Summer internships are a big part of the college experience for many students. These opportunities provide valuable hands-on experience in a student’s chosen field and can also help them make connections with professionals in their industry, say Nerdify Reviews experts. It’s not just about adding something to your resume, internships are a chance to learn and grow in a real-world environment. Whether working for a big corporation, a nonprofit, or a startup, internships can give college students a taste of what it’s like to work in their desired profession. Plus, you never know, your internship could become a full-time job after graduation. So if you’re looking to take your education to the next level, here is our list of summer internships for college students in 2023; consider applying for one. It could be the best decision you make during your college career.

1. Medical Summer Internships for College Students

For college students interested in the medical field, summer internships can be an excellent way to gain invaluable experience and knowledge. Not only will you get a chance to observe and learn from professionals in the healthcare industry, but you may also develop skills that you could use in your future career. From shadowing doctors at hospitals to conducting research for pharmaceutical companies, medical interns have plenty of opportunities this summer. With hard work and dedication, these internships can open doors to new possibilities and help set you up for success.

2. Marketing and PR Summer Internships for College Students

For college students interested in marketing and public relations, internships at advertising and communications agencies are a great opportunity. Interns will gain hands-on experience in creative problem-solving, customer service, media relations, and other key areas essential to success in the field. Through their work with these companies, they’ll learn how to create effective campaigns and manage client relationships while gaining an understanding of the industry as a whole. Furthermore, they may have opportunities to put their skills into practice by creating actual campaigns for clients or working on projects within the agency itself. With this knowledge, interns can develop essential skills that could prove invaluable when entering the job market after graduation.

3. Biology and Science Summer Internships for College Students

For those interested in science, internships at research facilities and laboratories can be a great way to get hands-on experience. Interns will be able to observe and participate in experiments while learning about various scientific concepts such as lab safety, data analysis, and report writing. They may be able to develop their projects or work on team initiatives. Through this type of internship, students can gain experience working with scientific equipment, learn how to conduct research properly, and understand what it takes for scientists to make discoveries that could potentially change the world! With this knowledge under their belt, college students can develop essential skills that could prove invaluable when it comes time for them to enter the job market after graduation.

4. Criminal Justice Summer Internships for College Students

For college students interested in pursuing a career in criminal justice, summer internships provide an excellent opportunity to gain hands-on experience and acquire valuable skills. Interns can expect to observe court proceedings and learn about the legal system while gaining insights into police operations, public policy, data analysis, evidence collection, or corrections. Depending on the specific internship program, they may even have chances to work on projects that could positively impact their communities. With this knowledge under their belt, college students can develop essential skills that could prove invaluable when it comes time for them to enter the job market after graduation!

5. Computer Science Summer Internships for College Students

Summer internships can be a fantastic opportunity for college students in the computer science field to gain experience and build skills. Computer science interns can work with cutting-edge technologies, develop technical solutions for real-world problems, collaborate with other technology professionals, and learn about software engineering principles and practices. They may even have chances to work on projects that could revolutionize the industry – something that would undoubtedly be invaluable when it comes time for them to enter the job market after graduation! With this knowledge under their belt, college students can develop essential skills that could prove invaluable when it comes time for them to enter the job market after graduation. So if you’re looking for a way to take your computer science career up a notch during your summer break – look no further than a summer internship in computer science!

In Conclusion

Taking on an internship this summer can be a great way to set yourself up for success in the future. It allows you to gain experience and explore new career paths, demonstrates your commitment to your education, and provides valuable networking opportunities. By applying to internships that suit your skills and areas of interest, you can get valuable learning experience, receive practical career guidance from mentors and peers, meet new contacts in the industry, build your resume, and even land a job offer. To make the most of these experiences, though, it’s important to prepare for it by researching the role and company beforehand, preparing your application accordingly, taking time out of each day to network with others at the internship site or online communities, updating your portfolio consistently throughout the process and being open-minded about what you may learn during your internship that could shape how you approach future roles or projects. Ultimately, summer internships provide college students an excellent chance to grow personally and professionally and jumpstart their career aspirations! 

Check out the Nerdify Reviews team’s blog on other activities for college and university students.

Here is another blog post dedicated to Nerdify reviews of the most interesting and important stuff. This time we want you to meet Chelsey – one of our top Nerds. Hear her out.

Hello, I’m Chelsey. I decided to contribute into Nerdify Reviews topic to share my experience and help people who suffer from the phenomenon of “unhealthy perfectionism”. I see myself as a perfectionist, albeit an unhealthy one. I mentally criticize people (specifically new ones) who I think do not meet my standards or expectations.  

