Although the summer may currently seem far in the distance, many Jumbos do not wait until the last minute to plan. The valuable three and a half months between each academic year are a time when students have the liberty of doing a wide range of activities that vary according to personal preference, interests and financial needs.
From internships to temporary jobs to leisure traveling, the summer can be a time to explore academic, intellectual and career interests.
"There are a number of purposes for a summer break. Some students need to work to earn more money to help with tuition and other expenses. Some want to get a jump start on requirements or get caught up on classes they have not yet taken. And then there are students who want to get internships, volunteer opportunities or research opportunities," Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education Karen Garrett Gould said.
What a student does over the summer depends on several factors. However, Gould said that students should evaluate their own situations and needs rather than comparing themselves to other students.
"This is not a one−size−fits−all situation. There are no mistakes to be made with use of summer time for any student, as long as it matches a student's need," Gould said.
Freshman Cristina Alvarez believes that having an active summer is always beneficial. "It is the only time we do not have a million other things to do, like homework and extracurricular activities, so we can fully devote ourselves to something new and interesting," she said.
Finding an internship is one of the most common goals Jumbos have for the summer. "An internship is a learning opportunity which can contribute to your career development by providing exposure to and hands−on experience in an area of interest," Director of Career Services Jean Papalia said.
After having explored a different range of academic interests while at Tufts, an internship can be a place for students to decide if a specific field is a good match for them when applied to a real job.
"This summer I hope to get an internship with a public relations firm in Miami that I interviewed with a few weeks go. I plan on interning with this company because I am interested in minoring in Media Studies and Communications at Tufts, and I feel this experience will help me decide if this is something I truly love," Alvarez said.
The variety of internships available is greatly accessible to college students. According to Papalia, more students than ever are using internships to explore job opportunities before entering the workplace full−time. "More and more college students recognize the value of exploring the workplace before committing to a specific job," Papalia said. "Likewise, employers endorse internships because they channel new talent into the organization."
In a recent publication, the National Association of Colleges and Employers said, "Internships and co−ops are often viewed as a win−win situation for the employer (who wants to develop a relationship with and test out the prospective employee) and the participating student (who wants to gain some experience and perhaps get a ‘foot in the door' with an employer)."
According to Papalia, finding a job in the current market is very competitive, and the market seeks students who have some kind of career−related experience, such as an internship, a summer job or a volunteering experience. Consequently, the number of students seeking an internship has increased dramatically over the past few years.
According to Papalia, based on a Tufts 2009 senior survey, 79 percent of the class of 2009 reported doing at least one internship during college and 55 percent indicated they had done two or more internships. This is a significant increase over the class of 2006, which reported 74 percent doing one internship and 40 percent having had more than one.
Many Jumbos start searching for an internship or other summer activity early in the spring semester, and there are many ways of doing so. Tufts Career Services can be of great help when it comes to guidance in finding an internship.
According to Papalia, before searching for a summer internship, students should narrow their areas of interest to two or three fields so that networking can become less overwhelming.
"The most successful route to your internship is likely to happen via networking, which is a process of connecting with people to get career−related information," Papalia said.
Even though having an active summer is a priority for most Jumbos, affording one can pose a problem.
"Many students on financial aid, or those who utilize their summers to help defray the costs of college, are not able to participate in meaningful internship experiences because most summer internships do not offer salaries or stipends," Papalia said. "As a result, many students cannot ‘afford' to gain firsthand experience in the career field of their choice. This not only limits their appeal as potential employees after graduation but also their ability to make informed career decisions."
However, Tufts is aware of this need, and thanks to funding from alumni and the AS&E Diversity Fund, Career Services offers up to 35 internship grants of $3,500 each to support otherwise unpaid full−time summer internships, mostly in the non−profit and public sectors.
"The internships have resulted in excellent work experience for the students while contributing greatly to the sponsoring organizations which could not have afforded to hire interns," Papalia said.
The pressure to gain valuable experience before graduating may encourage students to find an internship or take summer classes even if their real wish is to simply relax and go on vacation. Gould recommends a few strategies to deal with this pressure. "If a student's financial condition allows her to take it easy — this is not to say to lie on the sofa with a bag of chips and your favorite book. But if you long to rest your mind and return to your lifeguard job, or travel the country with friends, or volunteer at the public library, do it. There will be ample opportunity to pursue the next rung of your dream," she said.
Freshman Nina Davari said that as an international student who does not go home often, spending time in her home country is a priority. "Since I do not intend to leave Greece, I have found an internship in Vogue magazine for a month, which will hopefully give me additional work experience," she said.
Gould advises students to focus on themselves when doing summer planning. "I encourage students to listen closely to their own gut — not the somehow louder gurgling noise in their peers' belly. Run your own race, not theirs," she said.
Freshman Alexandra Geada said she feels many people, including her, feel somewhat pressured to do something over the summer. "I wouldn't do an internship or a job only to say I did it for medical school. This summer, I'm doing an archeology program in Italy because it's interesting," she said. "This is my time to travel and learn different things. I won't be able to do archaeology for a month when I'm an adult, so I'm taking advantage of this time."
Enjoying the summer break should be a priority for students, according to Gould, and it is often hard for them to remember that. "If you fill your résumé with many different opportunities, it needs to be because you needed to learn more about different opportunities. When your motivation becomes the competition, you've devalued your undergraduate career and its purpose," she said.
