Opinion: You Don’t Need an Internship This Summer
Don’t let your imposter syndrome make you fill a three-month break from school with extra work.
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New York City, NY — by Molly Koch
This story was originally published on New York University’s Washington Square News.
As the end of the academic year approaches, it feels like every person I come into contact with asks me what my summer plans are. Excitedly, I tell them I’m studying away in Athens, Greece, before I’m met with what’s become a familiar question: “Aren’t you missing out on internships?”
After a long school year, summer break is a time for students to unwind. With the increasing levels of stress and burnout that college students experience, the break serves as an important lifeline for us to unwind and practice self-care. Many students face pressure to seek out an internship during the summer — but this isn’t the only way to make break worthwhile.
There are many reasons students might gravitate towards an internship over the summer. They might have financial needs or want to move forward in a competitive career field. Some students, however, may only feel that a summer internship is necessary because everyone else has one, even if it might not be the best option for their own mental health. Students who can avoid taking on an internship over the summer should consider doing so.
Hustle culture — the mindset that we must constantly be pushing ourselves to the limit with work in order to succeed, has become a pervasive idea. While this mentality may seem admirable, it can have negative effects on mental and physical health. Hustle culture glorifies overworking, and often leads to individuals feeling the need to constantly hustle and grind, which can result in chronic stress and burnout. According to a survey by the American Psychological Association, 91% percent of Generation Z adults experienced at least one physical or emotional symptom of stress, such as depression, sadness or lack of motivation. Breaks from our constant immersion in such a fast-paced world are integral to reducing these symptoms of stress.
Read the rest of the story at Washington Square News.