Most college students are required to complete an internship before graduating, and I recently finished mine with the newspaper in my hometown. While I learned a lot through my advisors, I learned a lot about this school’s teaching style.
My internship was required for my major and I was nervous about finding somewhere to complete my requisite. Since I’m not sure exactly what profession I hope to pursue after college, I accepted an internship that would teach me about the workforce, despite it not suiting my profession plans.
I accepted a summer position, added an internship course to my enrollment cart and waited for summer. However, I was shocked when I received an email about my invoice balance.
In early May, I called WSC’s financial office to ask about my bill. While I understand an internship adds credits to my degree, I was confused as to why I was billed $800 dollars for a ‘course’ not taught in person or by a teacher. The only explanation I got from the office was that an internship is a class, so I needed to pay my dues.
I chose WSC because I received a tuition scholarship. This is an honor I have both cherished and struggled with, but I always feel appreciation when thinking about what I’ve accomplished through WSC.
As I was already struggling to finance my majors, the upset due to my internship fees felt much more irksome. It felt like another one of those ‘pointless’ fees college students must pay for the honor of carrying an ID card.
Despite this, I signed up for a payment plan and tried my best to push through my summer course. Nearly every week I was assigned videos or articles to check out relating to the work force and professionalism.
None of my assignments were hard. Each media piece explained what one should or should not do in a place of work, and all I had to do was summarize. The course load was easy- maybe too easy to warrant an $800 fee.
I’ve spoken to a few other Communications majors about their internships, and many shared similar opinions: the internship office wasn’t helpful, the fees were too extreme and the coursework wasn’t practical.
I appreciate my internship. I’m thankful for the staff that set up my coursework and graded my assignments. I am not, however, going to say my experience was helpful or educational. Each media piece I consumed asked me how I would apply skills I already had, since I needed them to survive not only the internship, but the interview that landed me the job.
To anyone who is about to complete an internship, ask your internship advisor for advice. Talk to your boss about the professional realm. Speak with peers about their experiences and suggestions. Don’t rely on your internship Canvas page to teach you about the real world. It is, after all, only a Canvas page.
The main lesson I learned from my internship is that no experience is better than human connection. Learning from others face-to-face and asking others about challenges will offer you so much more than any article could provide. Go out and be curious! Push yourself and engage. And, for your sake, sign up for a payment plan.
