<p>So I was just looking at my four year plan for my major (aerospace engineering) and it looks like I don't have the luxury of 3 classes per quarter. So, I was wondering how internships and research opportunities fit into that. Is doing all of that in the summer the best way to go about it? Or is it possible to juggle school and internships/research with some good ol' time management?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Doing summer internships and research projects are great ways to get experience, but you can also do things during the year as well. It all depends on how much time you have to spend on your courses and how good you are at managing your time. Most quarters I had 2-3 jobs going (research, TA, part time job, etc), and some quarters that went as high as four jobs/internships (internship, research, TA, tutoring)–but I don’t necessarily recommend that! And that was with 4-6 classes a quarter, depending on the quarter, but I was a biochem/psych double major so that’s different as well.</p>
<p>I worked with a handful of engineering majors at work (mechanical, chemical), and they were able to swing a part time job with their coursework (one had two part time jobs). I think if you can find something on campus (maybe research with a professor? I’m not really sure how that works with engineering majors), they will usually be accommodating to your class schedule. If you can get an internship during the quarter as well, they will know you’re a student and are usually willing to work around your class schedule if they’ll willing to take you on during the quarter.</p>
<p>But if it’s going to take away from your schoolwork, you can still get great experience over the summer, especially if you aren’t taking any classes and you can work full time.</p>