As a college student, your summers are microcosms of post-college choice, a 3-month period where you can choose to do whatever you want, just like after you graduate. Some might spend it surfing on the shores of Santa Cruz while others might go home and help out the family. But most college students will choose to do something productive with that time, to plant seeds that become stepping stones to success in their post-college careers. 

The option set is across the board. Some students may choose to take summer courses to get ahead in their educational schedules. Others might choose to make some money, maybe becoming a barista on a minimum wage salary or a clerk at a local computer shop (Yes, I did that one summer). Others might choose to just hang out with friends and have fun. All of these are great, but we're here to tell you why having a summer internship at a startup rules them all:

1. Experience Follows You Forever - working at a startup, you'll undoubtedly work on substantial projects that contribute to the growth and direction of the product. Whether its product marketing or feature development, these are tangible experiences that you'll be able to speak to for the rest of your life. Many of the other summer options won't be able to provide this.
2. Experience Opens Doors - With that experience, when you move on to other jobs and into your full-time career, you'll be able to call on these experiences and the impact that you had on the company. Recruiters and other decision makers will see what you did as an asset that helps you stand out amongst your peers who may not have accomplished as much.
3. You Learn Real Skills for Success in Real Life - by working on products that people use and having a tangible impact, you'll quickly figure out what matters and what doesn't. This less in value and effort is not something that can be taught in class.
4. Making Money is Overrated - working at some startups may mean you have to get paid in pizza and ramen. While in the short term, making a bit of money at a minimum wage job is good, the experience you'll take with you in your future far outweigh the short term benefits, both from an economic and experiential perspective.
5. Summer Classes Don't Help in the Long Run - yeah, you might be able to reduce some of the credits you have to take but what you'll find that the skills you gain and what you learn from a summer with the smartest movers and shakers in the world will far surpass anything you might learn from a text book based summer course.
6. This is YOUR Future we're talking about - it's important to invest in experiences and use those experiences to craft the story of your journey and where you're going. Being at a startup over the summer is one of the best experiences you'll ever be able to take with you.

So what are you waiting for? Apply for a Startup Roots Fellowship!