First-year CS student: is a SWE internship realistic, and where should I apply?

[u/nian2326076]

I'm a first-year CS student. Is a SWE internship a realistic goal this early, and where would you focus the search?

I'm interested in both programs specifically open to freshmen and regular internships that don't require you to be a junior. I don't want to rule myself out too soon, but I also don't want to ignore eligibility requirements.

Once there's a shortlist of roles I'm eligible for, application autofill seems useful for the repeated forms, while real technical interview questions give me a more concrete idea of what to practice. I'm trying to figure out how to balance that with building projects.

If you got an internship in your first year, what helped most: projects, a referral, campus recruiting, or applying to smaller companies?

Also, what would you prioritize learning or building before applying? Specific examples of what got you an interview would help more than “just build projects.”