<p>I'm currently a first semester junior majoring in civil engineering. My GPA isn't that great (it's a 2.67). I struggled early on in my classes but so far this semester I am on pace for a 3.2 GPA. I also have no engineering work experience at the moment. </p>
<p>I recently received an internship offer (after applying to many places) for the spring semester that has the potential to give me good work experience. However, it's not close to my school and kinda in the middle of nowhere. </p>
<p>I know I need the work experience since my GPA is low and it would help me after I graduate. However as the days drag on and I am nearing closer to having to commit to this internship, I am becoming more weary about leaving my friends until September (know this is going to happen after I graduate but I'm still just a junior) and living in the middle of nowhere by myself. Would you take the internship or would you hold out and see if I can still get a summer internship? (knowing my GPA)</p>
<p>Thanks! It's just been on my mind for the last few days and I just need someone to talk to me about it.</p>
<p>Many students leave their campuses for the summer for jobs/internships/whatever. If you don’t find a better job/internship for the summer, take this one for the experience that can help you when looking for a job at graduation.</p>
<p>I also think you should not pass up this internship. You are talking about giving up your friends for one semester! And gosh, yeah maybe scary to go live in some new strange place by yourself, but see it as an exciting adventure and opportunity to learn (not just on the job but also that you can make it on your own). You wouldn’t be the first preson with these worries but you’ll do fine like everyone else who has moved to someplace in the middle of nowhere alone (and no doubt you’ll only be really ‘alone’ for a short while until you make new connections to the place you are going). This is a great opportunity and you’d be crxazy to pass it up because you are feeling cold feet.</p>
<p>I absolutely agree that you should take it - and congratulations! My S just got back from a first semester senior year internship and it was hard to miss out on a ‘normal’ senior year and as some of his friends were graduating a semester early he was really unhappy about that at first thought. He arranged things, though, so that he could get down to his school for about 10 days before finals kick in for everyone else and just hang out.
The experience of the internship is too valuable to pass up. Best of luck!</p>
<p>You’ll make new friends, even in the middle of nowhere. You may even find you like it there.</p>
<p>Internships are a lot of companies long term interviews. They like you after the internship, you get a job offer. Great to have that in your back pocket when you graduate. </p>
<p>Internships are a good way for you to find out what the “real world” is like. Just that you may not be actually doing “real work” in an internship. A lot don’t as you are there too short a time and the work may be too critical to trust a summer intern with. So, look around at what the other engineers are doing, especially the younger ones, to get a feel for the real work.</p>
<p>Keep getting the grades up. Your upper divison grades are more critical and “more telling” as to your ability to do good work.</p>