It depends on your learning style - I know that for myself (especially when I was in school) my brain was in a mode that worked well for structured learning. Wh

It depends on your learning style - I know that for myself (especially when I was in school) my brain was in a mode that worked well for structured learning. When I was just starting the learn the ins-and-outs of programming, I liked the rigidity and direction that classes offered and thus, I did the more formal internship path vs a self-study. It also depends on the specific internship you hypothetically take - they can vary wildly. A good, established internship program can be invaluable and provide things you can't get studying on your own (team skills, client interaction, mentorship) - but on the other side of the coin you could end up with the repetitive busy work that you are worried about. Also consider that you can always work on your own stuff even with an internship (assuming it's cool with your company w.r.t IP) - this path is probably the most work but likely to be the most effective.