Unpaid internships are a tricky business. While college students are not the most vulnerable people on the planet, there is room for abuse. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, unpaid internships are lawful so long as they are “educational” and “the internship experience is for the benefit of the intern.” Perhaps most relevant to Ms. Wang’s case, an intern cannot “displace regular employees.” She worked 40 to 55 hours a week. According to her, she and the other interns were treated as a “vital labor force” and often did work on par with that of regular, paid employees. I have little doubt that she was, in fact, exploited as unpaid labor. In any such experience, there’s a certain amount of tedious work and crap one has to put up with. Ms. Wang’s experience goes far beyond that.

So are unpaid internships worth it? I have some friends who scoff at the idea, and to a certain extent I understand their point. Why would anyone give up a salary to gain (or not gain) an intangible benefit like educational experience and a company name on your resume? Unpaid internships are a lifestyle choice as much as a way to gain career experience. They’re listed along with Starbucks coffee and studying abroad under “Stuff White People Like” for a reason: They indicate a certain amount of privilege. While you may be gaining valuable career experience, you’re working for free when you could get an actual job.

If you’re like me, you’re fortunate enough to have parents who have the means to pay your rent for the summer while recouping exactly none of your personal expenses. There is money out there for people to pay for their expenses during summer internships, but I can see how only wealthier students can afford to do something over the summer. There’s a hint of elitism, looking down on people working minimum wage summer jobs without obvious connection to career advancement.

That said, I had an unpaid internship last summer with NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri. My experience could not have been more different than Ms. Wang’s. My fellow interns and I were given substantive work and treated well. The experience was valuable and certainly educational. Several of my fellow interns had paying jobs as well, possibly because most of us only interned 15 to 20 hours a week. Part of the value, at least for me, came from my own wide-eyed enthusiasm for NARAL’s mission. I’m interested in politics, and I eventually want to become the type of lawyer that does the type of work NARAL does. My internship suited my purposes exactly. Would I have preferred to have been paid? Of course. But corny idealist that I am, the experience I gained was a fair exchange for my time.

Ms. Wang’s experiences and lawsuit shouldn’t dissuade anyone from taking an unpaid internship this summer. But Ms. Wang’s case does draw attention to the possible misuse of unpaid student labor and the culture of unpaid internships in general. If you’re considering an unpaid internship, figure out exactly what you want to get out of it, then talk with your boss to make sure that happens. We may be relatively inexperienced, but gaining experience is the whole point of an unpaid internship.

Courtesy of Ashli Hessel

Junior Ashli Hessel poses in front of the Capitol. Hessel is one of six undergraduates in the Washington University Semester in D.C. Program. The unique learning experience consists of an internship, a core class, a colloquium class and field trips designed to immerse students in the DC culture.

The Semester in D.C. Program was introduced this fall to undergraduates, building upon the successful Administrative and Congressional Law Clinic, which has offered third-year law students the opportunity to work for a member of Congress since 1977.

Currently, 11 law students and six undergraduates are spending the semester in D.C. Twenty law students and about eight undergraduates will participate in the program this spring, and there will also be a summer program.

“This experience has given me a different perspective on politics because instead of reading about policy-making in textbooks, we see it happen in the House and Senate chambers and in our offices,” said junior Ashli Hessel, a program participant.

The new undergraduate program centers on a four day per week, six credit internship, a colloquium class, and a three credit elective course taught at the University of California Washington Center (UCDC).

Core classes are taught by the UCDC faculty, which features professors from the University of Michgan, University of Pennsylvania, UC Berkeley and UC Merced.

The program is designed to immerse students in the D.C. culture and offers smaller seminar classes for a unique learning experience.

When the program was announced, the University emphasized the importance of integrating the program’s environment into its learning experience, and according to students, that goal has been met.

“I would say the best part of the program is just the city itself,” Hessel said. “You’re in the midst of Embassy Row, so it’s definitely vibrant and there’s a lot to do.”

The program has coordinated explorations of the D.C. area through field trips to hockey games, the theater and local museums.

“They definitely do try to make the city a resource for us,” Hessel said.

The mix of undergraduate and law students has been beneficial. All of the students take the core class together, which is taught by Professor Steven Jackson, the director of Washington University Programs in D.C.

“It’s been terrific,” Jackson said.

