SULI Vs. DOD Contractor Internship Advice

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the choice between a SULI internship at Argonne National Labs and a DOD contractor internship with Dynetics, focusing on software engineering roles. Participants share their insights and experiences related to these internship opportunities, particularly in the context of future career aspirations in digital signal processing and chip design.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a desire to pursue a career in digital signal processing and seeks advice on which internship to choose, disregarding financial factors.
  • A mentor of a SULI student shares that the student had a positive experience and is now pursuing a PhD, suggesting a favorable view of the SULI program.
  • Another participant notes that experiences in the SULI program can vary significantly based on the mentor and project, indicating that the quality of the internship may depend on individual circumstances.
  • Some participants suggest that internships at National Labs may offer better exposure to new tools and ideas compared to those at Defense Contractors, which may be more compartmentalized and protective of information.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the value of the SULI program versus the DOD contractor internship, with some favoring the National Lab experience for broader exposure, while others emphasize the variability of experiences based on specific projects and mentors. No consensus is reached on which internship is definitively better.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights the subjective nature of internship experiences and the influence of specific opportunities available to the participants. There is an acknowledgment that personal goals and circumstances will significantly impact the decision-making process.

Who May Find This Useful

Students considering internships in software engineering, particularly those interested in research opportunities at National Labs versus Defense Contractors, may find this discussion relevant.

pYr0rAGE
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Hi all

I have recently been approached for two offers for this summer. One is a SULI internship at Argonne Nat'l Labs in the software engineering field, and the other is with a DOD contractor (Dynetics) for similar work (i.e. low-level software development). I am currently a sophomore in college double majoring in electrical engineering and physics, with a minor in mathematics. My questions for anyone who has an opinion:

1) I eventually want to go into the field of digital signal processing / chip design (Altera, etc.). With that in mind, and ignoring financial constraints, which internship should I pursue?

2) Has anyone on this forum participated in the SULI at Argonne? If so, I'd like to hear about your opinions about your time there.

Thanks for your help
-pYr0
 
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I was a mentor to a student in the SULI program at Argonne, so probably not the type of experience you are seeking for. Still, I at least know of the program and the place.

Zz.
 


Well, I'll take any opinions on the program that I can get!

Did the student you mentored have an overall positive experience? If you were in my shoes, would you chose the SULI program?

-pYr0
 


pYr0rAGE said:
Well, I'll take any opinions on the program that I can get!

Did the student you mentored have an overall positive experience?

He definitely did! I also wrote his letter of recommendation when he applied to grad schools, and he is now doing his PhD at MIT.

Too bad he decided to work on "gravitational waves"!

:)

If you were in my shoes, would you chose the SULI program?

-pYr0

If I were in your shoes, I would do ANY kind of research internship that I could get.

Zz.
 
I regularly mentor SULI students at my institution (not Argonne). It can be a great experience for the students but it depends a lot on your mentor and the project. The experience of students varies a lot.

In my experience talking with many people who have worked at National Labs vs Defense Contractors, generally what I hear is that the level of exposure to new tools and ideas is better at National Labs. So much stuff is protected and compartmentalized at a Defense Contractor it will be hard to see the big picture.

This depends entirely on the specific opportunities you have of course. But that is my second-hand experience.
 

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