Is an internship more important than coursework in college?

An internship is the college experience that most shapes your post-graduate path. Coursework and extracurriculars alone rarely set you apart, because most graduates have them. The internship is what employers remember and what turns into first opportunities.

How do you make a good impression as an intern?

Complete every assignment professionally and without complaint, even simple tasks. Find ways to add value, exceed expectations, and take responsibility for making the work interesting.

What is the most important habit for career success?

Showing up. Roughly eighty percent of success comes from consistency and presence, day after day, rather than occasional brilliance.

Andy's Take: Why Internships Are the Most Important Part of College

Q: How do you build a professional network as a student?

Build your network during your internship and keep it active afterward. Prioritize real human interaction over social media, since in-person relationships with colleagues and mentors create future opportunities.

July 29, 2026 The Washington Center

Andy Fisher, with social media intern Chibuzo Okafor, attends The Washington Center's Distinguished Speaker Series at the Residential Academic Facility (RAF) in Washington, D.C. in July 2026

By Andy Fisher, TWC Academic Internship Program alum and author who's written on how his internship at The Washington Center led to a career with U.S. Senator Dick Lugar, international travel with Barack Obama, and 25 years at the center of U.S. Senate history.

Is an internship the most important part of college? For TWC alum Andy Fisher, the answer is yes. An internship, co-op, or apprenticeship shapes your lifelong earnings, relationships, and opportunities more than coursework or extracurriculars can on their own. Here are his seven lessons for making one count.

Andy Fisher with U.S. Sen. Richard G. Lugar in Market Square downtown Indianapolis in June 1983. It was his first trip to Indiana with the Senator.

Is an internship more important than coursework?

In Andy's view, yes. An internship is the college experience that sets your post-graduate path. Academic work and activities alone won't set you apart, because most graduates have them. The internship is what employers remember and what turns into your first real opportunities.

How do you build a professional network as a student?

Build your network during the internship and keep it active afterward. Andy's rule is to prioritize real human interaction over social media. The relationships you form in person, with colleagues, managers, and mentors, are the ones that create future opportunities.

Does doing basic intern tasks well actually matter?

Yes. Interns often get simple assignments, but completing each one professionally and without complaint makes a strong impression. Andy's career-long advice: find ways to add value, exceed expectations, and take responsibility for making the work interesting.

Why does competitive experience matter to employers?

Employers look for candidates who have done something competitive. Competition teaches you to handle setbacks, because you will lose some and make mistakes along the way. As Andy puts it, life isn't about winning and losing, it's about winning and learning.

How should you handle unfairness early in your career?

Accept that life isn't fair, and meet unfairness with as much grace as you can muster. How you respond to it shapes both your resilience and your reputation.

How do you keep growing throughout your career?

Stay truthful and true to yourself. Andy's shorthand: as long as you're growing, you're green, and once you stop, you rot. Continuous growth keeps you adaptable and credible.

What is the single most important habit for career success?

Show up. In Andy's words, eighty percent of success is showing up. Consistency and presence, day after day, beat occasional brilliance.

Seven lessons at a glance

The internship is the experience that matters most.
Build your network, and keep it.
Do the basic work well.
Compete, and learn from it.
Accept that life is not fair.
Stay truthful and true to yourself.
Show up.

Ready to make an internship the turning point in your college career? Explore The Washington Center's Academic Internship Program.

About the Author

For 50 years, The Washington Center has been the largest experiential learning program in Washington, D.C. We've helped more than 70,000 students and young professionals transform their academic pursuits into rewarding careers through internships, immersive seminars and professional development programs. We aim to empower every participant to secure a better future for themselves, while connecting employers with emerging talent.
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