If You Don't Ask, You'll Never Know
I'm always amazed by the sheer number of students who have never explored an independent study or practicum class. Basically, an internship for class credit. I know, when you're a college student, money is scarce. As a college student in a small town in Virginia, I loved that I could take cash out of the ATM in $5 increments. Sometimes, that was all I had!
But I'm not suggesting you trade cash for credit. Instead, why not intern during the school year? At most universities, you have the opportunity to find a real-world project, work on it independently and get class credit for it.
Why is this a big deal? Imagine you do two independent studies, one in your sophomore year and one in your junior year. Let's assume you do a great job on both. If so, then the employer will be that much more likely to hire you for an internship.
Most schools have independent studies listed in their course catalogs, but it is up to YOU to meet with your advisor or a professor to sign-up and find a project. Most colleges will have some sort of form where you have to indicate (1) the company you are working with (2) a faculty/professorial advisor (3) the parameters of the project and (4) a written deliverable/project showing you did the work.
If you're thining about an internship--get creative. This is a great way to connect with a company and prove you can do the job!