Experiential Learning Opportunities
Gaining experience in your field while in college can help you meet people who may later serve as important references for employment. That experience can also teach you things you won’t learn in the classroom. Here are a number of ways to pursue such experience:
Trash or Treasure?
This student intern in the campus recycling department empties a bin of food into a container that will be sent to an off-campus composting center. Imagine what he is learning about the business of recycling, composting, and food waste reduction with regard to an academic area like environmental or sustainability studies.
Source: MCT via Getty Images
- Service learning/volunteer activities. Service learning allows you to apply what you learn in class to actual practice. Some instructors build service learning into their courses, but if this option isn’t available, consider volunteering! A little time spent each week can provide many personal and professional rewards, allowing you to continue learning about yourself, your interests, and your abilities.
- Internships and co-ops. What you learn in the classroom can be applied to the real world through internships and co-ops. An internship is a short-term, structured method of on-the-job training. As an intern, you are not likely to be paid, but you might be able to receive academic credit. Check with your academic department and career center to find out what internships are available in your major. Remember that with one or more internships on your résumé, you’ll be a step ahead of students who ignore this valuable experience. A co-op program allows you to alternate work experience and classes. As a co-op student, you can also have paid work assignments that provide you with an opportunity to apply what you learn to the workplace.
- Student projects/competitions. In many fields, students engage in competitions based on what they have learned in the classroom. They might compete against teams from other colleges. In the process, they learn teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills.