Portfolio Question

[rugged cypress]

I'm a sophomore in college and I wanted to try to get a graphics programming type internship either this summer or the summer after it (if I can't get one this summer). I don't really know what projects to work on for my portfolio, since if I make it for my portfolio specifically, I wanna be sure it's good for it. I'm really uncertain cuz there's a ton I'd like to work on but I'm very indecisive and busy and don't know what to do. Also feel a bit of time pressure lol. Is like anything 3D in OpenGL good? Are a few big projects better than a lot of little projects? I'm also pretty new to OpenGL, so if anyone has any project ideas lemme know cuz I find pretty much all of it enjoyable I think. I would like to make a path tracer, but I'm gonna be making one in class next semester so feels kinda redundant. I also have class projects that I could extend and put on my portfolio (we're gonna make a small 3D modeler in OpenGL, so I was thinking of extending that by trying an sdf modeler that you can export models from since I'm interested in SDFs, but SDFs aren't used that much in the industry so idk if I should have much SDF stuff on my portfolio..). The problem with that is that the class projects have base code, so I'm not allowed to make it open source on Github (but I can show vids and allow for download), but I'm not sure how much that matters? Something like this also seems very fun https://github.com/neo-mashiro/sketchpad . I also think a basic physics sim in OpenGL would be really interesting, but I'm not sure how feasible it'd be for me; maybe if I made it like a space sim type thing with spheres it'd be easier?

If a project is made in OpenGL and a majority of the work goes into some technical - unrelated to graphics - thing, is that worse than if a project is made in OpenGL and a majority of the work goes into the graphics and rendering?

[fading hornet]

Don't shy away from projects because they're not used much or whatever. An employer isn't going to look into your projects to see if you built something useful, especially as an intern/junior. They want to see your projects as proof of your drive and understanding of the field. Like if you're doing SDF modeling (which are used a bunch in 3d modeling/CAD), even if applying to companies not dorectly doing that you'll already be proving your capacity to tackle the problem at hand, do some math modeling, some basic GPGPU - all that stuff looks good on a CV

TL;DR don't get stuck in decision paralysis trying to pick the perfect project to appeal to interviewers/employers, just pick the one you want to do and do it

[rugged cypress]

Ty that's good to hear

Honestly I'm still very indecisive even barring that so maybe I'll ask for suggestions on projects somewhere

[rugged cypress]

also uh should there be variety within my portfolio like should I not make 2 voxel engines if one is like 3D falling sand simulator (personal project) and the other is a minecraft clone (class project)

and I'm guessing projects like this are better if they're in opengl rather than unity

[fading hornet]

both are fine imo, concentrate on learning how to do stuff rather than what tool you use

if you made a voxel engine in Unity you will for sure be able to make one in OGL and vice-versa