No problem! I'm in my second year of grad school so this is my sixth time looking for internships and I still hate to impose as well. You just have to be confident in who you are and brush off the ones who ignore you or give you shit. When you find the right fit none of that other stuff will matter.

Hey, thanks for the answer! I appreciate it - I get nervous about 'imposing' on people so this reassurance is... reassuring. :)

In my opinion it never hurts to reach out directly to firms expressing your interest. They will either ignore you or engage with you and you really have very little to lose. Many firms are interested in hiring interns during the year and some even express that interest. You will have to reach out to very many in the hopes that one or a few will be a good fit but do not be afraid of being "pushy" in this business, just don't be tacky or rude.

Hi there, I'm a 2nd year architecture student in a program that alternates between 4 month work terms and 4 month study terms. I'm wondering if there are tips/opinions, from both interns and employers, on applying to firms outside the regular summer internship period since my next work term starts in September this year. Everything I've seen on job boards so far have been for summer internships between May-August. 

Would it be better to apply to those postings or just generally through firms' websites and make it clear that I can only start later in fall, and try to at least 'get my name in the system,' or to wait and apply later on? I'm not sure if the first would come off as pushy or 'taking initiative,' but I'd also rather not wait too long to start.

[ask] Applying in advance for internships/co-ops outside of summer