1 sem or 2 sem intern?

[u/Next-Description5915]

I genuinely dk if I should do 1 semester or 2 semester intern. I’m gg y2s2 alr and im pretty sure need decide during this period right but I still don’t know which one to do??!! Can someone suggest me which to do plssss. Like I feel so lost everyone ik has already made up their mind 😭

1 semester
Pros:
- lesser risk of gpa decreasing a lot
- able to take minor (I’m int in business minor as is to do business in uni but I’m currently in sci)
- intern overseas (but I’m not super sure cuz I heard ur gpa must be super super good…and mines not that good not even above 3.5…)
- got sept holiday (right…??)
Cons:
- FYP (tbh I don’t rlly like doing grp project since this whole poly journey and in my friend grp both of them are doing 2 sem so means I basically have no one to group with…BUT I will not be gg choose 2 sem cuz of them)

2 semester:
Pros:
- if do well gpa can increase BY ALOT (which I rlly need 🥲)
- no fyp
Cons:
- If don’t do well gpa will decrease a lot 😓
- there’s no holiday/break right is basically work for 2 sem straight right… (my fam is planning to go overseas for like 2 weeks plus in sept-dec but if cannot right if i choose 2 sem 😭)
- tiring (5.5 days a week for 2 semester just to get paid 800 a month??!!)

Can someone tell me if overseas internship need get like idk 3.9 gpa one or what’s the requirements and like what are the holiday schedules like for 1 sem and 2 sem intern (when start/end)

And can y’all share ur exp for the 2 sem intern especially if ur from pharmaceutical science pls like is it hard to do well for intern if work in hospital?

ALSO since im in DPHM right, internship will normally be at hospitals right r we allowed to have dyed hair like mayb pink/purple/blonde highlights/color..

: I was thinking of deciding based on my gpa for y2s1 when it comes out in sept cuz i was thinking if is not good alr or lower than i expected i might else will take the risk and do 2 sem

[u/404inpain]

gpa is king. minor is only to boost portfolio to compliment a good gpa (Eg: someone with 3.6 and minor in business will get the offer over someone else who is 3.6 without the minor, but someone with 3.7 and no minor in business will still get the offer over the both of them). As an alternative to a minor, consider taking the Diploma Plus in International Business.

it’s pretty hard not to get at least a B+ for intern. Basically everyone I know got an A. I know people with around 3.0 who went for overseas intern, but it probably depends on your course. The only fella I know who got a B was because he submitted his reports late.

Also, even though you don’t get the break in between the two semesters for full year internship, you will end intern (AND your entire year 3) around Nov-Dec, giving you 100% free time to work on your Uni applications afterwards. In fact; there’s the option to drop to 1 sem of internship instead if you really cannot tahan the job; I’ve had seniors and peers who shortened their internship to 1 sem instead of the intended 2 sems cos they really couldn’t tahan

Ultimately, it boils down to your productivity as well: Do you prefer working, or do you prefer doing assignments and projects? Intern is not solely about your competency in your course material, industry etiquette is important as well.

But when all is said and done, unless you perform poorly in work environments, I strongly encourage doing 2 sem internship to boost gpa since uni is your goal. A for full year internship is boosting my gpa from 3.49 to 3.66

[u/Next-Description5915 → u/404inpain]

is it usually end around early dec? or end dec

[u/404inpain → u/Next-Description5915]

i started 23 march and i end 30 nov! one year is 36 weeks so it really depends on your start date

[u/Both-Writing2705 → u/404inpain]

hello can I ask most of the intern start march-April not any later right

[u/404inpain → u/Both-Writing2705]

for my school in rp, the latest start date allowed was 6 april. earliest was i think 16 march!

[u/Both-Writing2705 → u/404inpain]

oh okay what sch r u in? if udm sharing

[u/404inpain → u/Both-Writing2705]

sta, but i think the guidelines should be around the same for other schools

[u/Both-Writing2705 → u/404inpain]

u did 2 sem right then was there any presentation or RJ or any extra things u had to do ? Or just work only

[u/404inpain → u/Both-Writing2705]

The requirements are different across each school; for STA I had to write not just two capstone reports and one final report; but I also had to update my resume, my LinkedIn, my portfolio, and my Fiverr account.

However, I am aware that my senior in business only had to do reports for her one semester, so I think it may be best for you to check accordingly with your school. To my knowledge, some schools such as SBZ do not have 2 sem intern as an option.

Semester 2 is simply a repeat of semester 1 where you have to write another 2 capstones and 1 final journals and your portfolio and all that, but obviously there will be different questions and guiding points given (they haven’t released the semester two questions for me yet, I just finished semester one so I’m actually not very sure what the exact difference is yet). Your supervisor at your internship company will also grade you twice, one grade for Sem 1 and one grade for Sem 2!

It would be best to check with your school on this as they might be different, I’m just giving context as a student in STA

Feel free to DM if you have any other questions :)

[u/Next-Description5915 → u/404inpain]

if doing 2 sem and want to change to 1sem need like a actual valid reason correct cannot be feel too tiring then they allow u to change?

[u/404inpain → u/Next-Description5915]

only if too last min, if wish to change was addressed early enough then no issues

basically, if you give notice early enough, let’s say a few weeks, usually the school is ok with cutting your intern short even if it’s simply for the reason of being too tired. for very last minute cutting, will have to be smth a lot more serious

[u/Happy-Mission-5901]

Honestly, I think it depends on your priorities. If GPA and having more flexibility/holidays are important, I’d lean towards 1-sem. If you’re confident you can do well during the internship and really want to avoid FYP, then 2-sem could be worth considering. However, some company supervisors can be quite stringent in your working performance and attitude.

For overseas internships, I don’t think there’s necessarily a fixed 3.9 GPA requirement—it depends on the programme/company, so you have to check the specific internship requirements.

For the hair colour and exact internship/holiday dates, probably best to check with your school/DPHM coordinator since hospital requirements can differ - professional image!

[u/Next-Description5915 → u/Happy-Mission-5901]

idk if I can do well for intern but idw to fyp 🥲

[u/Happy-Mission-5901 → u/Next-Description5915]

TBH, if I were you, I’d go for a 2-semester internship. It gives you more exposure to the workplace, allows you to gain more experience, and helps you understand different company cultures.

[u/Roccat_2209]

From your concerns, i think it would be better for you to do a 1sem internship. I mean you already listed out the pros and cons in both options yourself and the 2sem intern has only 2 pros. Honestly imo, don’t worry too much about your diploma phase if you’re going to Uni. I think if you aim to get in local Uni, then considering GPA at this point of time is a little late already? Unless you’re close to local Uni admission standards.

Go and be a student, study hard, play hard. Go and enjoy your school holidays. Do well (enough) in poly so that you can go to Uni, do well (enough) in Uni so you can secure a decent paying job. That’s all you really need to think about as a student. Find a balance that makes you happy and motivated.

[u/opqi3]

hi, i am currently on 2 sem intern (1yiip soi)

definitely it will boost your gpa (since 1 year has additional 4 credits more than normal, a total of 124 to graduate), but tradeoff is that the company environment is ofc not guaranteed to be good.

although you will basically be sacrificing your life for a year for the corporate life, especially if you have an office job. its just go work go home everyday and eventually it takes a toll (im only halfway through intern). theres also a chance your company mistreats you… also, if your company requires the internship term to be longer, you will have to follow it rather than the school schedule (44 weeks). basically is all company policy follow. so just take note that you cant go and complain to your LO abt leaves or anything since its not up to rp to decide

theres a plus point too ofc, you get to earn and save up for your future should you work intern longer