Since both law students and undergraduate students have different backgrounds, they add to different parts of the class, increasing the collective knowledge.

“There are times when we’re talking about legal issues and the law students bring to bear what they know, and there are times we’re talking about political science,” Jackson said.

Hessel, who is pre-law, has enjoyed having classes with the law students.

“It’s been helpful to hear the law students’ perspectives on law school and the admissions process,” Hessel said.

Jackson said that the one difficulty the program’s students face is balancing internships and class work.

“I think everyone’s found it demanding, and they’re all in it together,” Jackson said. “It’s a lot of work, a lot of time.”

To make the class a little easier for students, Jackson decided to make the core class more flexible.

“I’ve used my flexibility in managing the core class to sometimes make it a little lighter when it was heavy in other things…and I think we’ve gotten pretty close to the right balance,” Jackson said.

As part of the program, the students write a 30-page research paper on a part of legislation relating to their internships.

“This has helped me discover resources to use for legislative research and become more familiar with the policy-making process,” Hessel said. “Because I work in a congressional office, I have access to reading rooms in the Library of Congress, so that’s been a useful perk.”

Overall, Hessel is pleased with her choice to participate.

“Because I’m a political science major, the reason I really wanted to come to D.C. was to learn about the political process first-hand and it does come alive here,” Hessel said.

1. Have realistic expectations
First of all, do not expect anything glamorous. Leave any and all expectations involving flights to Paris for resort shows or braiding Anna Wintour’s hair at the door. An internship is still an internship. Chances are that during a typical day, you’ll be soaked from running out in a rainstorm to pick up samples 30 blocks away or panting like a dog after hauling them to and from magazines just to be on time for the shoots. If you’re not doing that, you’ll be in the office steaming dresses, signing out samples and inputting credit information. If that sounds glamorous to you, then I take back what I’ve previously stated about glamour.

2. Know your place
Never think that you’re too good for any task. As an intern, you’re at the bottom of the proverbial fashion totem pole. Your day might not be entirely filled with errands, but the vast majority of your responsibilities are going to have you thinking, “I go to Wash. U. I’m better than this. I’m capable of so much more.” Your bosses know. They’ve been in your position, and they’ve probably thought the same thing. Just know that you are a huge asset to the company, and by doing these seemingly meaningless chores, you’re actually making the company run that much smoother. Always maintain a positive attitude.

3. Be indispensable
My supervisor at a past internship once told me this while I was working in the public relations office of a major fashion house: It’s tremendously important to go above and beyond your explicit duties. So much so that once you walk out the door, your supervisor feels that they need you back. Always anticipate what is going to be asked of you next. A sixth sense isn’t required, but if the clothes you picked up from Marc Jacobs are wrinkled, you should steam them before you’re asked.

4. Be nice
Though this might sound obvious and simple, I can’t stress enough the importance of tact. In the fashion industry especially, everything and everyone is connected. Your reputation and the way you present yourself will follow you throughout your career. Watch what you say and how you act. Concentrate on what you’re doing, and don’t be affected by the sometimes ruthless people you encounter—including other interns. Make sure that when you walk out the door, there are only good things to say behind your back.

5. Learn from others
You’re surrounded by some of the industry’s most creative masterminds. The biggest learning experience in any given internship comes simply from observing. By observing, you’re learning how problems are solved, how the day-to-day schedule runs and how to work as a team. And if you have questions—ASK!

6. Be meticulous
Because the industry is so detail oriented, everything is done to surgical perfection. Pages need to be lined straight in the press book; fonts need to be a certain way; address labels on envelopes cannot be crooked, and everything needs to be sent out on time.

7. Don’t get discouraged
It’s important not to feel defeated if you make a mistake—learn from them, and don’t make them again. Interning is essentially a learning experience. Your supervisors don’t expect you to do things perfectly, but they do expect you to learn from everything they teach you. Don’t get disappointed if they don’t congratulate you for doing something well—you should be doing everything well. Smile through challenges; never fear them. The fashion industry is fast paced and cutthroat, so make sure your daily ensemble always includes a thick skin.

8. Network
Once you’ve finished your internship, keep in touch! This industry is all about who you know, so be sure to maintain a strong relationship with all your previous supervisors and use them as resources in the future. Shoot them e-mails once in a while, propose a lunch or coffee date to catch up or drop by to visit them at work. (But call before you do so you don’t seem presumptuous!) Network, network, network…politely!

