<p>I am a Biology/French double major, and I am planning on pursuing my MAT in Biology with an endorsement in French for secondary education once I graduate with my BS. I am also a sophomore. I am planning on applying to a few programs (such as Amgen research and my University's STEM Educator internship during May) and hoping to be selected to one; however, if I'm not, how would you suggest I spend this next summer (2014)? I know it's early, but you have to plan ahead of time.</p>
<p>I would simply take summer courses, but my University offers very few classes in Biology (and none in French) over the summer, and they do not offer transient aid. So I would prefer spending my time in another worthwhile endeavor.</p>
<p>Look up REUs. They are NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates. They are a great way to get science research experience over the summer. There are a lot of them in various fields across the country, but they can be very competitive, so most people apply for a lot of them. I would check if there is someone at your school (in a career center or who deals with internships?) who helps students with this. Otherwise, talk to a professor in your department or advisor for advise. There are even a few overseas REUs (uncommon, since they’re US funded), so in some spectacular situation you might be able to do one in France - I have a friend who did a physics REU in Germany this summer.</p>
<p>If you’re interested in teaching, I would look into anything that involves education or working with kids/teens. You could work as a tutor, or see if you can volunteer at a school that runs a summer school or something similar. You could work at a summer camp (there are ones for all interests, including camps or academic programs for teens, if that’s the age range you’d like to work with). You could volunteer at a youth center or pursue another interest that you have. Teaching is a skill, and you can never do enough of it, if you plan on pursuing it for your career.</p>
<p>If you’d like to do something research related, you could try to email professors and see if you can work in their lab over the summer (or even start in someone’s lab during the school year).</p>
<p>Many companies have internships listed on their web sites along with the full-time positions they have listed. If there are any companies that you are interested in, take a look at their web sites.</p>