I have some questions regarding internships and what they're like, etc. Since I'm a junior in college now (getting a bachelor in political science with a minor in business administration) I have the option of working an internship and getting either political science credit or public administration credit on top of securing whatever I get from the job (contacts, networking, money, training, etc.) I assume. I'm really excited and anxious to get started working in the real world inside of my field.

Has anyone done internships before? What are they like when it comes to hours they work you and how demanding the work was? Is there usually pay? Is the work really beneficial when it comes to earning work experience usually? Do you think its do-able to work an internship while taking 4 or 5 classes?

My internship was kinda well, lame. It was a local placement, they made me work a semester at my school's IT Help Desk for only a minimal hours a week, could have worked more on my own push I suppose. Basically I just sat and worked on computers that came in the que.

DO it., interships can never hurt you.

No, 5 junior/senior level classes + internship is suicide.

Spend time looking for a good summer internship. Those are much better than any part time interships you can handle while going to 5 classes.

Basically, what Jet said. Internships and co-ops are what I did all thru college and I swear it's like easy mode over the people who didn't do them. 4 classes + internship is manageable, I had a friend who did just that, and he was double majoring in EE and Government (PS/PA). He was doing it in PS/PA. Don't be too pissed off if they make you do bitch work, that's always going to happen, but I swear it'll pay off in the end.
Go for it mang

Getting internship experience while in undergrad is a hudge help when you start job hunting after graduation. I would say 5 classes and an internship will be a lot of work. If you cant get a summer internship then deffinelty only take 4 classes and make sure you have good time managment skills. You will not have any free time to do shit if you do the internship whiles taking classes unless your classes are joke easy. Overall internships are a big positive to put on your resume and can help you get into a grad program just be ready to do all the grunt work like crunching numbers, researching shit, and stuff like that.

Well I'm actually doing 4 classes (all junior/senior courses besides the stats):

- U.S. foreign policy
- International relations
- Philosophy of the human person
- Elementary statistics

And I'm only in school on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11 AM to 1 PM, and in school on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 AM to 2:15 PM. (very cush cush) Think its manageable?

I don't mind bitch work in a job as long as I'm getting what I need to be getting out of it: either decent pay or good shit on my resume. Chris, that sounds good to me. Gives me a good sign that its do-able. I appreciate the advice and insight, everyone. It all helps alot.

^this

internships only benefit you. the pay most likely wont be very good, but the experience you can put on a resume is going to be priceless.

oh and between your 2 areas of study, i would try and get something in the political science side of things. i always felt like someone who worked in a political role (even as an intern) had a leg up post college, than someone who just worked as an office intern.

Only 12 credit hours? In that case go for it. I thought you would be taking around 16 to 20 when you said 4/5 classes.

4 classes is 12 credit hours. 5 classes is 5 credit hours, unless you're taking a lab science, which is 4. I'm already done with those, so its 3 credits per class or less from now on.

Unfortunately, the professor in charge of internships is on vacation and she said that she won't have time to set me up with an internship before the semester starts in January, so I'm SOL. Bitch had the gall to say to me "I instructed all advisers to inform students that they had to apply for internships when they got advised," yet my adviser neglected to inform me. Stupid bitches.

Next semester, I am so getting an internship.