hey aska should I do co-op? D: the pros definitely outweigh the cons, but I really doubt I can deal with all the stress :/ just show me how scary it is rrrraaahh
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hey there,
i haven’t been sure how to tackle this question because i’m not exactly sure where you’re coming from. i don’t know which pros you’ve deemed more significant than which cons, what stress you’re referring to, or why you find it scary. what i DO know is that i am a fan of co-op.
as far as i’m concerned, co-op is a great program. and i say that as someone who is completely unbiased, having never done co-op or even applied to study at UTSC. I just think that any opportunity to work in a professional setting while in school is absolutely invaluable. it helps you gain valuable skills, make contacts that could lead to a job after school, and earn money while you’re studying! if you have the funds to pay for co-op in the first place (after all, it does cost more than non-co-op programs), why not go for it?
yes, co-op students don’t get summers off. yes, going into the workforce is scary (i’m just taking a wild guess that that’s the part you think is scary). thing is, you’re going to have to get into the workforce eventually, so why not start early? that way, you get to become much more familiar and comfortable with working, not to mention add some positions to your resume in time for graduation.
also, you go through co-op with other students, which makes co-op a lot less isolating than just going off into the workforce on your own. in fact, you can start by reading about some other students’ experiences online.
that being said, not all programs are the right fit for co-op. there’s a reason i never considered it, after all. mainly, i didn’t want some poor career advisor beating themselves over the head about what possible job they could find an English specialist (anyway, i did just fine finding them on my own). but also, i thought that a research-based, academic program would better suit my needs, and that i could work part-time and on work-study around school. at the end of the day, you have to do what feels right for you.
cheers,
aska