Do you dream of doing something so awesome that it will fundamentally alter your being for the rest of your life? If your answer is yes, please keep reading.

It’s one thing to get straight A’s in the classes required for your desired degree. But hands-on experience will almost always win out over the classroom. And at this point in life, the best opportunity you’re going to get is an internship.

For example, unless you’re a diehard political junkie and have volunteered for political campaigns, you probably have no form of political science experience outside of your classes.

The 2011 Summer Congressional Internship Program can change that. If you’re one of the qualified five, you will live and work in Washington, D.C. for the summer, making your living as a ground-level soldier in the experience that is Congress.

I found the work that I did for my Congressman to be very rewarding. Everything has an added importance to it; you’re not walking just any old piece of paper from one congressional office to the other. The piece of paper you could be holding could be a letter that will be the start of an important policy change. You could be holding a small piece of history.

If you’re a political science major and have not applied for this program yet, you need to buck up and do so.

But that’s just political science. I admit, if you’re a biology major who enjoys watching the reactions of enzymes and alcohol, or you’re an English major who likes to rant about how the book is always better than the movie, then this internship is not right for you.

Unfortunately for you, I know very little about where to find great biology/English-related internships. But I do know a great starting place: the Internship Fair. This Wednesday, 50 different employers will set up in the Convocation Center, ready to meet potential employees and interns like you.

If you’re already going and are prepped, congratulations. If this column has thrown you into a whirlwind of frantic activity because you remembered about the fair at the last minute, never fear. NIU Career Services’ website offers numerous tips to help you transform from a great candidate into an excellent candidate.

And there are more opportunities than just these two. Every company usually has its own internship program, and NIU holds another fair in the spring semester as well.

The important part of this column to take away from is to take advantage of opportunities like these internships. These internships can be the beginning of something much more, and it would be terrible to miss one of these opportunities because you did not do your research.

So read up now, while you can. The deadline for the D.C. internship is Oct. 29, so you have some time to organize your resume, reach out to people who can write letters of recommendation and write some essays.

Don’t look back on these internships as the ones that got away. Research and apply now.