How important are internships for college? What are your college freshmen doing this summer?

[Anonymous]

My college freshman ds is having a very hard time finding one in his field.

[Anonymous]

It's not easy. What major? Has he talked to his professors?

[Anonymous]

I think they're increasingly important but I certainly wouldn't sweat not having one after freshman year or not having one that is congruent with the student's major. My freshman has only a vague idea of what his major will be and is interning at a start-up consumer products company this summer.

[Anonymous]

They are important but not the summer after freshman year. I'd focus on just having a summer job, regardless of field. I hire college interns and really only look at students for the summer after junior year when they've actually had some solid coursework in the field, good idea of what they want to do, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They are important but not the summer after freshman year. I'd focus on just having a summer job, regardless of field. I hire college interns and really only look at students for the summer after junior year when they've actually had some solid coursework in the field, good idea of what they want to do, etc.

That's kinda late, isn't it? Kids going to grad school/professional schools need to apply after junior year. I think kids usually start after 2nd year in college.

[Anonymous]

I think the pp meant she hires interns for their Junior summer. Of course, the process starts many months before.

[Anonymous]

I personally wouldn't worry about summer after freshman year but the kid should have some kind of employment for that summer.

As PP mentioned, I agree that the most important summer for internship is the summer after junior year.

[Anonymous]

I think all summers are important. Rising sophomore DC2 has internships with think tanks (applications for these were due in Jan or Feb. of freshman year, which she almost missed). Next year she wants to do an abroad program with her university at Oxford. Third summer will be an internship in whatever major/field she has decided to go into in case she wants to apply to grad school that fall. It goes that fast. DC1 took University courses to get basic requirements out of the way summer 1, Summer 2 was paid internships in chosen field, Summer 3 was study abroad.

[Anonymous]

I agree with PP that all summers are important. DC found an on campus lab winter of 1st year and another lab beginning of DC's 2nd year. Plan to stay with both labs until graduate. Hope to publish a paper or two before applying to PhD programs. At least that's the goal.

[Anonymous]

My DC just completed first year and is working as a server at a very busy/touristy restaurant this summer, full time.

[Anonymous]

Summer between freshman and sophomore year, DC was a cashier at Safeway (last summer). This summer he has a paid internship in his university town that pays enough for him to live there and save enough for next year's spending money. His major is Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Most internships that count don't start until after sophomore year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not easy. What major? Has he talked to his professors?

Economics, and yes, he spoke with his professors but that has not yielded any results so far.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think all summers are important. Rising sophomore DC2 has internships with think tanks (applications for these were due in Jan or Feb. of freshman year, which she almost missed). Next year she wants to do an abroad program with her university at Oxford. Third summer will be an internship in whatever major/field she has decided to go into in case she wants to apply to grad school that fall. It goes that fast. DC1 took University courses to get basic requirements out of the way summer 1, Summer 2 was paid internships in chosen field, Summer 3 was study abroad.

Are these internships this summer paid or unpaid?

[Anonymous]

My child will not be permitted to work for free. Either the internship pays or he works 20 hours per week at the internship and mows lawns to make money.

[Anonymous]

I think it really depends on the major. The internships in my daughters field generally want students who have completed 60 credits. Internships are in the summer, are full time and unpaid, and she would be competing with recent graduates as well, most likely. So she's working as many hours as she can at the part-time job she had last summer. Next year, she has a required residential summer class "off-site" from her school, so that may mean no internship until after junior year.