I've always wanted to write to The Daily Collegian and now I have a very good reason to do so. After hitting an academic wall in Happy Valley, I decided to get some "real life" experience. I was accepted as an intern at a prestigious resort in West Palm Beach, Fl.

The Penn State football team's win at the FedEx Orange Bowl seemed to be a good omen to my spring semester away from University Park. Happy as a clam, I relocated and began my career as an intern. Happy until I got an unexpected slap in the face from dear old State. The Office of the Bursar sent a bill for over $10,000 to my house. My unexpecting parents were more than shocked and so was I.

Why does an internship, that costs Penn State nothing, cost me so much? Why was I never informed of this "fee" until after I already declined a housing contract and abstained from scheduling classes?

I wanted to let every student who's considering wasting a lot of money, to give it a second thought. Is an internship with Penn State really worth it?