Planning Your Summer

Here are a few questions to get you started:

What do you hope to gain from your summer?

Are you mainly interested in learning new skills? Trying on a research experience to help you think about graduate school?  Gaining networking connections?  Making a contribution to your community through civic engagement? Adding work experience to your resume? Making money?

What type of organization interests you?
Organizations come in all sizes and shapes, from Fortune 500 companies to academic institutions to non-government organixzations (NGO's) to not-for-profit organizations. Things to consider include size, location, culture, potential for personal, intellectual, and professional growth, etc.

What would best suit your needs?
Even when you know exactly what you want to do, you may not know the type of industry or organization that best suits you. For example, if you are a natural-born mathematician, you can work in any industry; however, being an accountant is quite different from teaching college-level calculus. If you're not sure what you want to do, and want to gain some clarity on your personal values and skills, please consult the CDC calendar for workshops on this topic.

Where do you want to spend your summer? 
During the summer months you have more flexibility with location. You may prefer to stay close to home, go elsewhere in the U.S., or pursue international opportunities.

Will you consider both paid and nonpaid opportunities?
It would be great if you could always get paid to do something you really enjoy!  In reality, many internships and research opportunities do not come with a stipend, especially in certain industries. So, you need to decide if what you will learn is worth the cost to you (and your parents). The College does support a small number (roughly 200 students per summer) of awards to support summer experiences, but most of these will pay only actual expenses.

Do you want college credit for the experience?
If you do, this means that you should begin conversation with your academic advisor or another professor to learn how to develop an independent study. At Mount Holyoke, students can do a 295P or 395P independent study (with a title that appears on your transcript) in the semester following an internship, volunteer/service, or research experience. While this is a wonderful opportunity, it does take a little more planning and collaboration because you will need a faculty advisor for your independent study.  Please consult the Student Handbook and/or a faculty member for more information.