The most interesting, and often challenging, aspect of my semester in Washington is the juxtaposition of simultaneously working and taking undergraduate classes. Three days a week after work I head over to Georgetown or Capitol Hill for sessions on economics and public policy and constitutional law. The students in my program also attend a weekly speaker series as part of our internship seminar. The days are packed (though nothing compared to a day in the life of a RAC Legislative Assistant), but the experience I am gaining in and out of the classroom is certainly worth the effort. Studying political science in Washington is like studying art in Florence; the classroom is the world around you.

While this is the main reason I chose to spend my semester away from college in DC, it also means that I am constantly faced by the fact that much of what I am learning in class contradicts with what I see in the world around me. In politics, as in many other fields, the gap between theory and reality is monstrous. For the average American voter, I doubt that the debate between the original intent of the Constitution and need for it to be a “living document” is relevant to everyday life or comes into play in the ballot box. We no longer see the candidates defined on traditional terms as small-government, free-market conservatives or welfare-state supporting liberals. Rather, most Americans disregard theory and make decisions based on how their pocketbooks and their consciences will be affected by their votes. And this is usually a good thing. Despite what we learn in the college bubble, textbooks and theories are far from all-powerful.

I encourage any student truly interested in government to spend time in Washington, whether it is a year-long program, a summer internship, or merely a vacation, and experience the realities of American politics. You will find that it is as exciting, and often fun, as you thought it would be. However, you also may find that the way things work is not exactly what you were expecting, or at least not what you were taught. This may not come as a surprise, but it will still come as a dose of reality, one which anyone considering a career in politics should take while he or she has the opportunity.