How far is too far for internship for college sophomore? (1 Viewer)

[belljr]

Tl;dr

Daughter had summer internship lined up (her fall co-op asked her back

Due to the current federal political restructuring they pulled many internships at her facility.

She was informed 3 weeks ago and has been scrambling ever since.

Anyway, she has a lead on a possible spot but it's about an hour away.

I told her to apply and my wife said it's too far. I said she has to do it for 10 weeks. Not forever.

In the end it's about the experience.

Mechanical engineering

Thoughts? Very slim pickings for a sophomore right now

 

[FreeBaGeL]

So she would be commuting or move closer for the summer?

Either way, for 10 weeks if it's the only option it's doable. Some people commute an hour+ for decades.

 

[belljr]

So she would be commuting or move closer for teh summer?

Either way, for 10 weeks if it's the only option it's doable. Some people commute an hour+ for decades.

Commute.... I do that now lol

 

[pmedina]

My son is traveling over 1,000 miles and will still have a 45min commute (though they have a bus) as a sophomore. He’s an Applied Math/CS major and it was Seattle, San Diego, or NYC. Internships are a competitive business and I would definitely have her do it.

 

[belljr]

My son is traveling over 1,000 miles and will still have a 45min commute (though they have a bus) as a sophomore. He’s an Applied Math/CS major and it was Seattle, San Diego, or NYC. Internships are a competitive business and I would definitely have her do it.

It's not definite but thanks

 

[zoobird]

An hour is a pretty routine commute - if it's a good opportunity, no reason she shouldn't do it.

 

[bigbottom]

Not ideal of course but if it’s a good opportunity, I would certainly have encouraged my son to do the commute. For what it’s worth, he’s a mechanical engineer at his first job post-graduation and he commutes that far for his permanent job.

 

[Alex P Keaton]

Tl;dr

Daughter had summer internship lined up (her fall co-op asked her back

Due to the current federal political restructuring they pulled many internships at her facility.

She was informed 3 weeks ago and has been scrambling ever since.

Anyway, she has a lead on a possible spot but it's about an hour away.

I told her to apply and my wife said it's too far. I said she has to do it for 10 weeks. Not forever.

In the end it's about the experience.

Mechanical engineering

Thoughts? Very slim pickings for a sophomore right now

This is why my kids ask me for advice on stuff like this instead of asking my wife

 

[Major]

An hour commute doesn't seem like a big deal as it's more about getting experience and building the resume. Definitely encourage her to apply.

 

[the moops]

Hour driving or sitting in a train or bus?

 

[MAC_32]

An hour commute for an indefinite period of time is a hard no. But 10 weeks? If it's a door opener then this is a no brainer yes.

 

[Gally]

I am not sure what the issue is. She has a job (internship) opportunity for the summer that has an hour commute? What is the issue?

 

[The Z Machine]

If it's the only thing possible this summer, obviously she should do it.

I'd look for a sublet though as 2 hours / day of commuting by car takes a toll.

 

[zoobird]

Also worth mentioning...the entry level job market right now is REALLY tough right now, including for internships. Other kids are going to go to MUCH tougher extremes to secure positions than a one hour commute each way. Whatever she won't do, others will. So there's a kind of valuable lesson in here...if this is something that matters, then that's a pretty small sacrifice to get it. Also lets her learn something valuable about herself/work for when she gets a full time job...is a one hour commute a deal breaker? For some people it will be...for others it's no big deal.

 

[El Floppo]

What is your wife's concern about the commute? Are there mitigating circumstances about the commute? Eg... She's a bad driver, or if public transportation something about that?

 

[zamboni]

Also worth mentioning...the entry level job market right now is REALLY tough right now, including for internships. Other kids are going to go to MUCH tougher extremes to secure positions than a one hour commute each way. Whatever she won't do, others will. So there's a kind of valuable lesson in here...if this is something that matters, then that's a pretty small sacrifice to get it. Also lets her learn something valuable about herself/work for when she gets a full time job...is a one hour commute a deal breaker? For some people it will be...for others it's no big deal.

Agree with this 100%. My son is about to graduate college (business analytics major) and is having a very difficult time finding his first job despite a ton of networking, applying, etc. And a lot of his friends and graduating seniors among our friends are also having difficulty in this job market.

@belljr only you and your family know your circumstances, but if this is a good opportunity for your daughter that can open up doors later on, personally I would jump on it.

 

[belljr]

What is your wife's concern about the commute? Are there mitigating circumstances about the commute? Eg... She's a bad driver, or if public transportation something about that?

Probably should have mentioned it's an all turnpike commute. So high volume traffic and speed and most likely longer but as others mentioned jobs are tough right now and she got screwed (she's not the only one)

 

[Snotbubbles]

What is your wife's concern about the commute? Are there mitigating circumstances about the commute? Eg... She's a bad driver, or if public transportation something about that?

Probably should have mentioned it's an all turnpike commute. So high volume traffic and speed and most likely longer but as others mentioned jobs are tough right now and she got screwed (she's not the only one)

That's what I did (until COVID and my work went fully remote). I always found the hour commute to be a nice peaceful time of reflection where I'd listen to the radio.

 

[SwampDawg]

Assuming she is driving it the only real question is does she have reliable transportation or is she driving a hand me down with 225k miles that you aren't sure she can safely make the drive for 10 weeks. I'm sure being a typical FBG poster you bought her a new Mercedes for high school graduation but in the off event she doesn't have a car that can reliably make the drive I could see that being a factor. The last thing you want is to take the position and then have to miss time or quit it because you can't get there.

 

[El Floppo]

What is your wife's concern about the commute? Are there mitigating circumstances about the commute? Eg... She's a bad driver, or if public transportation something about that?

Probably should have mentioned it's an all turnpike commute. So high volume traffic and speed and most likely longer but as others mentioned jobs are tough right now and she got screwed (she's not the only one)

Are there any public transport options?

 

[Drunken knight]

own car?
paid internship?
how many hours/day?
how many days/wk?
will she have other responsibilities (class or other jobs)?
family or friends near the internship where she could spend the night (or make some arrangement)?

 

[Gally]

Probably should have mentioned it's an all turnpike commute. So high volume traffic and speed and most likely longer

She is 20 correct? I think the experience of the commute is just as important as the internship. It's learning to be an adult.

 

[belljr]

19 but close enough. She commuted to her other job but it wasn't as strenuous a commute as this one

 

[Instinctive]

Wouldn't even have considered it as a possible issue

 

[the moops]

She is 20 correct? I think the experience of the commute is just as important as the internship. It's learning to be an adult.

Learning to hate life everyday during a ****ty commute

 

[Corporation]

Tl;dr

Daughter had summer internship lined up (her fall co-op asked her back

Due to the current federal political restructuring they pulled many internships at her facility.

She was informed 3 weeks ago and has been scrambling ever since.

Anyway, she has a lead on a possible spot but it's about an hour away.

I told her to apply and my wife said it's too far. I said she has to do it for 10 weeks. Not forever.

In the end it's about the experience.

Mechanical engineering

Thoughts? Very slim pickings for a sophomore right now

Definitely do it. Stinks to have the commute but it is a short term sacrifice for long term gain.