Student Internships – Everything You Need to Know. Are They Paid, How Long Do They Last, and How to Find Them?

That’s why we’ve gathered everything really worth knowing in one place: what university internships look like, how long they last, whether you can earn money from them, and where to actually find them. No bureaucratic jargon, no scaremongering, just concrete and accessible info – exactly how we would have liked to read it before our first credit.

Student internships – what is it all about and why are they important?

For many people, student internships are the first real contact with the profession. On one hand, they are a duty that must be passed at the university; on the other – a real chance to test yourself in practice, gain experience, and see what the job looks like "from the inside." A good internship can give a student more than a few passed subjects.

Unlike a full-time job or a paid traineeship (staż), internships are mainly educational in nature. They are not always paid, they last for a shorter time, and they do not involve the full responsibility of an employee. Universities require them so that graduates go out into the world not only with theory but also with concrete skills.

Are student internships mandatory and when do you have to do them?

This is one of the most common questions: are internships mandatory? In many fields of study – yes, but not all. Most often, they are required for degrees related to education, health, law, or logistics. They usually appear between the 1st and 3rd year, and universities organize them in different ways: during the academic year, between semesters, or during the summer holidays.

When exactly do you have to do them? It depends on your program. It is worth checking the guidelines in the syllabus or asking your year tutor – this will help you avoid a situation where you find out about internships... a week before the deadline.

How long do they last and how do internships differ for full-time and part-time students?

There is no single, universal answer to the question how long student internships last, because everything depends on the field of study, university, and curriculum. Most often we are talking about a range from 90 to even 720 hours. Sometimes these are continuous internships – e.g., for several weeks in a row, and sometimes spread over stages during the semester.

For full-time students, internships often fall during summer holidays or between semesters. This makes it easier to focus only on them, without combining them with classes. For part-time/weekend students, it usually looks more flexible – internships are often done "alongside" work, and some universities even allow you to get credit based on your current employment if the scope of duties matches.

The most important rule is simple: always check the exact requirements at your university, because they decide on the number of hours and the form of credit – not general rules from the internet.

Are internships paid? How does it look in practice?

This question comes up almost always: are student internships paid? Short and honest answer: most are not. Universities treat them as an element of education, and companies – as an opportunity to introduce a student without formal employment.

However, this does not mean that paid internships do not exist. They appear more and more often, especially in corporations, IT, marketing, finance, or large manufacturing companies. You have to prepare for them in advance because they are more competitive and often run on principles resembling real recruitment.

In public institutions, schools, or local government units, internships are usually unpaid – this is simply the standard in these industries.

It is also worth remembering that a university internship (praktyki) is not the same as a traineeship (staż). A staż is more often paid and involves greater responsibility and formalities. During praktyki, you are not an employee, so you are not covered by full social security or full-time hours.

In summary: if you care about a salary, start looking early. If you care about experience – a good, even unpaid internship can also build solid foundations that will pay off in the future.

Internships vs. Work – what about part-time students?

Studying part-time often goes hand in hand with a full-time job, so the topic of internships can raise a lot of doubts. The good news is that in most cases, universities take a flexible approach.

Very often, your current job can be credited as an internship, as long as the scope of duties at least partially overlaps with your field of study. In practice, usually, all you need is:

• a certificate from the employer;
• a short description of tasks performed;
• sometimes a signature from the university internship supervisor.

If your job is completely unrelated to your studies, internships must be organized separately, but it can still be done reasonably – for example, spread over time or set individual dates. The most important thing is one: the sooner you talk to the university, the easier it will be to fit everything into your schedule.

How to arrange student internships and what to do to pass them without problems?

Fortunately, arranging internships is not as complicated as older students sometimes make it out to be. If you approach it as a process and handle internships step by step, you can sort everything out without nerves and last-minute running around.

To start, check your university's requirements – how many hours you need to do, by what date, and what documents will be needed for credit. Every university has its own rules here, and it's better to know them as early as possible.

Then comes the time to choose the place for the internship. Once you have a preliminary agreement with a company, the university usually issues a referral for the internship. Based on this, an agreement between the university and the company is signed, and you get the official green light.

During the internship, you usually need to have a supervisor at the workplace and keep an internship logbook or a short report on tasks performed. In the end, you submit everything for credit – and you're done.

A very important issue is deadlines. In many cases, internships need to be arranged at least a month or two in advance. Putting it off "for later" is a short path to unnecessary stress and problems with passing the semester.

Where to find internships? Best places and proven sources

Looking for internships often seems harder than it really is. In fact, you have several proven places to start – and it is good to use several at once, not just one source.

The first step should be the university career office. They often have current internship offers, cooperate with companies, and know which places are verified for credit. It is also a good place to ask which companies have previously accepted students from your field.

Another source is groups on Facebook and LinkedIn – especially industry-specific ones. Posts like "internship for a student" or ads from local companies appear there regularly. It is also worth checking company websites directly, as many of them have "career" or "internship" tabs.

And the classic, i.e., recommendations from friends. Sometimes one conversation is enough to arrange a place that no one has announced publicly yet. When looking for internships, it is really worth speaking up that you need them.

Most common mistakes when organizing internships and how to avoid them?

Most of the confusion around internships arises not from their difficulty level, but from organizational mistakes that are easy to make. The most common one is leaving everything to the last minute. Then time runs out, spots are already taken, and stress grows faster than the to-do list.

A frequent problem is also missing documents – someone starts an internship without a referral, without an agreement, or without an assigned supervisor. The result? The internship will be completed, but the university does not want to credit it, and nervous fixing begins.

Many people also happen not to keep the internship logbook on an ongoing basis, but "recreate" everything after the fact. This usually ends in chaos, gaps, and endless corrections. Add to that not reading the internship regulations – and key deadlines and requirements often hide there.

Remember that the sooner you check the rules and start acting, the fewer nerves you will have at the end.

Summary – internships are not just a duty, but a good career start

Student internships can seem like another item to check off the "to-do" list. In practice, it is often the first real step towards a future profession – an opportunity to check if a given industry is actually for you, make first contacts, and see what everyday life at work looks like.

Even if internships are not paid, they still give something very valuable: experience that later looks really great on your CV. And the sooner you start treating them not as an unpleasant duty, but as a chance and investment in a better future, the more you will get out of them.

The most important thing is not to put everything off until the last moment, ask the university about the rules, and choose a place where you will actually learn something. Well-managed internships can be reconciled with life, studies, and work – without unnecessary stress. And that's what it's all about.