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Alexander
Student
Peoria, Arizona
1
Question
Asked
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How early should I begin looking for internships/research opportunities once I begin University?
As an individual planning to major in Electrical Engineering, how early should I begin looking for internships or research opportunities? Making the most of my college experience is preferable, but I'm unsure whether such opportunities are available to first year students. Should I focus on building foundational skills before applying?
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Noah FW
Consultant
7
Answers
San Francisco, California
Updated
Noah’s Answer
Hi Alexander! This is a great question that I also had as I entered college.
-- How early should you begin looking for internship research opportunities? --
For research, this definitely depends on your school, but if you are interested in pursuing research it's never too early to start reaching out to professors. There are a lot of factors out of your control (e.g., lab funding), but it's not uncommon for students to start doing research in their freshman year. I would prioritize getting acclimatized to college first over starting research, but if your schedule allows and you are excited about it then it's worth exploring!
In terms of strategy, I would recommend going through the websites of the different professors / labs and emailing the ones the pique your interest. CC their assistant and say that you are a first year student interested in XYZ and potential research opportunities.
Most internships will be during the summer. It's worth talking to your school's career office to see what the timeline usually is for these. In my experience, freshman summer is quite low-stakes. I had friends who did internships, others who did research, and others who did neither! Similar to my answer above, it's worth exploring internship opportunities if they interest you but I would not feel pressured into one.
-- Should you focus on building foundational skills before applying? --
It's a good question. The good thing is that research and internships are learning opportunities themselves, and faculty / lab members are usually willing to help mentor / teach you the skills you need for research. That said, there may be some research opportunities that will be harder to get because they require a little more expertise.
--
Overall, you should focus on getting settled into school and classes first. Your freshman year is a great time to explore potential interests, and while it's definitely worth reaching out to learn more about research / internships, it's not the be-all and end-all. Hope this helps!
-- How early should you begin looking for internship research opportunities? --
For research, this definitely depends on your school, but if you are interested in pursuing research it's never too early to start reaching out to professors. There are a lot of factors out of your control (e.g., lab funding), but it's not uncommon for students to start doing research in their freshman year. I would prioritize getting acclimatized to college first over starting research, but if your schedule allows and you are excited about it then it's worth exploring!
In terms of strategy, I would recommend going through the websites of the different professors / labs and emailing the ones the pique your interest. CC their assistant and say that you are a first year student interested in XYZ and potential research opportunities.
Most internships will be during the summer. It's worth talking to your school's career office to see what the timeline usually is for these. In my experience, freshman summer is quite low-stakes. I had friends who did internships, others who did research, and others who did neither! Similar to my answer above, it's worth exploring internship opportunities if they interest you but I would not feel pressured into one.
-- Should you focus on building foundational skills before applying? --
It's a good question. The good thing is that research and internships are learning opportunities themselves, and faculty / lab members are usually willing to help mentor / teach you the skills you need for research. That said, there may be some research opportunities that will be harder to get because they require a little more expertise.
--
Overall, you should focus on getting settled into school and classes first. Your freshman year is a great time to explore potential interests, and while it's definitely worth reaching out to learn more about research / internships, it's not the be-all and end-all. Hope this helps!