Should we be concerned that so much of our future could be determined by our connections or our parents’ connections? Should we spend more time going out and on Facebook so that we can meet people, rather than hitting the books rigorously? Should there be a class on networking? My answer to these questions is no. Despite all the evidence stacked against true knowledge as a solid asset, I really believe that it’s necessary in your professional and social lives. A connection is great way to get in the door, and yes, networking is critical once you are in that door, yet a connection can only do so much. Granted, it will certainly help you get that internship, or get a spot in that honorary, but once you are in, you have to prove that you belong there. Unless you’re the boss’s son or daughter, chances are you’re not going to stick around very long if you can’t pull your own weight.

The upper hand that this inroad to success may give you is a two-way street. Not only do you have to prove that you are worthy, but your performance also reflects on the generous soul who stuck his or her neck out for you. Your credibility is directly related to that of your connection, and if you stink, you can pretty much guarantee that the person responsible for your position will get a mouthful.

Achieving success (success here is a relative term, mainly relating to whether or not you are gainfully employed over the summer) is dependent upon a delicate balance of intelligence and the relationships you have made. It is reliant upon both whom you know and what you know. That connection certainly makes the odds of initial success greater, but you have to impress once you’re there. In all reality, I would read this column with a grain of salt, since I still don’t have an internship this summer. All I can really say for certain is that I think it will all be O.K. Maybe.

That’s why I have decided to come to your rescue with a guide for selecting the perfect summer internship. I’ve managed to find some pretty great internships during my tenure at Wash. U., so I feel somewhat qualified to dispense advice. Keep in mind, however, that I am still just an ordinary student. I am not a career counselor, nor do I have an actual grown-up job. This is not the product of extensive reporting; instead, it’s a bunch of opinions based on my own experience. Take my advice with a full shaker of salt, therefore, and remember that mine is just one opinion out of many.

That said, here are my shiny pearls of wisdom:

1. Look for organizations that value youth. Any company or nonprofit that views young students as future leaders in need of development will be more committed to providing a high-quality learning experience for its interns than organizations that see college students as nothing more than free copy-making drones. These are the organizations that will offer regular lunches or lectures with industry experts, that will ask you to do substantive work, and that will be most willing to answer your questions and help you succeed.

2. Look for organizations with a record of success. There’s nothing wrong with working for an unknown start-up, but when it comes to your summer experiences, you might want to focus on organizations with reputations for being competent leaders in their fields. One of the most important goals of a summer internship is to learn, and therefore it is helpful to seek out knowledgeable teachers. Treat new internship programs or unknown nonprofits with a careful degree of scrutiny.

3. Seek out networking opportunities. Make sure your internship will allow you to meet a range of people, either inside or outside the organization itself. Once your internship begins, seize on every possible pretense to get to know people you find interesting or helpful or maybe even just people who have a pulse. Be sure to collect their contact information and keep in touch. These newly made connections can help keep you from having to read columns like this when searching for your next internship or job.

4. Do not be afraid to be ambitious. Sometimes going after a fantastic internship opportunity means turning down a more guaranteed option. Of course, every situation is different, but if you can, take the risk. We are all still college students; that means that we are still allowed to fail at the whole job-searching thing. Reaching for the more amazing position might be worth the risk of ending up with no internship at all.

5. Do whatever work needs to be done, and do it cheerfully. This applies to the internship itself rather than the search, but it’s still pretty good advice. No matter how great your internship, you will probably still spend quality time hanging out with copy machines or ruining your eyes by staring at spreadsheets. It might not be fun, but doing the little things well will help you earn more exciting projects in the future. Every intern has to do some “intern” work from time to time.

That’s my advice. Take it and watch as all your greatest dreams come true. Ignore it and, well, maybe living in your parents’ basement forever won’t be too bad.

I’m kidding, of course. This advice has served me well so far, but I think an essential part of the internship experience is also collecting pieces of career wisdom for yourself. You might also want to consider stopping by the Career Center and talking to someone with actual expertise.

No matter what you chose to do with your summer, good luck. And don’t worry too much about those relatives; I’ve been telling my parents since freshman year that I’ll probably be living in a box after graduation. It makes it easier to exceed expectations.