If you have ever set foot on uOttawa’s campus, there’s a chance that you have seen or heard about CO-OP. CO-OP is short for cooperative education, which is a program that allows you to work in your field of study during your time at uOttawa. The program is designed to help you get a job once you’ve finished university (you know, when we all have to be real adults). As a CO-OP program participant myself, here are some of the pros and cons of CO-OP:
The Pros
1. You get paid.
If you decide to complete your CO-OP positions in Canada, you will always get paid. It’s mandatory for students working on co-op placements to be paid in Canada, and usually it can be pretty good pay. If you decide to leave Canada, you still have the chance to make some money; lots of positions are paid or provide a stipend.
2. You get job experience.
These days, having good marks and participating in clubs isn’t enough to get you the top jobs. Companies now look for experience and CO-OP provides you with just that! You’ll have the opportunity to work for 4 terms (or 3, depending on your program) where you’ll gain many different skills and have many professional experiences.
3. You don’t get a work/study overload.
By the middle of winter semester, the student body is often sick of studying and doing work for classes. Eight straight months of straight classes with only a few weeks of breaks can be exhausting! CO-OP helps take away this exhaustion. By the time you get sick of studying, you’re on a work term and vice versa. You get the much needed break in the constant routine of studying!
The Cons
1. Your university degree gets extended.
In the CO-OP program, you start alternating your study semesters with your work semesters. For example, in your summer after your second year you have your work term, then you study in fall semester, work in the winter semester, study in the summer etc etc. Not only do you now have to go to for longer (usually you graduate a semester later than planned), you have to go to class in the summer!
2. You have to pay extra fees.
To participate in the CO-OP program, you have to pay a fee each semester that you are in CO-OP (usually around $500). So not only are you paying 8 semesters worth of tuition, you also are paying the CO-OP fee 5 times (once for registration, 4 times for each work term). If finances are a worry (and let’s be honest, they always are), this can be a strain.
3. You have to follow a realistic schedule.
Some of us can work our classes out so that we only have class in the afternoon or on certain days of the week. With work, you can’t always do that (some workplaces are cool and let you). You usually have to be at work before 9 and have to go to work every day. So those late Toonie Tuesdays aren’t as smart of an option when you have to be up and functioning by 9 am.
All-in-all, CO-OP is what you make it! If you’re interested in participating in the CO-OP program, talk to your faculty or advisor to learn more!
Sources: Cover Photo