Internships: Maximizing Summers During College
During the first two years of my undergraduate degree in cellular and molecular biology, I had no idea what I wanted to do after college. So, I would self-reflect and talk ideas out with my family and friends. I think there is immense value in self reflecting and taking the time to ask yourself what you want to do and how to achieve it. Throughout my college career I would create a rough draft of a plan to help guide me. Although I thought I knew what I was passionate about every year, I knew I needed to gain hands-on experience. In this post I will share how utilizing my summers helped me discover hidden passions and decide on my next career move.
It was at the end of my first year that I received an email from a faculty advisor with a flyer for a summer internship for rising sophomores studying atmospheric science. I thought this was an awesome opportunity made for me! I fit the demographic the program was looking for and this would give me some research experience. I knew that a large percentage of people with biology degrees went into industry and so this could help me see if I enjoyed research! Honestly, it was a great internship that gave me a glimpse into an applied mathematics lab that did computer programming to analyze large weather data and included a professional development course in Washington D.C. (with expenses covered). While I learned that atmospheric science wasn’t my passion, I was incredibly happy receiving the opportunity to learn about basic coding skills, building a scientific research poster, and asking for help (especially if your Principal Investigator (PI) is not available) during that summer.
After that summer, I thought I knew what research was like and that I wanted to be a veterinarian instead. I researched different veterinary schools, watched YouTube videos of veterinary school students, and thought of hands-on experiences I could do. But halfway through my second year I asked myself some important questions and realized that I really enjoyed the cellular and molecular aspect of my biology classes and I hadn’t really gotten a research experience that consisted of benchwork in that field. So, I applied to all of the summer internships that I found interesting and got accepted into one of my top choices! I was stoked about this internship because it allowed me to work with marine animals and learn basic experimental techniques (which I knew was crucial for me to acquire).
Conducting research the summer after my sophomore year was life changing for me. It helped me identify a passion I had for basic scientific research, or the fundamental understanding of foundations in. I hope that joining a research lab at the start of my third year would have helped me arrive at the same realization, but the experiences during the summers were incredibly helpful. There is something really special about a summer internship where you meet a bunch of students from across the country interested in the same field as you, spend all day learning in a lab, and then hang out and discuss your current research projects with your new friends, all while not having your typical coursework to worry about. Being immersed in an academically stimulating environment, with few distractions was a different experience that helped me solidify the desire to pursue my PhD.
This leads me to the main point of this post: utilize your summers! I know it is tempting to want to do nothing during summer or spend it relaxing with friends, but eventually relaxing gets boring. Challenging yourself while trying something new could be an expanding experience! Summer is a beautiful gift for college students because there are no deadlines, stress, and sleeplessness. However, college goes by fast. If you put in the effort to apply to different Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) and/or internships you might get an opportunity that helps you down the road. There are plenty of different ways to have productive summers (i.e. volunteering, working, taking summer classes), but I believe summer internships are priceless and should be taken advantage of, whenever possible. They can allow you to learn new skills, build your resume, meet new people, gain a mentor, discover something about yourself, reach outside your comfort zone, and get paid. There are so many reasons to apply to these programs and I believe they aren’t talked about enough within college students.
Once you have a better idea of how you want to spend your summer, do some google searches to see if any of those opportunities make you excited. Then apply! I have attached a couple websites that are filled with different types of research opportunities (granted, things are different due to COVID-19). You have nothing to lose, and so much to gain!
Links for summer internships/REUs:
*Pay attention to deadlines! Most are due from January to March.
