DLSU practicum: How a trimestral system and the recent calendar shift affect our internship programs

In the University, one of the final requirements a student must complete before being eligible for graduation is their practicum. The practicum otherwise referred to as on the job training (OJT) or internship, is a course taken by students in order to apply the skill sets they have acquired inside the classroom by getting a firsthand experience inside the workplace.

For DLSU students, the practicum is usually placed towards the end of a student’s stay, usually during their second to the last term, as reflected by their respective program flowcharts. However, because of the trimestral system in DLSU, the allotted time for a student to take their practicum can sometimes be affected.

Job experience, classroom theory

It is common for universities to place their internship schedules at the end of their students’ flowcharts so that they may be immediately absorbed and employed by the company as soon as they graduate. In DLSU, there are several programs that offer their practicums during the first and second terms of the students’ last years, effectively resulting in students returning to school first after their OJTs. Such may seem like a strange schedule in comparison to that of other universities, but practicum coordinators are quick to elaborate on the reason behind the system.

Pia Manalastas, the Chair of the Management and Organizations Department (MOD), relates an example of a program that offers its OJT in the middle of a student’s stay instead of at the end – the Applied Corporate Management (APC or ACM) program of the MOD, which offers OJTs in between terms with academic subjects. She explains that the logic behind such an arrangement is that, ideally, students will get to apply the concrete experiences they have taken from the company to the academic subjects they have once they return to school next term. Likewise, before entering into another OJT, they can apply their experience as well as their knowledge from the classroom to their work at the next internship. “There is that [advantage of] being able to shift from theory-based to practical back to being in school, and most of the interns now appreciate being in school after being away for one term,” Manalastas posits.

Practicum Coordinator for the Marketing Management Department Joel Legaspi echoes this rationale, saying, “[Interns] do their first OJT and then they apply what they’ve learned from the first OJT in school, and then during the trimester when they’re in school, they learn new topics, they learn new theories, then they apply it again on the second round of OJTs. That’s the logic behind it. And they take several departments. So if say [they] specialize in human resource in their first OJT, they’re forced to take a different department – let’s say finance or marketing – in the next OJT, so that they get more well-rounded.”

Considering that a trimester spans only about three months whereas a semester spans around six months, the shortness of the internship may hamper learning and effectiveness. Legaspi, however, states that the shortness of time isn’t a problem. He explains that if students are not taken care of by a company, they get to leave it more quickly. Likewise, if companies receive interns who do not perform well, they are able to drop them after a shorter while.

“Regardless of the schedule, practicum is an advantage,” Anastacio Marasigan, a faculty member from the International Studies Department and the practicum coordinator for the American Studies program, notes. He continues that through the internship experience, students are able to expand their skills outside of the classroom, citing interpersonal skills as an example. He continues, “Dealing with someone older, with more experience in the workforce, [will give students] a firsthand knowledge on how things are run.”

Modifying the schedule

Marasigan explains, “Most of the time, the practicum is to be taken during the last year of the student.” However, because of irregularities in some students’ schedules, they tend to purposely delay the practicum. “For example, [if a student is] doing their practicum and writing thesis at the same time, that’s usually hard to handle. What [the students] usually do is to delay thesis or the practicum,” he describes.

“An option for these students who delay their practicum is to take it during the summer term,” says Marasigan. He explains that students make completion of their practicum requirements their top priority during the summer term, where they have less workload and less units.

“Some [students] were unable to be accepted during [the summer term], so they just took their OJT on the first term instead,” Vice Chair of the Financial Management Department Edralin Lim explains. Although the schedule can pose difficulties to students, Lim remarks that companies still continue to accept students from DLSU. Lim also mentions that since some companies are usually drawn to top universities when accepting interns, these companies then tend to make certain adjustments for the convenience of the students. However, Lim clarifies that while this may be the case for some, most other companies are generally not compelled to adjust to DLSU’s system.

Concerns, issues raised

Marasigan explains that companies are unable to accept students applying for practicum due to several possible reasons. “Sometimes, companies can no longer accommodate students [if] it is the busiest time for them,” he notes. Alternatively, Marasigan explains that, “Sometimes, the company already has a full workforce, [so] they no longer can accommodate students.” He also adds that there are also some cases where companies are unable to take in interns simply because they do not see the need for it.

Additionally, Marasigan notes that some students experience difficulty when applying for practicum during hiring season. He details that companies usually forgo practicum applicants when faced with regular job applications. Such can pose a problem for students planning to take their practicum during peak hiring months.

Lim elaborates that the first trimester of the calendar year, which encompasses the months of January, February and March, is usually the most difficult period to apply for a practicum grant. “During January, companies accept regular applicants, [including currently] unemployed applicants and fresh graduates, because it is the start of the calendar year,” he explains further. Legaspi also makes a similar statement, saying that interns and work applicants end up competing for slots at that time of the year.

Marasigan echoes this opinion, sharing that, “[In the months of] January to March, most companies are starting to plan.” He explains that during at least the first quarter of the year, schedules of companies become tight since after coming from the Christmas holidays, companies have to plan ahead for the year to come. Because of this, he says, some companies are unable to take in students applying for practicum.

Another concern that may arise is the fact that companies, which are currently used to receiving interns from specific DLSU programs at a certain time of the year, will now have to adjust to a 3-4 month budge in the time table. However, Legaspi has stated that though companies might be a bit disappointed and may experience a gap, the changes won’t be so hard to adjust to in the long run since companies usually accept interns year-round.

Sentiments of the students

Tracey (IV-APC) believes that DLSU’s unique trimestral system facilitates easier practicum application for students. “Students are given the opportunity to have their internships during ‘off-peak’ seasons,” the student explains, “[so] we avoid competing with [other students from other schools] in applying for an internship position especially during the usual summer programs.”

On the other hand, some students find that the trimestral system can be a hindrance when applying for internships. For instance, Clah Lazaro (AB-CAM, ‘15) expresses that one negative consequence of the trimestral system relevant to the practicum is the length of the period itself. “You [aren’t given time to] maximize your OJT and it [feels like] you’re being rushed into things,” she shares.

Likewise, *Ben (V, PSM-MGT) also shares the same sentiments. “The length of a term is so short. I had to drop my OJT before, because I wasn’t able to find a company in time,” he recounts. Further, he points out that because of the short period allotted for practicum, students sometimes resort to under the table negotiations with companies beforehand. “Students [resorting] to this points out a problem,” he laments.

*Names were changed.