Anina , Brooklyn,NY asked Marie Louis, Regis University (RU) AddedSunday, January 12, 2014 at 12:44 PM How do I effectively use time off from school? Dear Mrs. Louis, I want to be an engineer. So far I am really interested in civil engineering. I have already completed one year of college but this past fall I had to take the year off because my parents are having some financial difficulty. While I am out of school I would like to shadow some civil engineers, gain a lot of experience, and take part in research. I am a very motivated person who loves to learn. Since you have a lot of experience in the field what would you suggest me to do? Could you refer me to a great internship program? I really want to have more experience in the field while I am out of school. I would not mind relocating. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my message. Sincerely Anina Related to Internships & Jobs, Unique Challenges Reset Sort By Default Marie Louis , Regis University (RU) Answered Sunday, January 12, 2014 at 12:44 PM Dear Anina, I strongly recommend that you take at least one class while working as an intern. My suggestion to you is to contact local engineering firms to express your interest in getting an internship/temporary position with them. It would also be great if you consider involvement at local levels of some of the engineering organizations such as, the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Biomedical Engineering Club (BMEC), etc…. Attending their monthly meetings would be a great step because there is a lot of value in attendance and involvement. Other ways would be to attend Career Fair events that local Engineering schools are hosting each semester. The career fair event is a great opportunity to develop a network of contacts, meet and talk with representatives from a broad spectrum of companies, and learn about potential internship opportunities. I also think that attending one of the below summer engineering programs can also be a great way to explore the engineering field and also again experience. Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science (MITES) Johns Hopkins Engineering Innovation Introduction to Engineering Program at Notre Dame University of Maryland Clark School of Engineering Pre-College Summer Programs WYSE Summer Programs Carnegie Mellon Summer Academy for Mathematics and Science Summer Engineering Exploration Camp The Research and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (REAP) COMTO Internship Program I hope this helps. Best Wishes, Marie