Summer Research Position Decision

[psyoon11]

Hello!
Im a first year undergraduate student in general engineering and I have some questions to ask about my offers in research positions for the summer (4 months).
My main question is: as a student leaning towards working in industry after graduation, does the university that the lab is in matter more, or is the research topic itself more important?

I currently have 2 offers:
1. University of Toronto in the Physics department where I will be assigned a coding project regarding the analysis of crystal structures. The focus will be more on theory and calculations, instead of experiments.
2. Seoul National University electrical and computer engineering where I will be involved in the overall process of their project from experiment to calculations and analysis. They haven't specified as they said they'll discuss more when I'm ready to commit.

I'm aware that UofT has a strong reputation in research and ranked higher than SNU. But I'm also more interested in the ECE lab topic in SNU as im thinking to pursue electrical engineering.
I just want to know which would be a a greater factor for the future, the university name or the actual lab topic. I also currently reside in Canada so it would be more expensive to travel to Korea, as both positions are unpaid.

Am I sweating too much about this?

I'd appreciate any advice!

 

[Choppy]

It's really more about getting the experience of doing something related to your field. The name of the schools that you did some research with between your first and second year of undergrad is highly unlikely to influence your ultimate career. What's more important are the skills you develop, the network you build, and what you learn about yourself. The people that you're working for are likely to be the ones writing your reference letters later on, so leaving them with a good impression is a high priority too.
That said, if you're ultimately planning on building a career in Canada, I'd add a little more weight on the UofT project as Canadian employers are more likely to be familiar with UofT grads.
And it might be worth looking up if there are any funding sources available. It's a little late in the game now, but a lot of (Canadian) universities have summer funding that undergrads can apply for. Usually these are due early in the winter term though.

 

[gmax137]

Spending your time in Korea could be more interesting than the work you do there. Consider the language issue, if you dont speak Korean there will be difficulties as well as opportunities. Only you can decide on the associated financial considerations.

 

[Jody]

I did almost only research positions before working in industry a lot of it in nanotechnology and material sciences. I became an RF engineer in aerospace & defense and later a Signal and Power Integrity Engineer for a consumer electronics companies. The experience mattered the most and the stories I had from my internship really carried the flow of the interviews. I think both opportunities sound great you should go for the one you like the most. I do think that second one seems to be leaving out some details and that would be concerning to me, but if they can tell you more before making commitments then you can make an informed decision.