Big Apple trip serves up big opportunities

Maybe, for once, it's time to listen to your parents, who tell you that learning about the life cycle of the dung beetle isn't going to take you very far in real life. If you've thought at all about what happens after Johns Hopkins, consider taking an experiential learning class during Intersession.

"These courses were created to assist students in the exploration of various career fields," said Adrienne Alberts, the director of the Career Center.

The three courses offered this year are: Day on the Street, focusing on finance; Day in an Entertaining City, about the media; and Day in a Global City, about globalization for careers with an international focus.

A component of each course is a three-day trip to New York City.

The experience is designed to promote a deeper understanding of the targeted industry and provide a foundation of networking contacts and access to internship or job opportunities, she said.

"During the trip, students get direct access to organizations that don't participate in a formal recruiting process on college campuses," Alberts said.

"Last year, a few of the students who participated were offered internships before the trip was over."

Students also get enough information about the career field to decide if it is the right fit for them, Alberts said.

"Every year, at least one student decides that what they thought they wanted isn't what they want after all," she said.

During the class, students meet with alumni and visit key organizations in the industry.

"The courses and trips create a clear picture of what it is like to work in the careers represented, and students have found that information invaluable in making a decision about their future paths."

While the three courses are open to students in all class years, Alberts said that the class on finance is really geared toward preparing juniors and sophomores for internships.

"But the overall goal of the courses is to promote exploration, and it is never too early or too late to engage in that process," Alberts added. "In the past, students have said that these are some of the best courses they have taken at JHU."

The experiential learning courses are graded satisfactory/unsatisfactory and have a $250 fee. Registration ends Friday, Nov. 19.