[Mr.E]

Hi all. I'm currently a first year student as a computer engineer at UCI. I passed the AP Computer Science test with a 5, and I would say that I am pretty apt with the C++ language. Since I can't possibly imagine coding on Windows systems, what kind of jobs are there for me out there in the Mac/Linux/Embedded community? Are there any open-source or internship opportunities for Applications on OS X?

What can a first-year computer engineer do to pass the time on a non-Windows platform?

[Carl Norum]

Originally posted by Mr.E:
<STRONG>What can a first-year computer engineer do to pass the time on a non-Windows platform? </STRONG>

After my second year at the U of S, I worked for a couple of my professors (Jean-Paul Tremblay and Grant Cheston) on a textbook they were writing. It's called "Data Structers and Softare Development in an Object-Oriented Domain", if you're interested in my 15 minutes of fame.

I worked that whole summer working on the SPARCstations in the (freezing cold) Advanced Computing Lab on the U of S campus, and I learned a whole lot about programming. The current edition of the book is the Eiffel edition, but there's supposed to be a Java version by the end of the summer, or so says Professor Tremblay.

So there are jobs out there if you look for them - professors are the best way to go, but no prof around here hires first years. Don't feel too bad if you get a crappy summer job - I worked in an air-cooled engine warehouse doing shipping and receiving after my first year.

[Mr.E]

Originally posted by Carl Norum:
<STRONG>

After my second year at the U of S, I worked for a couple of my professors (Jean-Paul Tremblay and Grant Cheston) on a textbook they were writing. It's called "Data Structers and Softare Development in an Object-Oriented Domain", if you're interested in my 15 minutes of fame.

I worked that whole summer working on the SPARCstations in the (freezing cold) Advanced Computing Lab on the U of S campus, and I learned a whole lot about programming. The current edition of the book is the Eiffel edition, but there's supposed to be a Java version by the end of the summer, or so says Professor Tremblay.

So there are jobs out there if you look for them - professors are the best way to go, but no prof around here hires first years. Don't feel too bad if you get a crappy summer job - I worked in an air-cooled engine warehouse doing shipping and receiving after my first year.</STRONG>

Thanks Carl! Does anyone else have experiences/advice to share?

[Leibowitzn]

Well I'm a second year computer science student at the University of Waterloo. Here we have a co-op program where people work every other 4 months. Half of us start working after just 4 months of school work !!

So yes there is work. You best bet is to see if your university has a similar program. If you're not very good with c++ it might be easier to find a simple job like web development ...

Originally posted by Mr.E:
<STRONG>

Thanks Carl! Does anyone else have experiences/advice to share?

</STRONG>

[Carl Norum]

Originally posted by Leibowitzn:
<STRONG>Well I'm a second year computer science student at the University of Waterloo. Here we have a co-op program where people work every other 4 months. Half of us start working after just 4 months of school work !!</STRONG>

I think that co-op programs are a good idea, but the Engineering Professional Internship Program (EPIP) that we have at the U of S is much better. Anyone who enrolls in EPIP works for an 8-16 month block after finishing 3rd year, and then comes back to school and finishes off. 4 months of work is barely enough to get training done for most real jobs, so co-op programs aren't worth it compared to a longer stretch of time.

[Arakageeta256]

Blizzard has much of its operations in Irvine, CA. However, they almost never hire interns.

As far as internships go in general, I've found it a bit harder than I had planned-- at least while I was a Freshman/Sophomore*. I think you should probably focus on finding jobs with smaller computer corporations. This may mean you'll end up doing not-so-mainstream stuff. But the reason I say this is because most large companies are looking for (1) potential full-timers after graduation or (2) at least some sort of guarantee that the person they are hiring has had the education in their field. Not to rag on your AP accomplishments (really, that's very good-- I never took the AP CS classes), but the larger companies may only be willing to see the number of years of education and a flat GPA. It makes for an easy way to compare applicants. As a Freshman, you're kinda screwed.

So if I were you, I'd try to focus on smaller computer companies and have lots of samples of work to supplement your short CS track record. If you already have some sort of programming work experience, highlight that as well.

Also check out what UCI has in the way of career placement. They may have a summer internship board.

*I'm a Junior now at USC with a good GPA-- only now are companies starting to show interest in me.