How To Do an Internship During the Academic Year
Many students choose to do an internship during their time at Tufts, around 85% to be exact! Most students elect to do an internship during the summer, but you can also do an internship during the semester if you want. Academic year internships tend to be a lot less competitive than summer internships, opening up more opportunities for students. This semester, I am doing an internship at a literary scouting agency. I knew I wanted to do an internship this semester, but I also had a lot of other commitments, and I didn’t want to overwhelm myself. Here are my tips for managing an internship during the academic semester:
1. Prioritization
Whether you need to prioritize your internship one day or an exam the next, make sure you know when and what to prioritize. Often, it will change week to week.
2. Open Communication with your Professors/Boss
While your boss probably knows you're a student, your professors likely don’t know you’re also doing an internship on top of classes. I definitely recommend telling your professors that you are doing an internship; they are often very understanding when it comes to extending deadlines/giving extra help. On the opposite end, if you have a big exam or a performance for one of your clubs and you’re feeling stressed about it, let your boss know! Even if you can’t get time off or more leniency, it’s always worth asking for what you need.
3. Choose your Semester Wisely
Some semesters are busier than others, both academically and extracurricularly. Plan to do an internship during a semester where you at least think you will be less busy. For example: don’t take four major classes and do an internship at the same time.
4. Schedule your Academic Work Around your Internship
If you can, try not to do homework after your internship day(s). I try to avoid having to do much, if any, homework after my internship days. This helps me prevent burnout and also gives me a bit of a break from academic work.
5. See if your (or a) Department Offers Internships for Credit.
Many academic departments at Tufts allow you to pursue an internship for credit. This definitely helps balance academic work with an internship, as your internship is academic work. I am doing my internship this semester through the Film and Media Studies Program. I highly recommend trying to get credit for your internship if you can—it really helps!
I hope that this article has helped you see that doing an internship during the academic year is definitely possible. It can be a lot at times, but I have also loved my internship so far, and I can safely say it’s been worth it.