The Dreaded Summer Internship
February 27, 2023
Author: Rachel Cohn
Editor: Alex Vena
It’s the start of second semester, which means that summer break is looming around the corner. As a college student, summer break feels like the few months that can make or break your career. You no longer have the excuse of classes to put off getting that essential job or internship that can enhance your resume. The pressure to make the most of your summer starts the second the new year rolls around, with internship applications being due as early as January. Second semester is stressful enough with new classes, cold weather, and darker hours; feeling the pressure of summer plans only makes it worse.
Right now, I am in the application process for pre-med summer research internship programs. These programs only take a small amount of undergraduates from all over the country. Thus, my essays, resume, and recommendation letters must be perfect, because if I do not get accepted into one of these programs, my life will be ruined. At least that is what it feels like. It feels like without a prestigious summer experience, I will never get accepted into a graduate program and never have a successful career. The summer internship is the first domino to fall in a series of experiences that are thought to change your entire life. Either you get this internship and your future path is set, or you don’t and are left unprepared for the real world. This is instilled in us from such a young age that it feels crazy to spend our summer doing anything other than work, when in reality, summer break is supposed to be a break. The stress I feel about my summer plans has seeped into my current life and now I am not only stressed about the summer, but stressed about my future beyond the summer months.
I have always been an overachiever, so of course I want to spend my summer doing something productive and meaningful. I have been conditioned, just like so many other college students, to view relaxing and taking it easy as a weakness. That is why the thought of staying at home for the summer stresses me out just as much as the internship application process does. But that makes no sense. Why– after spending almost a year doing work for rigorous classes– should we spend our break doing even more work?
This pressure we feel to have the perfect summer internship may feel all-consuming, but in reality, we have time to create the best future for ourselves, and one summer experience will not make or break our lives. While having productive experiences during the summer can help out your resume, relaxation should be prioritized during a time when we don’t have to worry about class, the weather is nice, and we get to be at home with our families for however long we want. Taking moments for yourself that have nothing to do with jobs, work, or your future are essential to realize what actually is important in your life.
I spent the last summer at my summer camp in Wisconsin last year, which originally stressed me out because the role of “camp counselor” does not really add a lot to a pre-med student’s resume. However, I could not have made a better decision. Not having to worry about my future and spending the summer care-free brought me so much closer with my friends and greatly improved my mental health. So, as beneficial as summer internships are for your future, they are not everything, and spending the summer how you want to is what matters. You may be passionate about a certain summer program, you may be passionate about working a summer job to make some money, or you may be passionate about spending the summer at home with your family. You should spend your summer however you choose because the few months of the year we get as a break should not be spent feeling anxious, pressured, and stressed. You have the rest of your life tolifeentire rest of the year to worry about your future.
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