Hello,
My name is Guillermo and I’m a current sophomore studying Computer Science in a university in Alabama. I would like to apply for any summer internship available for sophomores or any classification.
However, I’m not as experienced as most computer science students from here. All people I know have solid CS backgrounds and most of them are working, or already worked, in an internship.
Can anyone help me get experience in CS and help me find an internship? One of you guys must know something.
I have experience with C++ and HTML/CSS, and right now I’m currently learning Java and Javascript (really basic level).
My GPA is 4.0, and I will be taking my Data Structures class next semester.
Thanks guys!
It’s really too early in your CS progress to be applying for an internship for this coming summer, but next summer you may be more qualified. Almost all internships want you to have completed Data Structures at a bare minimum and even then, it is very difficult to get an internship with just that background. The problem for you is that you’ll most likely have to do a technical interview and, since you aren’t taking Data Structures until next semester, you won’t have covered material yet that they’ll want to ask you about.
So there’s seriously nothing I can do? What’s something I should then do on my free time to boost my chances of getting a really good job and/or getting in a good grad school? I’m learning some coding by myself but I don’t think that’s enough
“So there’s seriously nothing I can do? What’s something I should then do on my free time to boost my chances of getting a really good job and/or getting in a good grad school? I’m learning some coding by myself but I don’t think that’s enough”
Hmm… No, there are stuffs you can do for getting internships.
I have seen many freshmen who have yet to take data structures get internships at places like Facebook, Google, etc.
How? Self-studying. These students decided to self-study 1/2 the data structures (pretty much only the first half is the main important as the interviewers realize the students have not learnt the materials yet) to prepare for the interviews.
It is a myth that freshmen cannot get interviews ^^
That said, as most students are lazy (I am also at fault here), most likely, you will not be self studying the data structures part.
Then all you have to do is learn the basics of trees, list vs linked list, the Big-Oh notation and its time (memorize charts).
And then join a CS club in your school. Make friends like crazy and tell them honestly that you need an internship later on during the second semester. Then, I can assure you at least one person will reach out for you. You might not get internship you want but hey, an experience is an experience if you are so desperate.
Also, there will be many MANY people in this forum (if they decide to post) who will reply back with the simple : go start your own project in the summer if you can’t find an internship.
Now, there are some stuffs that is hysterical with this reasoning. First, starting your own project is hard. Second, it’s pretty not-so-motivating. Third, you have no idea what project to even make. Fourth, the ones giving these advices probably didn’t even major in CS or never actually did those advices until they have enough skills to already have expeerienced internships.
What I suggest you do if you aren’t doing anything in your summer (which I believe you can because hey, you are a sophomore ^^. Literally 3 days is necessary to learn the basics of data structurs for interviews anyway):
- Join a CS Club.
- Sign up for hackathon group things with CS club members and ride on their glory. (pretty much, take advantage of fact that companies don’t know you aren’t as experiences at coding by having a hackathon project in which technically, your group members did). <= If you are too scared for hackathon, then it’s aight. It’s not even that important anyways.
3.Make a github account and learn how github works no matter what. Github is so confusing and so necessary for CS majors that it is “the” collegeconfidential of CS.
- Solve endless amount of problems and post it in github. I don’t care how simple the problems are. Just program a bunch of them that you find on places like hackerrank.com, leetcode, etc. This is FAR more important than “doing a project in the summer” as it shows future companies that you are studying the materials that are needed outside classes also. Also, it tells your skills unlike hackathon or projects
- Memorize the Big-Oh Notation Chart.
- Have fun and enjoy/waste your summer since it’s not even that important you get an internship OR join in a lab from your professor during summer OR travel around world and have fun~.
- Don’t be so desperate for internships. Working isn’t even fun. It’s like school but with like 2.5x more hours everyday
Also, try mock interviews continuously if it is offered in your CS club at your school. It’s a life saver’ 
Oh ya, get in the habit of talking while you code because most likely, your interview will involve some sort of phone + coding and they expect you to talk while you solve their questions.
Coder and collabedit are also some sites you need to get used to for interviews. That’s where pretty much every interviewer asks you to program on… Except Google which uses the horrible Google Doc idea. 
Oh and, don’t be so scared. Many students have no clue what they are doing and hey, they manage to fair well past graduation. Even some of my professors I met openly admitted they had no idea how they became professors or why they got pHds. Over time, you know… things just pass and work out as long as you did your basics.
Just make sure not to be scared as hey, there are seniors who go right through getting a job in the CS world without a real internship ^^
Internship really involves:
- Decent programming skills which makes you completely question yourself before interviews like… ‘how on earth are these skills going to be of any use. I can’t program anything but like… int a = 1. int b = 1. print(a+b)
/’
-
Smiling and being sociable. Almost everyone in the planet would rather work with someone comfortable and optimistic than a no life professional who is always so like…desolate (unless you are deciding to become professor in which case, hey, maybe that’s a good thing!)
- Trying mock interviews with friends/people in club. Trust me. You will be bombing your first few interviews by miles with like ‘uhhh, muhh,duhhh,uhmm,…ahh,…ooh’ with sounds of a confused monkey. Rather let that experience happen with friends than with your interviewers who will then realize you never prepared. <mock interviews="" are="" there="" so="" that="" companies="" know="" you="" practiced="" beforehand.="" if="" don’t,="" ;)="" hope="" really="" good="" at="" making="" conversations="">.< >
- A decent GPA (above like 2.9 although I have evidenced 2.8 get jobs in Amazon so… maybe I’m wrong (?))
- Having fun in life. Seriously, do stuffs that you enjoy. If you enjoy sleeping, sleep a lot. If you enjoy eating chips, eat chips a lot (ehh, not so sure about those 2 examples but still). Moral of story is: Don’t stress to the point you aren’t enjoying your life. However, do note that if you want to do something big in life, you probably do have to stress but hey, even then, as long as you are efficient with timing, I doubt you won’t be having the pleasures of life :3
That said, seriously, have fun. I heard from everyone continuously who graduate that once you start post-college, things only get more of a :l than anything ^^
P.S. Ignore the grammar and spelling. I’m a bit in a hurry ~
Thanks for your advice! I apologize I wasn’t able to reply as I was busy in school.
So far I am learning HTML/CSS/JavaScript and learning how to make web projects. I’m also mastering my C++ skills by doing challanges in CodeEval.com
I will carefully read over and over again your advices and do what you say! Thanks!
Sorry I sounded desperate. It’s just I’m an international student and I would like to live and work in the USA since my country is really bad right now (safely and economically talking).
Also, it’s going to be hard for me since I study in a small public university in Alabama (Troy Uni). Their CS program/department is very precarious (they just have 5 years teaching it), and their CS club is the same.
But I will try doing as much self learning as I can
Thanks again! You are an awesome person! I hope you have a successful life! Merry Christmas and happy new year!