You’ll need to define what a valuable internship is before you can go hunting for one. Are you alright with working as an unpaid intern or are you looking to get paid for your labor? What are you planning to do with your degree and what industry are you looking to get into after you graduate? How far are you willing to travel to get to your workplace and where are you going to be living during the summer? Answering all of these questions will help you both focus your search for a valuable internship and restrict your search to the right places.
For example, if you are one of those fortunate few who can get by without earning money during the holidays, you can broaden your search to include both paid and unpaid internships. Similarly, if you can’t afford gas and are planning to stay home with your parents to save money, you’ll know to restrict your search to internships available only within walking or public transportation distance of your parents’ home.