... at a think tank in D.C.

My boss, PPI's chief security researcher, was an ex-Navy NCIS counterterrorism analyst who had joined the Institute just months before I arrived. When I got there one week after my spring finals, Jim already had plenty of irons in the fire: He was simultaneously organizing a massive conference in September, starting a blog and editing a series of policy papers he intended to have published by summer's end.

As his only research assistant, I had a lot to do. I helped edit papers and perform background research, wrote several blog posts of my own, planned for the conference, organized materials for our meetings on Capitol Hill, accompanied Jim to conferences around town and broke ground on new projects he'll still be working on this fall.

With all that we were trying to accomplish, there was no such thing as routine, and the priority assignment was constantly changing. Even my more monotonous daily tasks were fun: For two hours every morning, I would simply read the websites of four federal agencies, three newspapers and four blogs, condense the top stories and op-eds, and brief Jim at 10 a.m. on what information could be used on our new blog, allourmight.com. With the election creeping closer and events unfolding locally and overseas (the Russian invasion and the Olympics come to mind), we were never at a loss for good material.

One of the best parts about D.C. and the think-taking experience had to be seeing and occasionally meeting the movers and shakers. Through PPI, I was able to meet Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and scholars whose works I had read for politics courses. Through the Princeton-in-Washington program, I got to see and ask questions of Donald Rumsfeld '54 and a slew of other distinguished alumni working for the State Department, National Security Council, CBS News and the White House.

I would definitely recommend that politics, Wilson School and history majors consider applying for jobs and internships in Washington, whether with a think tank or anywhere else. And it's not just for the nature of the work: D.C. is exhilarating. It's easy to maneuver, the night life is a blast (as a jazz club guy, I was more than satisfied), the attractions - more museums and monuments then you could ever visit in a summer - are highly enjoyable.

The town is also bursting with interns in June and July, and you will almost trip over fellow Princetonians. A good friend of mine worked with me at PPI, and others were working at the Department of Defense, the State Department, Congress, The Washington Post and the FBI. One Thursday evening on the metro, I ran into my Community Action leader and three guys who I know from Charter Club, having had no intention of seeing any of them. In short, you'll make new friends who you'll actually see around a few months later on campus, and you'll possibly even run into old ones. And just think about it: What better way to spend the Fourth of July?