An internship can be either the dreaded misery of a student's life or the most exciting and helpful part of their college experience.
"I love my internship," said Rutgers College senior Andrea Sattinger, an intern at NY1 News, a New York news Web site. "It's so hands on, and that has made all the difference. I can really learn because I'm doing things on my own, making mistakes on my own and figuring out how to fix them on my own. I also love the pace of television and how news never stops."
Internships can give students valuable experiences such as getting to know contacts, seeing how a company works and being involved with corporate America.
Some students - like Rutgers College senior Diana Diner - are even lucky enough to be offered a job through their internship.
Diner said it should be considered a privilege if a company likes an intern enough to hire.
"It's a stepping stone," she said. "Money is money, and a job is a job."
Rutgers College senior Jamie Stoner interns at I/D Public Relations and will begin working as a full-time receptionist in June.
She said her experiences have taught her how the entertainment industry works and how to deal with people when getting information.
"I feel like I learned more interning there these past few months than I did during most of my college career," Stoner said.
Her advice to future interns is "just be very cooperative and helpful. Always ask if there is anything that you can do. Smile. Follow directions."
Diner, however, wasn't so lucky at her first two attempts.
She said the third time is the charm, and only after quitting her VH-1 internship and being fired from her public relations agency internship did she find her perfect fit.
After sitting on AOL Instant Messenger, doing nothing and being treated like a 5-year-old at VH-1 she switched jobs.
The public relations firm treated her poorly, Diner said. She was fired from that job and then called the modeling agency she used to intern for and has been there since spring break.
"They were so excited to hear from me," Diner said. "It was actually really nice coming back. Needless to say, I learned a lot."
"Students look at internships as if they are another course," said Steve Miller, journalism and media studies internship advisor. "There are no ramifications to come and go to class. The rules are different in real world."
Students should treat an internship like it's a full-time job. Interns need to get up early and be on time - or get fired, Miller said.
"They can't have the same rules as college," he said. "College allows you to do what you want. Business has previously established rules."
Mary Lynne Bird, internship coordinator at the American Geography Society, said the organization seeks interns who are bright students, good writers, self-starters and flexible people who get along well with others.
The Geography Society doesn't create special programs for interns, but instead throws them into whatever project the staff is currently working on.
"I like to see interns who are flexible and don't mind working on various projects - they need to have a willingness to work and show they are good at what they do," Bird said. "I'm always open to ideas and like people who can think for themselves and really do the job."
"The only thing I gained was a reference on my resume and a good evaluation," said VH-1 News intern Khalil Hamiduddin, a University College senior. "Other than that it was a waste of time and money. The best part lasted the first week - being in New York and getting to walk around."
Juggling classes, internships, work and other obligations as a student is challenging at times, but overall students seem to see at least one part of it as a valuable experience.
"No matter what kind of job...I firmly believe the most important skill you will get out of an internship is networking," said Rutgers College junior April Santiago, an intern at 1050 ESPN Radio. "Networking is all an internship is about - who you know, who you get to know. ... So in the future you can make contacts and references."
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