Going for more internships and part-time jobs vs enjoying student life. Which will you choose?

Been through uni and been working for a while now. If I had a choice, I'd have spent more time on proper internships so I understand what my career preferences are.

But given your situation, I would suggest spending the first 1-1.5 yrs enjoying and building your foundation for school life and activities during the term and take on part time work during your breaks to earn some money (this can be for fun or better still, for exploring your career interest). I assume you're on a 4 yr course and have the luxury of 2 more years, I'd suggest you tone down on school activities and focus on your studies and proper internships in the final two years. Reason being, you need to start preparing for your job after graduation and also to repay your tertiary fees! If it is even possible, it would be even better to take a semester off if you can secure a good internship as that will really boost your CV and put you ahead of your peers when you job hunt. (I was too fixated on graduating on time that I fail to realise that it is not all about school work and grades when it comes to employment)

If your loan from your parents can be negotiated on the repayment timeline, Id then suggest you have more fun in year 1-2 cos you'll really miss that when you start work!

Good question! They are definitely not mutally exclusive, do both. I had 6 internships (one overseas, one across a semester), an exchange program in Europe, went for a summer school in Asia, a local exchange and had two CCAs and participated in a lot of events.

Do it all! ​​​

Hello! :D

I am a recent graduate and would like to provide a perspective of experiencing student life even though I didn't stay on campus.

For myself, I spend a bulk of my Year 1 involved in student life matter. I joined the faculty club in my school and planned various student life initiatives and events, for instance, I was an orientation group leader and in a camp planning committee. I found this experience enriching as it helped me grow my own social circle and you kind of feel that camaraderie with your fellow peers. And because of this, my Year 1 summer was taken up by camps etc., which I didn't regret.

In Year 2, I start to explore CCAs outside of my faculty and University wide CCAs. My aim is to try out something new and get to know people outside my faculty. For these CCAs, I think they offer me a certain level of flexibility and it is okay to miss a few sessions if you have other commitments. Year 2 was also when I started a part time internship to gain some work experience.

Finally, I also noticed as I approached graduation, my attention turns more to finding jobs/internships that can help me get a conversion.

My advice is this: Enjoying student life comes in different forms, so go out there and explore, don't just confine yourself a few experiences. University has many CCAs, interest groups, even ad hoc events, competitions that you can take part in to experience student life. Join Telegram groups, visit CCA fairs or pay attention to your emails for all these opportunities. In addition, there are probably a variety of residential options for you to choose from. I don't see going for jobs/internship as a direct trade off to enjoying student life, find something that works with your schedule, give yourself that flexibility. But of course, don't overstretch yourself because you need to give yourself some breathing space to take care of your academics

University is an exciting time of your life and even under this COVID-19 situation, I believe that you can still have a fulfilling student life! All the best! :D

I think you don't have to force yourself to decide it before going into uni, you can decide it on the go. If you think you don't want to miss experiences and enjoyment then you can just pick up something part time on the side. If however you feel that earning money is more worth it, go for internships and hustle your way through. There's no fix plan, it all about going with the flow.