Beyond the Classroom: Internships and Volunteering

Despite the image of a university as an "ivory tower," there is a symbiotic relationship between what you study in the classroom and its practice in the "real world." On the one hand, your academic concerns fuel your interest in their practical implications, which can lead you to graduate school or a career path. On the other hand, the practical experience you gain through outside projects helps refine, refocus, and deepen your study in the classroom. Depending on your interests, there are numerous options for taking your intellectual concerns outside the classroom.

Internships can be a way to gain practical experience related to your academic concerns. Many students believe that they should get internships solely because of the work experience they provide. Internships can, however, also be great ways for students to link their studies to the "real world," to pursue independent research, and to develop ideas for projects such as senior theses. The idea behind an internship, whether in the business world or politics or the non-profit arena or anywhere else, is that you learn what it means to be a part of that field while simultaneously gaining hands-on experience.

It is a myth that only a job labeled as an internship can be a learning experience; with some planning ahead, any work experience can be reconceived as an internship. Talk to your departmental and College Advisers for some suggestions about this and about how an internship can further your academic interests and goals. You can read about doing internships for credit and about non-credit internships in the Weinberg College Student Handbook. University Career Services offers advising for the internship search, resources for making the most of your internship, and help with assessing your interests.

Another avenue through which students take their intellectual interests beyond the limits of the classroom and into the "real world" is volunteering. Volunteer work, like an internship, can be a great way to turn ideas discussed in the abstract in courses into practice and then conversely to turn what you learn from that practice back into a project such as a thesis. It is an opportunity to become a part of a community, to help those in need, and to learn and practice skills of your own. It can be a way to get involved in an issue or organization that interests you. Indeed, for some, volunteering may be the single best way to gain real-world experience in fields that interest them. Students may also want to consider the certificate in Civic Engagement offered through the School of Education and Social Policy; community service is a key component of certificate requirements.