The Benefits of Internships

The main purpose of college or secondary education is to prepare students for careers after they graduate. Within the study of each  major, there are courses and assignments that provide an understanding of what the future may hold in those respective career paths. While we may  agree that collge or secondary education does fulfill its purpose of information, we cannnot overlook the benefits of more hands-on experience that comes with the privledge on an internship. The experience that internships provide help secure employment, which cannot be duplicated in assignments, and they simulate real experiences while leaving room for error.

According to research from the CollegePlus.org, students who graduated with internships were more successful finding employment. Their research reports state that in 2008 employers offered jobs to nearly 70 percent of their interns, which is a significant jump from 57 percent in 2001. Another benefit of internships, that classrooms lack, is the hands-on experience. For a nursing student, a full day of clinical experience cannot be established in a lecture hall because their are no patients, no emergencies, and a college campus is not parallel to an acutal hospital. In an internship, a student will not feel burdened by the pressures of the real responsibliilties. Because the intern and the employer are aware that the student is here for experience purposes, mishaps are easily forgiven. In some cases they are beneficial because it is preparation for real life misfortunes in their career path.

There are numberous benefits that result from having actual hands-on experience before prior to being employed. Students that complete interships have experience beyond classroom walls, they have a clear perception on how errors can be prevented in the real workplace, and they have a higher chance of finding employment.

~Courtney Godfrey

Are Internships Worth It?

Many colleges require an internship or practicum course as a requirement for graduation because the benefits derived from completing these courses do not exist in a traditional classroom setting. However, the actual value of a college internship is debatable. Courtney argues that internships provide invaluable experience with many benefits. While it is true that they are beneficial to some students, every internship experience is different. Instead,  some students may find that it is just an annoying
major requirement where they are treated as executive assistants rather
than interns, making a rewarding and productive experience difficult to attain.

With the pressures of studying, exams, work, and extracurricular activities, requiring a student to complete an internship may not be beneficial to them. Students may feel obligated and pressured to acquire an internship. They are not intrinsically motivated, which hinders student performance. Furthermore, students are not placed in positions in organizations where their talents can be utilized.  Interns are executive assistants - getting coffee, running errands, and making copies instead of learning from their mentors. Bosses look at students as free labor instead of invaluable assets to their companies. And despite the statistics, having an internship does not guarantee employment after graduation.

In spite of these issues, I agree that internships can be rewarding experiences. They develop interpersonal skills, attain networking opportunities, and learn how to solve real-world problems in the workplace.  Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the student to research internship opportunities and find the best one for them. Part of the internship experience is learning how to be flexible. If students find themselves in an unfortunate situation, they should think positively and make the most out of a bad situation.

Willena Rogers