By GRACE BODKIN

STAFF WRITER

Perhaps if you are like me, you have only just gotten used to writing 2014 on papers and are still watching music videos from 2004. But for those who are not stuck in a time warp, the internship search season has commenced.

Luckily, Career Services provides ample opportunities for students ready to jump into the process. In addition to recent internship-finding workshops, they are also offering networking events over winter break in Washington D.C. and New York City. Students can also meet with Career Services to improve their résumé.

But the reality of it all sets in when it comes to the actual act of applying. The peak season, the prime time, for connecting with employers falls directly at the end of the semester. In other words, the time when most students are swamped with work, and the idea of doing anything past exam week that is not sugar or gift related sounds mortifying.

Although May 2015 is five months and an entire semester away, if you want an internship, this is the time to act. The deadlines have come up, the Career & Internship Connections(CIC)interviews passed Monday. And for those that have their act together and plan on applying now, the competition is daunting. Each employer is faced with hundreds, if not thousands of applications to choose from. In other words, do not get your heart set on one opportunity. One student said that she submitted over 45 applications last year, only to get contacted by four companies. With a plethora of students submitting resumes, and many with similar experience, there are no guarantees.

According to an Internships.com survey, between 2013 and 2014, the amount of graduates that had completed an internship during college increased by 6%. This equates to more competition than ever before. However, it is worth noting that the number of companies that are offering programs has also risen during this period of time.

So yes, with all this daunting summer planning, your camp counselor job is looking increasingly appealing, (no rejection and pay?) but what is important to remember is that all experience is valuable for you and your résumé. And even if you are not mentally prepared to hop on the application bandwagon right now, there is still time before Spring deadlines.