Is it really that bad not being productive the summer after freshman year?

[WatermelonPig]

I'll explain what I mean by that. I'm a mechanical engineering major and did really well grade wise my first year but as I expected I couldn't get an internship this summer but even beyond that I couldn't even get a job at a mall or in fast food. I mean at this point I guess I recognize the economy is still awful so I've decided to go into music production as a composer and vocalist for the summer. Would this be seen as being "unproductive" and how should I go about trying to get into undergraduate research this fall? I have a few friends (also freshmen) who got into labs for this summer and they mostly managed to make a connection who so happened to have someone leave the lab and then there a space for them.

 

[kramer733]

being unproductive is relative to somebody's view. Somebody in the music industry would see it as something positive. If you're having fun, who cares? It's the summer time anyway./

 

[Pengwuino]

Do you need money over the summer?

 

[DrummingAtom]

Personally, I would try working on some skills related to getting an internship. I'm a non traditional student and going into my 2nd year of EE in the fall. Even though I come from a technician background, I have very little skills related to EE so my goal this summer is to learn programming and play with some toys (robot, some circuits, etc.). Hopefully these skills will get my foot in the door of research lab or an internship.

On the flipside, I'm also a musician and playing gigs all summer is *a lot* of fun and has a high potential for money. If you can get into wedding gigs or private parties you'll get a lot of work and money. If you do original music and want to just play out I would recommend doing some private lessons for money and communication skills. Over the years, I've noticed a lot of my job interviews loved the fact that I taught private lessons and group instruction.

You can take all that with a grain of salt because I completely understand to just have fun all summer, especially with music.

 

[WatermelonPig]

Money isn't an issue but I don't want to have this blank space in my resume and yeah I've thought of developing some skills. But I don't know where I would gain skills related to mechanical/nuclear engineering. Know of any good programs with a free student version? I was also going to self study a bit of PDEs.

 

[Ryker]

How is not listing something for summer while you're a student a blank space in your resume? It adds extra value if you're doing something worthy of putting it in there, but you're a full time student, and that fills up your resume for the whole time that you are one.

 

[WatermelonPig]

I'm only student during the spring and fall so wouldn't it be a blank space?

 

[Nano-Passion]

You could go above and beyond the knowledge that you need for next semester by self-teaching yourself and mastering the material. Get all A's that semester and I promise you, you will look much more markitable then having a fast food job in the summer time-- especially because your new found knowledge will help you in future semesters since math is cumulative.

Its up to you, use your time wisely.

 

[chiro]

I'll explain what I mean by that. I'm a mechanical engineering major and did really well grade wise my first year but as I expected I couldn't get an internship this summer but even beyond that I couldn't even get a job at a mall or in fast food. I mean at this point I guess I recognize the economy is still awful so I've decided to go into music production as a composer and vocalist for the summer. Would this be seen as being "unproductive" and how should I go about trying to get into undergraduate research this fall? I have a few friends (also freshmen) who got into labs for this summer and they mostly managed to make a connection who so happened to have someone leave the lab and then there a space for them.

Dude have you seen the news? McDonalds did a national employment drive and look at the turnout! It's really hard to get a McJob no matter what your resume (in the states at least).

If you feel bad about not getting a fast food job, don't stress yourself out just yet, because it's crazy hard to even get jobs like this (in the states).

 

[johng23]

Play your music! As time goes on you are going to have fewer opportunities for that. Start talking to professors in the fall and try to get into a lab, and you will be fine. Anyone who thinks that spending your summer on music is a waste of time or unproductive, I pity them. There's no fun in science if it's just another rat race.

Now, if you spent every summer of your undergrad on hobbies, that would be a different story.I did absolutely nothing in the summer between undergrad and starting my PhD. Other people were working in labs because they were too worried about fellowship applications to give themselves a break. A PhD is 5-6 years of constant work, breaks are a healthy thing. I still got a fellowship anyway.

 

[bcrowell]

Money isn't an issue but I don't want to have this blank space in my resume[...]

I wouldn't consider a summer between semesters, while you're a college student, to be a blank space on your resume.

 

[Thermalne]

Enjoy your summers while you can. Try and go on trips if you can.

One summer won't look bad. Honestly I don't even list my summer fast food jobs I had in the past anymore. They aren't relevant and most employers look past them quickly.