I’m afraid of failure because I always want to be “perfect”. In school, I exert as much effort as I can in my exams. When the results are not in my favor, I would internally beat myself up for not getting the grade I desire. I tend to be overly cautious of taking risks, possibly rooted from my fear of failure. If I stay in my comfort zone, then nothing will happen.

I conducted a short research about perfectionism, and I’d say that (to an extent) I inhibit one of the main signs of a perfectionist. I’m not surprised; perfectionism does have harmful effects on my mental health.

What is Perfectionism?

Perfect means “… being entirely without fault or defect.” Now, if we look at Merriam-Webster’s definition of perfectionism, it means “… to regard anything short of perfection as unacceptable.”

In psychology, perfectionism in the psychological field means “… striving for flawlessness and setting high-performance standards….”

If they do not meet such standards, it would take a huge toll on their self-esteem and self-worth. On the same vein, unattained goals and standards would contribute to disappointment and unhappiness. Possibly, even depression.

Why is it a Toxic Trait? 

People usually regard perfectionism as a “positive” trait. I’ve read articles that it is a cliché answer to the job question, “what is your weakness?”

Yes, it can be your weakness. But did you know perfectionism is more than that? Are you aware that it is toxic to your mental health and detrimental to your growth? For the curious soul, here are the reasons why:

You can’t bring yourself to commit mistakes or experience failure, for they make you believe you are incompetent. You have to be ready to face failure in order to be successful.

You don’t celebrate with pure joy and happiness. Instead, your success and achievements are met with scorn and self-criticism. Negative self-talk is what harms your happiness. You are too focused on the negative aspect of things.

You are afraid of being judged. You like other people to see you as a perfect human being (when in fact, you’re not). Perhaps you are hesitant in stating your flaws, as it may ruin your “perfect” self. There’s internal pressure involved too.

Apparently, these reasons are also correlated with the signs of perfectionism. Let us move on.

Five Signs of Perfectionism

1. Setting high (unrealistic) goals and standards

There’s nothing bad in establishing standards and not settling for anything less. It’s not even bad to have high goals. However, creating unrealistic standards and goals is unhealthy because they have to be realistic. Further, you are pressured to accomplish your goal no matter what. You may even have the tendency to expect that everyone has to abide by your… demanding and ultra-high standards. As said by Amy Morin, a psychotherapist. perfectionists are critical of people and expect them to be perfect as well.

2. Fear of failure/Making mistakes and staying within your comfort zone

You set a goal for yourself, but you are afraid of failure. In that regard, you are more inclined to focus on the end results (without fail) rather than enjoying the thrill and experience of achieving your goal.  On the other hand, you refuse to move out of your “shell” because you don’t want to disappoint yourself (or anyone). Hence, you lean towards tasks you can do successfully—100% guaranteed. This brings more harm than good to your mental health and personal growth.

3. Trust issues

According to Elizabeth Lombardo Ph.D., perfectionists rarely delegate tasks because they think that their peers cannot do the job correctly. In practical settings, you don’t trust your colleagues enough if you want to assign them work. In the end, you do everything by yourself.

4. Low self-esteem and unhappiness

Let’s say you are angry with yourself because you failed to reach your goals. You immediately conclude you are inadequate and flawed. It can leave you a feeling of unhappiness and dissatisfaction. Kendra Cherry states that fear of failure is a sign of low self-esteem.

5. Negative self-talk and too critical

Perfectionists have the habit of finding faults in their achievements— no matter how small that is. You loathe yourself because you are not good enough. Therefore, your mind ends up being clouded with negative thoughts. You are also too critical of other people. Like I said, perfectionists highly expect their peers to be of “high standard” and “perfect”. This may push (or intimidate) people away. Unfortunately, it can lead to loneliness.

Overcoming Perfectionism: What Can You Do?

1. Accept the realities of life

Let’s do a reality check—you have to acknowledge that everyone, including you, makes mistakes in life. We fail in life— tests, interviews, work, assignments, and etc. At the end of the day, they push us to do better and improve ourselves.  Just like everyone else, you have flaws. Don’t expect people to be exactly like you. Every individual is different. 2

2. Take on the challenge

Risk-taking is hard, as we do not know what is beyond the abyss of the unknown. If you are eyeing an activity that you’ve always wanted to try, go on ahead… don’t be afraid of failure and mistakes. Let go, and experience the “challenge” in all its glory.

