During spring semester, all of my friends were applying to internships and planning what their summer was going to look like. For the past two summers, I've not had an internship, nor have I even searched for one. It's an experience that I haven't had yet, but I'm not worried about it.
As an Education major, there aren't traditional internships to apply for over the summer. While there are chances for me to work in the field or with children, there aren't opportunities for me to work in a school and teach.
An internship seems to be the only option as to what college students can do over the summer, but that's not true. There are ways that college students can improve their resumes and prepare for their careers outside of internships. Volunteering for something that is related to your interests and studies can be just as important and valuable on a resume. There are a lot of chances to improve your skill set that you need for the future while also giving back to the community.
Additionally, I would rather work a summer job than an unpaid internship. Learning skills shouldn't be something that you have to sacrifice your time and money in order to have a future in an industry. Having money over the summer and throughout the year should be more valuable than experience.
Sometimes, even the "experiences" that are supposed to be gained in internships aren't what you're promised at the start. While you work in the field that you want to work in professionally, as an intern the job requirements might be more base level work. Doing this work isn't an issue; it can help you learn new skills that might be relevant in the future, but an internship isn't going to teach you everything you need to know.
Much like with doing base jobs, odds are you won't have room to grow in your job. Interns are seen as the lowest on the totem pole in the office. Interns are seen as the least valuable and knowledgeable. If you want a chance to be treated as an equal or to have your ideas valued, an internship isn't the place for you. Spending the summer being undervalued and underpaid can be tough to do, especially if you thought that you would have more opportunity for growth during the summer or in the future.
In college, there is an importance placed on having an internship. Not having an internship isn't the end of the world; there are still ways to improve yourself throughout the summer. Internships aren't always the perfect way to spend your summer, and the expectations of what an internship is supposed to be could disappoint you. So long as you're doing something with your summer to improve yourself, an internship isn't the most important thing.
