How to Make the Most of Your Summer: Advice from a former Summer Research Opportunity Program (SROP) Student

By Sarah E. Ernst, Lab Manager 

​While many individuals hope their summer is filled with once-in-a-lifetime adventures, summer is the perfect time to spend dedicated time gaining valuable experiences. Whether this is volunteering in a research lab, interning in a field related to your future career, or planning ahead and doing intensive seminars and preparatory courses, there are many ways for you to take advantage and get ahead. Personally, I did a combination of the three, and this has provided me with invaluable experiences that have shaped my future career interests and helped me to prepare for graduate school. As summer applications begin to open, I have a few pieces of advice, and suggestions for maximizing your summer-break opportunity:

1. Start Early. One of the biggest suggestions I have for anyone interested in participating in summer programs is to do your research early. Many of my programs had applications that opened in late fall, and were due around Christmas. To avoid missing out on the perfect opportunity, know where you would like to apply and keep a log of when all the components are due. Even if they are not due immediately, fall and winter breaks are the perfect time to dedicate to finishing these applications. This way, you can make sure you don’t forget to submit during the busiest times of the semester.
2. Be adventurous. While working all summer may not sound the most fun, there are opportunities across the globe. Whether you become a visiting student in a new city in the U.S., or participate in a summer program abroad, there are a multitude of opportunities to explore a new place. Summer is a great time to do a short program abroad, getting not only internship experience and course credit, but also developing your independence and cultural competency. Many colleges have scholarships or partnership experiences that help you obtain these experiences while maintaining a college budget.
3. Know your financial limits. Because internships are invaluable experiences that primarily benefit you, many are either volunteer or stipend positions. Particularly if you are planning to move to a new city, verify that you have the resources available prior to beginning your adventure. As previously stated, there are many scholarships available through universities to help fund these experiences. It is important to balance experience with budget so that you maintain your financial cushion for the semester. In my experience, I spent two summers receiving a stipend from my internship experience. I also spent one summer doing research part-time while also working part-time. This enabled me to still get my experience while also saving for tuition and other costs.
4. Document your experiences. Keep good notes of your roles in your positions. When applying for graduate school or later positions, you will want to have a careful record of what you worked on and how you contributed. This is a pain to do months after the program ends and you may not remember the details. My advice is to keep a journal or log of your daily/weekly tasks, which you can then consolidate and revise for your CV or interviews. Particularly for clinical psychology graduate programs, you will want to talk about your past experiences in depth throughout your application essays, so it is important to have careful documentation of your projects.
5. Follow your passions. This is the most important advice I have for anyone looking for internships or programs. If you are not interested in a field, you will not be able to maximize your experience. Your time is a valuable resource, so why spend it pursuing something you are not interested in? While looking for programs, do some self-reflection to find out what you really want to do. Use the summer to rule out programs or test out new career paths. Let this summer guide you and shape your focus. Most importantly, whatever you do, pursue the goals you love, and they will guide you into a rewarding career.

 
In conclusion, summer is the perfect time to get ahead. By starting early, you can prevent the April stress of not having a plan and be better prepared to take on your future career. As Sophia Loren once said, “Getting ahead in a difficult profession requires avid faith in yourself. That is why some people with mediocre talent, but with great inner drive, go much further than people with vastly superior talent.”