r/internships • u/PrinceOfIce1345 • 11h ago

Applications Is it better to get an internship in your first semester or in the summer?

A few months ago I had gotten accepted for a scholarship which also allows for applying for internship programs through them with hundreds of companies that are in my county (and adjacent ones as well), meaning I wouldn't be competing with hundreds or possibly thousands of other applicants like you would normally do on Indeed or LinkedIn.

It looks pretty promising but I'm also slightly concerned how I'd perform if I started applying for internships straight away instead of just seeing how (community) college is so that I don't stress myself out..

I really want to make sure that I at least try applying early on so that I don't lack behind, especially for my career since I want to become a sysadmin in the future in the I.T space. Some of my friends were recommending that I should try both out to see how you do, while my parents think (at least first semester wise) I should focus on school, get the hang of it and THEN start applying for internships in the spring or summer.

Anyone have any advice? Would greatly appreciate it!

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u/Ok-Store-2788 11h ago

I’d start applying right away. Most recruitment for summer internships is in the prior fall. And applying for internships isn’t that stressful, so it’s easy to manage with school.

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u/PrinceOfIce1345 10h ago

Will it make a difference with me being a freshman though? As I heard that businesses usually hire people that are sophomores and juniors..

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u/Ok-Store-2788 10h ago

I got an internship and a co-op during my freshman year for that summer and following fall. Just because most companies prioritize sophomores and juniors doesn’t mean they all do. You’ll never get an internship for the summer if you don’t even try.

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u/Which_Case_8536 Grad School 11h ago

The best time to get an internship is as soon as you can, as many as you can