Many students at Amherst are worried about finding internships and summer opportunities, and one of the significant parts of Amherst is the plethora of summer opportunities for students. Most of these opportunities are related to research. For example, there’s the Schupf Program, in which students can propose a research project related to the humanities and work alongside a faculty mentor to complete the research, and the Surf Program, in which first-year and second-year students studying in STEM fields can apply to work in labs run by professors and build their technical research skills. Professors can also advocate for specific RA’s (research assistants) to stay on campus during summer to help them with research.
In addition to these research programs, there are on-campus jobs for students that provide valuable work experience and can help build up a resume over the summer, such as working as an intern at one of the Amherst museums, including the Beneski Natural History Museum, Mead Art Museum, and Emily Dickinson Museum. I also know someone who worked on campus over the summer as an intern with the sustainability office to help improve our college’s sustainability programs.
One of the reasons students choose these summer opportunities is that they usually include housing and meal plans for students, which can be relatively high costs for students who are looking for internships that aren’t located in their hometowns. The only caveat to this is that students have to move out of their dorm during summer housing, so that it can be a bit of a hassle; however, all students have to move out of their dorms anyway during summer, and for those who live far from college, this can be a better option than renting a storage unit over the summer to store their belongings. Additionally, the research programs offer stipends, so students are guaranteed to get paid for their work. This financial support not only recognizes the value of students’ contributions but also enhances the accessibility of these programs, enabling a more diverse range of students to participate. As mentioned in my Loeb Center article, seeking career advice from the Loeb Center on whether these summer programs suit you is the best way to go!