I'm currently focusing on graduating by the end of the year. But I do work with startups on a freelancing basis (10-ish hours a week).
Which startup I'm "with" changes every couple of months.
As for the Google situation, they came to me and I decided to go along with it. To see how far I get and have some external benchmark of my programming prowess. If I do end up getting an offer, I'll then decide whether I want to work with them. Before that I ask every engineer I get to talk with about their working environment to gauge whether Google is the type of company that has retained enough of a startup spirit for me to feel productive there.
Which startup I'm "with" changes every couple of months.
As for the Google situation, they came to me and I decided to go along with it. To see how far I get and have some external benchmark of my programming prowess. If I do end up getting an offer, I'll then decide whether I want to work with them. Before that I ask every engineer I get to talk with about their working environment to gauge whether Google is the type of company that has retained enough of a startup spirit for me to feel productive there.