I thought I was attending the Red Sox’ funeral.

Perhaps three exams and a class presentation in a three-day span coupled with an overcast sky causes one to view life from a glass-half-empty point of view.  I just didn’t have a good feeling about the Game 5 of the 2008 American League Championship Series.

But hey, how down could I be? I was going to work for the Red Sox. When the Sox pulled off the largest comeback in 79 years of playoff baseball, I was in the bowels of Fenway Park, waiting with the media for Terry Francona, J.D. Drew, and Dice-K to talk about the stunning victory. 

So it turns out it would all be for naught three nights later.  But here’s the point: college students have the opportunity to do things that no one else can.  Especially if you’re a student in Boston. 

Through little things called internships — hopefully you’ve heard of those by now — you can work for some of the most renowned, interesting, and elite organizations in the country.  And you can meet fascinating people.  Even famous people.  And you will actually receive college credit for doing this. 

Here’s a brief intro to internships and why you should do them.   You pick a company that appeals to you, then find out if they hire interns.  You work for that company for a semester, or a summer, in exchange for college credit or, less frequently, for pay.  Afterward, you decide if you truly want to work in that field or, if you hate it, you can possibly change your major. 

Here’s a breakdown of typical internships for COM students.  If you’re a journalism major, a newspaper, magazine, TV station, radio station, or website are ideal.  The Boston Globeand BU have a cooperative program in which journalism students work in the Globe’s newsroom for a semester in lieu of classes.  It’s a paid position, you don’t pay tuition, and you get to live in the dorms/apartments at school.  So basically it’s the best of both worlds — school without the classes, and you’re earning some money and getting published in the top newspaper in the seventh largest media market in the country.  Sweet.

If you’re in Advertising, Public Relations, or Communication Studies, lots of students intern at ad agencies and PR firms in Boston, New York and Los Angeles.  Film and TV students work with production companies and for television programs and networks (many take advantage of BU’s Los Angeles program). (Read this for a little glimpse of LA life.)

The good news if you’re a student in Boston?  There’s no shortage of companies looking for interns.  The better news if you’re a BU student?  Professors hook you up.  They’ve worked where you want to work and call on their former colleagues to get you in the door.

If you’re wondering whether an internship would be a good idea for you, the answer is YES.  Most BU students do them.  I recommend doing several of them.  Despite what I’ve mentioned above, showing initiative is perhaps most important. Listing BU on your résumé may be helpful in many cases, but you still have to do the legwork to go out and get a foot in the door.

Here’s another term you’ll hear ad nauseaum in the coming years:  networking.  It’s all about who ya know.  Talk to people.  Developing contacts will open many doors.  Interning is a great way to start building your, um, network. 

Furthermore, internships can provide some of your most memorable college experiences. After all, how many people get to stand among the best sportswriters and athletes on one of the biggest stages baseball has to offer?