IBM vs NASA Internship: Help Me Choose!

  • Thread starter Thread starter cybernoodles
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Internship Nasa
Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
2 replies · 4K views
cybernoodles
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
I'm in a tough situation and need help. I have the amazing opportunity to choose between and internship at IBM and an internship at NASA this summer. I know I'm in an great situation and probably can't go wrong either way, but I would still like to make the best choice and not just wing it. I ultimately want to go to grad school for something in Computer Engineering or Computer Science, namely robotics. The internship at IBM involves working with a database of microprocessor simulation results using SQL in IBM's Custom Microprocessor department, where they develop and test processors for major game consoles such as Xbox, PS3, and Wii. For NASA Ames Research Center, I would help analyze a database of power management data using MATLAB algorithms. The database information is coming from their Sustainability Base, a building developed by NASA that utilizes zero net energy, meaning it generates as much energy from renewable sources as it draws from he power grid:

http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/sustainability-base/index.html

I'd really love to hear from anyone that has worked at NASA ARC as an intern or IBM. It's a really tough choice for me because they both seem amazing and I'm glad to have a chance with either of them, let alone both of them at the same time. Any insight is appreciated. Thanks!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
on Phys.org
cybernoodles said:
I'm in a tough situation and need help. I have the amazing opportunity to choose between and internship at IBM and an internship at NASA this summer. I know I'm in an great situation and probably can't go wrong either way, but I would still like to make the best choice and not just wing it. I ultimately want to go to grad school for something in Computer Engineering or Computer Science, namely robotics. The internship at IBM involves working with a database of microprocessor simulation results using SQL in IBM's Custom Microprocessor department, where they develop and test processors for major game consoles such as Xbox, PS3, and Wii. For NASA Ames Research Center, I would help analyze a database of power management data using MATLAB algorithms. The database information is coming from their Sustainability Base, a building developed by NASA that utilizes zero net energy, meaning it generates as much energy from renewable sources as it draws from he power grid:

http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/sustainability-base/index.html

I'd really love to hear from anyone that has worked at NASA ARC as an intern or IBM. It's a really tough choice for me because they both seem amazing and I'm glad to have a chance with either of them, let alone both of them at the same time. Any insight is appreciated. Thanks!

Congrats. They both sound really good. However, since you're goal is to go to grad school, I'd chose the NASA since its goal more scientific (analyzing power management) whereas the IBM internship is probability better suited towards a marketing goal (selling Xbox, PS3, etc game consoles)

If you wanted to work, say, for a software company like Google, right after, then I'd have chosen the IBM internship.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks for your help! I went with NASA =) deadline was today