The Importance of Internships

Internships are a valuable asset to traditional college education. The most rewarding aspect of my internship thus far has been the opportunity to develop professional skills while also furthering my knowledge in the field through hands-on application. In many of my academic courses, I have learned about various IT tasks and concepts. However, I was not able to fully grasp the ideas presented in class until I was able to see them in action. I now have a clearer understanding of what Information Technology really involves and what skills are needed to be successful in the field. Developing connections and expanding my network has also been an extremely rewarding aspect of my internship. I have had the opportunity to meet accomplished individuals who have shared their experiences and given me advice to help advance my career.

The most challenging part has been overcoming the learning curve that comes with taking on a role in a brand-new environment. Initially, I felt unsure as to how I would apply my skillsets. The environment was unfamiliar, and I had surface-level knowledge of the concepts presented to me. However, as time went on, I began to find my niche within the workplace. I learned the value of asking questions and taking advantage of the resources available to me. I was encouraged to ask questions if I was unfamiliar with a concept and my mentors were happy to provide answers. Internships are learning experiences and interns are not expected to have all the answers. I am eager to continue learning and applying the knowledge I have learned down the road.

WIRES

Simal Sami ’24
Information Technology

5 Replies to “The Importance of Internships”

  1. Simal,
    You make a great point in saying that internships provide the opportunity to apply lessons learned in the classroom in action. This applies not only to IT but to most internships it seems. It is also good to hear that this internship has allowed you to expand your network. With any new role comes a learning curve and it is always challenging to overcome this learning curve, but you will be better off after. Overcoming these obstacles can be seen as learning experiences in of themselves.

  2. Simal,
    I agree that getting to experience work application through your internship. Practicing what we learn is the best way to make sense of it and remember it. It also sounds like you learned a lot more knowledge by getting to practice with things you only knew general information about!

  3. Hi Simal,
    It sounds like your internship really helped you better understand what you’ve been learning in your IT classes! I am happy to hear that you networked with so many professionals who gave you advice and shared their own experiences. I understand the challenge of an unfamiliar environment, and I am glad you figured it out and learned the most from your internship!

  4. Simal,
    I’m glad to hear your internship was such a positive learning experience for you. It’s definitely hard to take what we learn in the classroom and translate it into the real world for the first time but it’s great to start that process early on. Also, great to hear that you weren’t afraid of asking questions!

  5. Simal –
    I could not agree more with what you said about how crucial internships are for us as college students. I also did not fully absorb everything I’ve learned at school until I got it in a hands-on experience at my internship. I’m glad that you were able to find the courage to ask questions because I definitely struggled with that as well.

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