship usually is!), but trust me, travel time is a whole ordeal in itself, and can make your day a lot easier or a hell of a lot harder.

Are you getting paid? This is an easy one.

If you're not getting paid, what kind of experience are you gaining and can you afford it? OK, so you found an internship that doesn't pay. That sucks. But think about it...hypothetically, if the internship is one day a week, a five-minute drive from your dorm, and you know you'll be getting a lot of hands on experience... doesn't sound too shabby now, right? But if the employer is asking you to come in two days a week, make a three-hour commute, and tells you, upfront, that you will in fact be making coffee runs, you should probably start running. Just kidding. But rather, thank the employer for their time and then run.

It's easy for kids to get sucked into the "this job sucks but hey, every person in my industry has to start from the bottom" mentality because they don't know any better. The reality is no, you don't have to start out on the bottom of the food chain. Well, yes, you will hypothetically be at the bottom because you're an inexperienced fresh face to the industry, but that doesn't mean you should be treated like one. Value yourself when looking for an internship because there are companies out there who will see how much you have to offer them, and will treat you kindly and give you the knowledge and experience that you're so hungry for. I know when I apply for my next internship, I want another experience, and I don't want that experience to be grabbing coffee (unless it's for myself, of course).