實習是大學教育中極其重要的補充。有些學科——例如醫學——甚至將實務經驗的重要性強調到必須修習的程度。無論你的主修是什麼，實習都是讓你接觸大學環境以外的學科或領域的絕佳途徑。
As a Mechanical Engineering Student at SUNY Polytechnic Institute, the coursework that you are put through prepares you for a career on the basis of knowledge and problem solving. An internship helps show you how to apply that knowledge to projects and other assignments. In addition to applying knowledge, an internship teaches you interpersonal skills and communicating effectively with others. The Dale Carnegie session that we had at our weekly "Intern Lunch and Learn" was an awesome way to learn tips and techniques in interpersonal skills. In college you learn to communicate and collaborate with others in your major, but they have a similar background. It is crucial to know how to communicate and work well with others who have different backgrounds than you. No matter where you work, not everyone on your team will have the same exact background, so utilize that and learn from your colleagues as much as possible.
Groupwork in college is typically not the norm, most of your assignments are meant to be done on your own. Individual coursework shows that you can do the work yourself, where as groupwork demonstrates your effectiveness in a team. The college setting that you are exposed to doesn't quite emulate the real world, but it's close. In a college group, everyone will have a similar background. The deadlines set by your supervisor and those set by your professor are both equally important and your time must be managed appropriately to meet them.
Internships are integral to making the transition from college to a professional setting. If you were to go straight from school into a career, it may be difficult adapting to the different environment. However, with experience from an internship, you'll be able to hit the ground running.
