It's never too early to begin planning for summer, and January is a great time to begin the process! While internship and job application deadlines usually start in November and continue through May, many deadlines fall in February and March.

This special edition of the New Student News has been created to help you get a head start in thinking about summer jobs, internships, study abroad opportunities, and housing. Remember: The early bird gets the worm!

 -- Jessica Ortiz, new student services coordinator

• » Renting a room is cheaper than renting a whole apartment as just one person.
• » If you can live with a few friends or other folks in an apartment, you may end up paying less per person than if you rented a room by yourself. For example, you might pay $675/month in Amherst for a one-room studio for one person, or $1200/month for a two-story, two-bedroom apartment, which is only $300/month per person if you lived with three roommates.
• » Think about what kind of a place you are looking for. Do you need to live alone? Do you have friends to live with? What about living with a family?
• » Are you willing to work for your room? Many people are interested in having live-in childcare assistance, or other types of jobs that offer a place to stay in return for duties around the house.

Why should I think about doing an internship?
An internship is a great way to get hands-on experience in your interest area and to build your resume. In this tough economy, graduates who have had some internship experience have a much greater chance of landing a job. Often, Hampshire students find that their internship experience helps clarify their interests and shape their Div. II and Div. III work.

What if I can’t afford to do an internship?
Not all internships are unpaid; in fact, some are very well paid and even offer housing. Hampshire has some grant opportunities to help you finance certain kinds of internships. If you can find cheap or free housing (try living with family or friends), it is possible to work a part-time paid job while also doing an unpaid internship. There are also local internship opportunities that you can do during the semester while you are at school.

I want to do an internship. Where do I start?
You can either start by checking out the internships section of the CORC website, or by making an appointment with a CORC counselor. The CORC website has a list of searchable internship databases where you will find thousands of paid and unpaid internship opportunities. The website also has info about funding and housing. You can also visit Hamplink, Hampshire's own internship database, to gain access to local and Hampshire connection internships, NIC (The Nationwide Internships Consortium) and LACN (The Liberal Arts Career Network). CORC counselors can help you navigate the internship resources and direct you towards the ones that will be most helpful. CORC counselors may also give you other ideas that are not on the website.

How do I make an appointment with a CORC counselor?
Easy! Go to CORC's online appointment scheduler and sign up for a day and time. If you can’t find an appointment that works for you, or you have trouble using the online system, stop by or call x5445 to talk to someone in the office. The CORC staff will do their best to accommodate you.

Finding a job this summer may be challenging because there can be a lot of competition. Two important tips: network with people you know, and start early!

Where everybody knows your name
Check in with a former employer and tell her or him you’d like to come back this summer. Past employers will be interested because you’re already trained. Think about touching base with all the people in your life who might have job connections in your hometown: teachers, guidance counselors, coaches, family doctor, the dog’s vet, your parents’ friends, your friends’ parents, and so on. Tell them what you’re hoping to do this summer and ask them to be on the lookout for you. Hand your resume (or 3x5 card with a brief job objective and your contact information) around at family gatherings. No kidding! Get everyone at home on board.

Somewhere else
Rather not spend the summer at home? Hands down it’s usually the best way to save money, but if you want a different experience, see if you can negotiate a place to stay with friends or relatives in other parts of the country or abroad. Or look for jobs that offer housing, such as summer camps and other residential youth programs. A few of the best sites for finding summer work around the country and internationally: summerjob.com, coolworks.com, snagajob.com, summercampstaff.com, transitionsabroad.com.

Staying in the Valley
One way to beat out at least some of the competition is to start your job search early rather than waiting for the school year to end. Consider telling an employer that you can work a few hours a week now and increase your hours after school gets out. Many offices on campus are looking for summer help, and often the early bird gets the worm, so ask about summer jobs early. You can also check out CORC’s page of online resources for finding local jobs.

Redefine going to class! The global education office (GEO) offers several short-term field courses that begin in May after classes end. These courses are designed and led by current Hampshire faculty, and offer the opportunity for off-campus study and research in the U.S. or abroad. May/Summer field courses are considered a part of the spring semester, and generally last two to four weeks. The size of groups, dates of program, prerequisites, and costs vary for each course. The 2013 May/Summer Short-Term Field Courses are:

• Transition Connections: Exploring Totnes and Cornwall Transitions Initiatives (England)
• Super 8 Filmmaking in Paris (France)
• Slow Food in Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany (Italy)
• Summer Intensive Chinese: 4 and 8 week programs (China)
• Mexican Social Movements in their Own Contexts (Mexico)

A short-term field course information session will be held on Thursday, February 5 at 4:30 p.m. in the East Lecture Hall of FPH (keep an eye out for advertisements). Applications for all of these programs are due at the global education office by Thursday, March 7, 2013. Students who receive need-based financial aid from Hampshire College are eligible to apply for financial assistance through the global education office to offset program costs. For more information about the individual short-term courses and for a complete application, please visit our short-term course website or stop by GEO on the 1st floor of the Merrill Student Life Center.

Other Summer Abroad Options
Many students opt to do internships, language learning, study programs, or other learning activities abroad during the summer. How these outside learning experiences might be incorporated into a student's academic program may be negotiated with the student's faculty committee. Check out the "program options" link on the GEO website, visit the GEO resource library in our office, or sign up for our listserv by emailing geo@hampshire.edu to discover other opportunities.

Thinking of study abroad in the future?
Attend a Navigating Study Abroad information session! Hosted every Thursday at 4 p.m. in GEO (1st floor, Merrill Student Life Center). These sessions will give you an introduction to studying abroad, highlight financing and funding options, and help you think about how short or longer-term experiences can be integrated into your academic program.

It’s never too early to start thinking about studying abroad, and summer is often a good time to begin researching options for the future. The global education office presents a variety of opportunities and resources to incorporate global perspectives into your Hampshire education. Students are encouraged to visit our website, which has a wealth of information and resources. Students are also welcome to stop by GEO any time to talk to a student ambassador, browse the resource library, or set up an appointment with a GEO staff member. This coming semester GEO will also be hosting info tables with visitors from outside study abroad programs and information about Hampshire's international programs. For a complete schedule of who’s coming to campus, visit the GEO events calendar.