I was given two projects through my co-op where one was given to me by my mentor and the other was for all the interns to work together. Our group project dealt with creating a communication and jamming session, which was very informative and learned a lot about how to apply my learning to real life applications. The other project was taking a base code and modifying it, so that my section that I worked under didn't have to manually do a task. I loved how throughout the internship all our supervisors and mentors were informative and friendly. They had us going to classes throughout the summer to learn about the air force and different areas that we could potentially work in all while giving us enough time to work on our projects.
What I wish was different
I don't really have many things I wish would be different because they did very well at running this program especially for how large an operation it is. Two things would be that it takes a week or so for them to get credentials registered into their system and assigning out work laptops, but its understandable because of the necessary security clearances and background checks that need to be cleared. The other thing would be having some more softwares on the work laptop because it lacked some in that area and we needed to use personal laptops for some things. However, this was brought up to the supervisors and they are going to look into it for next summer.
Advice
One piece of advice I would share about this experience is to not be afraid to ask your supervisors and mentors for help. I didn't meet a single person that wasn't willing to set aside time to explain concepts or give guidance on your project even when their own schedules are jam packed with their own agendas. They also acknowledge that you're not an expert in your field and that you will need help figuring out problems, so they try to give hints and nudge you in the right direction.
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One person found this helpful
Marketing Intern
June - August 2021 • Wright Patterson, OH
What I liked
From this experience, I really liked the freedom I had when working. Although my supervisors were always there to guide me and answer any questions I had while I worked, they also gave me the space and creative freedom to figure things out for myself. More than that, I liked that I was able to witness and experience a lot of cool things, not only in the facility I worked in, but also in different places on base. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming, and I really loved working there over the summer.
What I wish was different
The only thing I wish had been different is that I started sooner. Due to the nature of in-processing, it took a while for me to get into the system. However, I know that there are things related to that which are being worked out.
Advice
Communication is key. Definitely do not be scared to reach out and ask questions at any point, and get to know the people you're working with.
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One person found this helpful
engineering intern
June 2018 - May 2019 • Fairborn, OH
What I liked
I had the opportunity to work with kind and intelligent mentors who introduced me to some very cool projects. I really enjoyed working here and met some great people.
