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Holy Cross | Life > Experiences

Know Before You Go: Washington D.C. Semester Program

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Rhiannon Dyment Student Contributor, College of the Holy Cross
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Holy Cross chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

I participated in the Holy Cross’ Washington D.C. Semester Program in the fall, and while I recommend the program and found it professionally rewarding, here are some things I wish I had known before applying and moving to the city!

  1. It is a LOT of work-so if you’re looking for an easy semester or an easy A, this program is not for you. 
  2. It can be expensive if your internship is not paid. D.C. is an expensive city and the cost of groceries, food, activities, etc. adds up. Our Metro cards were fully funded which takes some of the burden off. Save up money during the summer and create a budget, but be prepared to deal with how expensive D.C. is. 
  3. Choose your roommates wisely! My three roommates ended up being some of my best friends and my biggest support system while in D.C. They made the semester so much better! 
  4. The seminar class is a lot of work. I thought it was going to be more in support of what we’re doing, not in addition to it, if that makes sense. The class was beneficial and I learned a lot, but it is 100+ page readings every week. You also lead one class discussion and write three 8-10 page papers on top of the full time internship and 40 page thesis. 
  5. Networking is a large part of the program and one of the main points and benefits of this program being in D.C. If you’re not comfortable emailing people, or meeting up with them to talk about their career, this program may not be for you.
  6. Contact people who did the internships that you are considering before you apply, and then reach out to alumni again during your internship. It’s helpful to hear others’ experiences, and they may be useful in helping you discern what you want your internship to be. 
  7. The program counts for four credits, but none of it may count toward your academic programs. The public policy class counts as a Social Science or as a Political Science class. The thesis does not count towards academic programs unless you negotiate credit before or after the fact from the discipline that you wrote it in. For example, if you are a History major, try to write a history thesis with a history advisor. Economics and Political Science receive no credit towards the majors regardless. 
  8. I do not recommend a five day internship as someone who had one. While I really enjoyed the work I was doing, five days and a 40 hour work week was a lot on top of the 40 page thesis. I was lucky because my internship was only a ten-week program which left me with three weeks to work on my thesis and explore before leaving the city.
  9. Don’t accept an internship offer without first finding out what kind of work you’ll be doing!
  10. Try to find an internship that you wouldn’t be able to do in your home state. Being in the political epicenter of our country provides all kinds of opportunities you wouldn’t normally have.
  11. Start thinking about topics for your thesis over the summer and start bouncing ideas off potential departments and advisors if you would be writing it outside of Political Science.
  12. Research the city ahead of time! It is to your benefit to know your route to work and some of the neighborhoods and Metro lines.
  13. Take advantage of the free events and museums! I went to a lot of events and museums and art galleries, and didn’t even see half of what the city has to offer!
  14. Come up with a research and writing timeline and stick to it. I wish I had started earlier and worked chunk by chunk every night instead of grinding on the weekends and right before thesis deadlines. 

I loved my time in D.C. and want to go back to the city! The D.C Semester was a lot of work, but definitely worth it as it helped me to discern a career path and meet a ton of people who have the jobs I would want in the future. It was a great resume builder and having a 40 page thesis under your belt is a fantastic opportunity. I have a whole Google Doc with even more advice and information on the apartment and surrounding neighborhood, so please reach out and I can add you to it! Please reach out during your time in the program too! I am more than happy to help in any way possible even if it’s just sharing an email template I used to network. 

Rhiannon Dyment

Holy Cross '26

Rhiannon Dyment is a senior at Holy Cross. She is double majoring in English and Political Science with a concentration in Peace and Conflict Studies. Rhiannon wants to continue on to law school after graduation. In the fall of 2024, she assumed the role of Social Media Chair for her chapter of Her Campus. Outside of Her Campus she is involved with the Holy Cross Admissions Office, the Holy Cross Pre-Law Society, Purple Key Society, Pink Gloves Boxing, and Sigma Tau Delta English Honors Society. Rhiannon loves dogs, warm weather, açaí bowls, and playing golf and pickleball.