While planning my schedule for this semester, I knew it would essentially be a "throw-away semester;" I'd take classes that have nothing to do with my major. As there are no IMA classes in Paris, I'm taking Collective Methods, the online IMA elective (Collective Methods is the current name, the class might evolve in the future), but the rest of my courses count as general elective credit. One of those courses is Internship Seminar and Global Fieldwork. The laws may differ depending on the location you are in, but in France, it is illegal to do an internship as a foreigner without having an academic element associated with it. As a result, NYU Paris offers a 90 minute class that meets once per week for the entire semester to go along with the two-month internship component (for students who are only studying in Paris for one semester, the internship is limited to two months, but students who study in Paris the entire academic year can hold longer internship positions). The class is pretty straightforward. Each week we are expected to do some reading, usually about 10-20 pages, and submit a short comment (250-300 words) on NYU Classes. There are three essay assignments: two three-page papers, spaced evenly throughout the semester, and one six to eight-page final paper. The final paper must be accompanied by a ten-minute presentation. While it may seem like a lot, the class environment is extremely friendly, and the current professor, Dr. Anna Lesne, is always willing to help out. The first two essay topics are assigned, but the final paper and presentation are on a topic of the student's choosing. Due to the legal restrictions and the effort involved in finding an internship, the process of enrolling in the Internship Seminar is more complicated than enrolling in a normal course. First, students must apply to the internship agency. The application process involves writing a CV, having is approved by an advisor at the Career Development Center, and writing several short paragraphs. I received emails detailing the process from Global Internships ([email protected]), but students shouldn't hesitate to reach out to GI staff if they have questions. An important note: ACCEPTANCE INTO THE GLOBAL INTERNSHIP PROGRAM IS LEGALLY AND FINANCIALLY BINDING. If a student chooses to leave the program after a certain date, there will be financial repercussions. Nevertheless, students have an opportunity to decide whether they want to continue in the program before confirming their seats. After being accepted, EUSA, the internship company, guides students through the process. Students fill out forms detailing their goals and interests on the EUSA website and schedule a pre-internship interview. In this interview (which may be conducted in English or French, depending on your program), EUSA staff clarifies and refines your interest list, to make sure they can find an internship, which matches your interests as closely as possible. They make it clear that journalism positions are hard to find for short-term interns, and I found IMA and Computer Science related internships are also difficult to find. These difficulties should not be discouraging, and even if students wind up with an internship not closely aligned with their major, the experience will be well worth it. Following the pre-internship interview, is a waiting period of several weeks. EUSA contacts various companies and agencies in an attempt to find students internship positions. Once a match has been found, students schedule an interview with their potential internship placement. Some students have several interviews; I only had one. Internship placement is different from job searching as students cannot expect to have multiple interviews before deciding. One or two interviews is acceptable according to EUSA, five or six interviews is not. After the interview, the company decides whether it wants to take a student on. If they decide the student is a suitable candidate, the process continues. Students and supervisors sign contracts detailing the days and hours the student will work, as well as his or her responsibilities. This contract serves to both protect the students from exploitation and to make sure the internship is legal. Once the contract has been signed, the rest of the internship process is smooth sailing. Students work the hours detailed in their contract and EUSA will periodically check in and ask for updates. If there are any problems with the internship, students can reach out to EUSA staff or their Internship Seminar professor. Students can expect to experience an adjustment period, in which they situate themselves in the new language and working environment. I cannot speak definitively for the rest of Europe, nor can I speak for all of France, but my work environment in Paris has been unlike any other environment I've experienced before. There was a lot less pressure, but the supervisor was a lot nicer than I'm used to, though this experience varies between internships. I worked at the Belleville Social and Cultural Center, which is a community center that provides academic accompaniment for school-age children, as well as vacation programming and general academic enrichment. For the adults, there are French courses, as well as courses to help immigrant families learn their rights and situate themselves in France. I worked between 20 to 25 hours per week, which is an intense workload on top of a 16-credit schedule. I usually returned home from work exhausted, because children require a lot of energy, but I never regretted taking on the internship. Since my formal internship has ended, I find myself missing the children. I return to the center from time to time to say hello. Despite my good experience, not everyone will enjoy their internship. Sometimes internships are not a good fit for the students, and sometimes other problems arise. If there is a problem with the internship, it is better to let EUSA or your Internship Seminar professor know sooner, rather than later. The sooner they know there is a problem, the faster they can work towards solving the problem or towards finding you a new internship. Based on the informal conversations I've had with the other students in Internship Seminar, everyone seemed to enjoy their placement. Students frequently commented on how much they have learned, as well as how confident they have become in their language skills. The majority of the students, for one reason or another, chose not to go on record with their comments, but here's a comment from Oriana Mansur, a junior from NYU New York majoring in Politics:

“"I had internships before but never for credit, which was a completely different experience. It was strange having legalities involved and having to take an internship seminar supplementary course. Overall, my internship experience has been great. It is nice to know we are getting some sort of compensation for our work since we are not paid. I learned so much from my internship, and my supervisor and colleagues show a real interest in the learning aspect of my internship. I am very grateful!



Although I like our internship seminar professor, I do not understand the point of the class that much. I think we are busy enough as it is taking courses for our majors and having a part-time internship, so I do not think this class should have been mandatory. Perhaps a few seminars pre-start date and one during and one after, but the homework and presentations only add to our workload and make it borderline overwhelming. Regardless, I've had a great experience, and I am very glad I participated in the internship program."”

This article was written by Sarabi Eventide. Please send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: NYU Shanghai Email Chains