3. Be open to learning

We have to reskill to cater to the demands of the 21st century. Skills are also a plus point in the workforce. When you are learning, always remember that everyone starts out as a noob or a newbie.

4. Set realistic goals and standards

Be grounded in reality! It’s fine to have high standards, but they have to be realistic. Use your standards as a guide or a framework, rather as an absolute ideal.  Also, make your goals feasible (Remember SMART?). Again, don’t let failure bring you down. Failure does not mean that you are garbage, and it does not define who you are. As said by Oscar the Grouch, “just because you’re trash doesn’t mean you can’t do great things. It is called garbage can, not garbage cannot.”

Don’t forget to reward yourself if you achieved something big or small. Bring nothing but good vibes ☺

5. Learn to trust and delegate tasks

This is a leap of fate you must take. If you are overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to ask your colleague for assistance. You have to learn to understand and work with your peers. Bear in mind that you can’t do everything by yourself all the time. 

After reading about perfectionism, I realized that I need to work on myself. I’d say that it was an eye-opening experience. Perfectionism is embedded in my psyche, and it will be a challenge to completely get rid of it. I hope this article has made you reflect on yourself.

How about you? Do you consider yourself as a perfectionist?

xoxo, Chelsey

More Nerdify reviews to come, stay tuned!

Discussing this matter with our experts at Nerdify reviews, we came to the conclusion that it is not only the fear of the unknown as some new subjects or assignments must be faced but also not being ready to go through all of it again. The trick is to manage these concerns in advance. You must accommodate your daily life and schedule to a more structured plan where you do not stay up too late and spend some time analyzing things, getting yourself back in shape.

1. Join Free Online Courses. The best way to overcome the stress of coming back to school is to resume your studies with the help of free online courses. For example, you can take the basic writing skills course online to remind yourself about grammar, style, and punctuation. It will help you to avoid the most common mistakes and make you feel more confident as the first days of school finally come. Moreover, consider taking various online courses related to your upcoming studies. This way you will not have to worry about what is to come since you will already relieve initial stress.

2. Get to Know Your School Professors. Take an opportunity to meet your school professors in advance if it is possible. If some of them are new to you, make sure that you introduce yourself properly or do so with a group of fellow students that you already know well. It is a good idea to get in touch since we all have been exchanging contacts remotely. Our Nerdify reviews experts recommend entering your online campus and advance to discuss things and see all the updates. As a rule, the majority of schools in the United States offer so-called open days, so you can visit your school campus and talk to both old and new school professors.

3. Start With a Personal Blog. Consider starting with a personal blog to get back to writing and composing things. This is where you can get creative and learn more about planning. If you already have a blog that does not make you happy, add new life to it by focusing on something else. Share various tips, describe things that you do really well, cooperate with various Instagram or Facebook influencers. Just give it time before your school starts and keep yourself engaged in something interesting.

4. Create a Flexible September Schedule. Regardless of what you may be busy with during your first weeks of September, consider creating an outline of your activities and do your best to finish tasks earlier to allow for more flexibility. This kind of training has always helped us at Nerdify reviews as we fought the stress of coming back to work. You can also plan your timetable by giving yourself some rewards if you do well. It will also help you to fight anxiety and the usual sadness that often comes along with summer having passed by!

5. Discuss Your Concerns With Friends & Family. Remember that you can always discuss your fears and thoughts with friends and family. We all have been through coming back to school fears, which is why it is vital to ask for support when you need it. It will also make your friends and family see that you appreciate them. After all, it is always better to seek efficient solutions together. Nothing can beat a friendly hug or those words of encouragement as you hear that everything is going to be alright because you are not alone.

6. Join School Support Groups. If talking to your family is not an option and you do not want to share your fears (and no, it does not make you sound weak!), you can join one of the school support groups. These are private and won’t share your information or the things you say with anyone. People on these support teams are professional educators and psychologists, which means that they will help you cope with the stress and anything that may occupy your mind. According to our Nerdify reviews experts, you may also talk to your fellow students who join such groups to help others in need.

7. Do Something Enjoyable. If you are good at sports or play a musical instrument, take your time to enjoy it. Do not be too hard on yourself as you anticipate all the challenging situations and feel like not doing anything at all. Play your guitar, sing, or kick the ball with your friends. One of the best ways to overcome stress related to anything is to do something that makes you happy. Bring in some positivity to your life and it will always pay off!