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>I don’t need an internship right now
> because it’s more common to get an internship by the end of your second or third year
I don't know where you are located but not everyone gets an internship due to how competitive it is. The earlier you can get one, the higher chance you have of getting another one next summer. It definitely gives you an edge over other applicants in your junior/senior year.
If your financial aid is at stake that makes it a tough decision but taking more than 4 years to graduate does not matter in industry as much as practical experience and known skills you got from that experience.
This right here.
Internships are crucial to get experience and the earlier you start, the better. My kid did his first internship (non-engineering related) last summer in his sophomore year of high school. This summer, he’s doing a research internship for TxDoT. It’s in civil engineering, so not mechanical engineering like he would like, but little baby steps in internships will give you a leg up on internships in the field you do want to have them in. It’s easier to inch your way towards your goal, than to wait around for the ideal position to fall into your lap.
I was a low income student. I don’t think twice about taking an extra semester to graduate. It was a painful decision at the time, but it has not negatively affected my life in any appreciable way, and that summer between my senior year and super senior semester, I worked in a lab for a professor and did undergrad research and ended up publishing a paper.
I also learned I LOVED working in a laboratory and now I do destructive testing for a living and manage a multi-million dollar lab.
My super senior semester I made a bunch of life-long friends, and even built the foundation of a relationship that would turn into my wife.
Take the extra time. Take the internship. You’ll thank yourself.
I am similar to you in that I need to graduate in 4 years cause of finances. So I’m taking a summer class that is online asynchronous and I would suggest you look into that. Take a gen ed requirement class over the summer, they’re east and can be online
Do they possibly have statics online over the summer ? I mean it would be a juggle that's for sure but it would be the best of both worlds in your situation. Getting your internship and still knocking out some credits along the way.
Tbh, the earlier you get an internship the easier and more opportunities you get for other internships later. It’s flawed to think you should only start applying and doing internships at a later years because by that time, you’d be competing with other candidates who have had internship experience before at earlier years.
I’m in the mindset of taking opportunities now rather than waiting for potential opportunities later. Former is guaranteed since you have those opportunities currently, however the latter is not. Like can you guarantee if you don’t take the opportunity now, when you get older are you able to find something later?
Don’t forget the possibility of not getting any internships then graduating to be able to get into the industry at all with no experience and also left with debt. I have friends who have been in the situation where they got an opportunity to do an engineering internship but did not accept. They thought they could probably find something later, but now graduated and are having problems even getting their first engineering position.
you should see if there is an online option for the class that you can take while you're at the internship. Either at your school, or a different school where the credits can transfer over. Or maybe, since it is part time, there is a local place nearby that you can enroll in that could transfer the credits
if you are taking 20 credits there’s a likelihood you can just drop one of the other classes that’s less essential to the curriculum like statics and take that out instead, not worth being behind a year in my opinion.
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>I don’t need an internship right now > because it’s more common to get an internship by the end of your second or third year I don't know where you are located but not everyone gets an internship due to how competitive it is. The earlier you can get one, the higher chance you have of getting another one next summer. It definitely gives you an edge over other applicants in your junior/senior year. If your financial aid is at stake that makes it a tough decision but taking more than 4 years to graduate does not matter in industry as much as practical experience and known skills you got from that experience.
This right here. Internships are crucial to get experience and the earlier you start, the better. My kid did his first internship (non-engineering related) last summer in his sophomore year of high school. This summer, he’s doing a research internship for TxDoT. It’s in civil engineering, so not mechanical engineering like he would like, but little baby steps in internships will give you a leg up on internships in the field you do want to have them in. It’s easier to inch your way towards your goal, than to wait around for the ideal position to fall into your lap.
^Best comment
I was a low income student. I don’t think twice about taking an extra semester to graduate. It was a painful decision at the time, but it has not negatively affected my life in any appreciable way, and that summer between my senior year and super senior semester, I worked in a lab for a professor and did undergrad research and ended up publishing a paper. I also learned I LOVED working in a laboratory and now I do destructive testing for a living and manage a multi-million dollar lab. My super senior semester I made a bunch of life-long friends, and even built the foundation of a relationship that would turn into my wife. Take the extra time. Take the internship. You’ll thank yourself.
I am similar to you in that I need to graduate in 4 years cause of finances. So I’m taking a summer class that is online asynchronous and I would suggest you look into that. Take a gen ed requirement class over the summer, they’re east and can be online
Do they possibly have statics online over the summer ? I mean it would be a juggle that's for sure but it would be the best of both worlds in your situation. Getting your internship and still knocking out some credits along the way.
There are community colleges near me that offer statics online. Maybe look into one of those?
Tbh, the earlier you get an internship the easier and more opportunities you get for other internships later. It’s flawed to think you should only start applying and doing internships at a later years because by that time, you’d be competing with other candidates who have had internship experience before at earlier years. I’m in the mindset of taking opportunities now rather than waiting for potential opportunities later. Former is guaranteed since you have those opportunities currently, however the latter is not. Like can you guarantee if you don’t take the opportunity now, when you get older are you able to find something later? Don’t forget the possibility of not getting any internships then graduating to be able to get into the industry at all with no experience and also left with debt. I have friends who have been in the situation where they got an opportunity to do an engineering internship but did not accept. They thought they could probably find something later, but now graduated and are having problems even getting their first engineering position.
I would take the internship. People take it for granted how difficult it is to get an internship.
No, If you can afford it. It’s really hard to get internships, congrats on landing one
you should see if there is an online option for the class that you can take while you're at the internship. Either at your school, or a different school where the credits can transfer over. Or maybe, since it is part time, there is a local place nearby that you can enroll in that could transfer the credits
Search for statics online lol you really aren’t that cooked
If you're in school to jumpstart your career, an internship and delaying graduation by 1 semester is worth it.
if you are taking 20 credits there’s a likelihood you can just drop one of the other classes that’s less essential to the curriculum like statics and take that out instead, not worth being behind a year in my opinion.
Why don't you just do both?