I’ve searched up my questions online, but haven’t found anyone else asking them. I’m only a first year university student, but I would still like to know in advance if I do decide to pursue an internship in the future.
For starters, are travel and general living expenses usually covered by the employer? I’ve heard that this varies, but I want to know how common it is to get full coverage, as anything short of that may make an internship impossible for me.
Second, how and when does one arrange for a place to stay? Who are you supposed to talk to?
Third, how does one get from their place of living to where they work? Are the two normally within walking distance?
That’s all for now. My university’s career advising website doesn’t seem to address these specific questions. As I’ve never before encountered the concept of an internship, I suppose the answers are assumed to be obvious.
The answer is that there is no one answer. It varies based on the individual internship. Generally speaking, the more well funded (and/or prestigious) the internship, the more competitive the application process.
Don’t rely on your university’s website. Go down and actually talk to the advisors!
Plan well ahead: generally speaking the internship application process starts very early in the fall semester for internships starting the next summer.
It depends on your field and the employer. The chances of an internship employer paying for travel, housing and transportation to and from the job are almost nil.
My DC had an internship in LA after freshman year. It was paid, but living and travel expenses were not included. DC sublet a room near USC which was close to the internship. DC used the bus and uber to get to/from work.
I think it would be best to try and find a summer internship near your home or your school.
@balletmom27
As I don’t have a home in the US, I suppose trying to find one near my university would be my only option.
@TomSrOfBoston
I see. In that case, I should probably focus on getting REUs.
My D has her first internship this summer. She needs to find a place to stay - the company provides a housing stipend and said they will provide housing options based on previous interns/employees.
Interns are expected to be able to get to work, like any employee. They said most interns bring a car, but public transportation, bike, etc. may be an option. They have pool cars for field work, but they can’t be kept 24x7.
You do get paid to work. My D will earn about $12,000 for the summer. That should more than cover transportation from your school dorm/apartment to the work location and back.
I did some more reading on my university’s website, and it turns out that there is funding available for students with financial need who may struggle to afford internships. As the university is already covering all my expenses, the odds might be in my favor for receiving said funding.
You should be able to get a great deal of information from the career placement office at your college.
I agree that things can vary quite a bit from one internship to another. I also agree that you should be able to get more information from the career placement office at your college.
There are things called internships, and things called coops. I am not sure what the difference is. However, some of these are paid, and some are not.
One daughter had a roommate who got a summer coop or internship on campus. The same daughter got a very good coop that was off campus, but a reasonable drive. She got a car so that she could go the coop. However she then discovered that there were three or four other students from her university with internships at the same place, and she could have carpooled with them. She was paid enough to cover room and board and the maintenance of the car over the summer – but not enough to cover the cost of purchasing the car (which as I said would not have actually been needed).
I have heard of cases of students finding a summer rental near the coop or internship. In general near any university there will be students who have year-long leases, but who are not there over the summer.
If your university is in a city with good public transportation, then there is a very good chance that you can find an internship that you can get to via the public transit.
If you need the internship to pay well enough to cover the costs, then there is a good chance that you will be able to do this. This might limit which internships you can accept.
I am generally a very big fan of internships and coop programs. This will give you work experience which will be very useful in the long run, and which is likely to make it easier for you to find a job after graduation.
What is your major? Is their an office of professional practice at your school?
Our experience is that what employers provide is highly variable. Last summer D worked on campus, was paid a stipend, had discounted housing in a dorm, and all her meals were included. Her co-op Try his summer is paying her much more and covering all her housing. She will still need to have a way to commute to work. She’s an engineering student.
She has friends in other majors who are basically volunteering for their experiences. As noted above, it’s very major/industry dependent.
If you are an international student, it will be tougher to find an internship that pays you. As others have said, talk with an adviser in your school’s career center.
@DadTwoGirls
I think a coop takes the place of academic units. For example, at University of Alabama Huntsville, I believe students can have a semester coop where they work full time. This might not be the case at other places though (I don’t go to UAH, but to Notre Dame).
@momofsenior1
My major is physics. I would be interested in getting an internship related to engineering or programming.
I’m not sure how good the public transportation is here in South Bend. I might look into carpooling, as I can’t drive.
@Mwfan1921
I’m not an international student per se, as I have US citizenship. I’ve just never lived in the US.
You may want to look to see if your school has summer employment/research opportunities on campus. Talk to your professors to see if they are hiring. Generally speaking it’s tougher for freshmen to get hired by companies so paid research might be a good way to spend your first summer.
Engineering and programming internships generally include a decent hourly wage ($20-$35/hour) plus travel expenses and a housing stipend. If you handle money well, you’ll have some left in your pocket at the end of the summer.
@agreatstory
I see. That seems more in the range of affordability.
I suppose the difficulty, then, would be in transportation once I get there (as well as just functioning on my own in general).
Out of curiosity, does anyone know what documentation is involved in the process of getting the internship, getting housing, etc.?
@momofsenior1
I’m not looking for anything for this summer, as I wish to go home (I was not able to go back over winter break). This is for future summers.