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Originally Posted by bcrdukes
What is graduating earlier going to do for you?
Earn you $1,000,000? Make you 100x more intelligent? Run the Boston Marathon faster than the current record time?
You have all the time in the world!
Do co-op. Get a better job than your fucking dumbass chump friends. Or ask yourself this: "Do I want to be a lazy Hipster hanging out at a coffee shop on Main Street doodling my dreams and desires, writing poems about regret?"
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LOL. Quoted for truth.
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Originally Posted by sloansabbith
I'm in an entirely different faculty (Arts - with the hopes of Law school down the line), but most of my friends went through co-op when given the chance, and all of them landed really helpful opportunities or met people that ultimately helped them to even better opportunities.
Graduation is important (and graduating with friends is icing on the cake), but what happens after is also extremely relevant with how you play your cards now.
Most of my science friends have gone onto nursing, med school or education. (They were either in general sciences or they were in pharmacy and now in med etc.). Having the work experience under your belt would give you more edge especially with grad school. I don't know what your plans are for afterwards, but references and just knowing the right people could help you more than you know. Might I add, if you can find relevant work on your own that would help you with your grad school route and/or facilitate your Integrated Science interests, then co-op might not be necessary? Something to consider anyway...
I think it's entirely normal that you feel uneasy since others have rejected this opportunity, but really look introspectively at what you want, and what it will take to get you there, regardless of time. (I know that sounds silly because everyone wants to graduate hastily, but sometimes, taking the time to slow it all down and figure out what actually will benefit you in the long run could save you more time (and perhaps money) down the line - know what i mean?) That's my opinion anyway.
Good luck!
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Thanks for such a new perspective and thorough reply! Definitely is important. I just don't want to look back a few years from now and regret not taking this opportunity when I could have.
I plan on going into some sort of professional grad program related to healthcare. But I have not found any relevant work anyhow.
I understand, I don't get what the big deal is in graduating a year later. A year is nothing when you consider the grand scheme. Thank you, and good luck with your law school goals.
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Originally Posted by instantneedles
It depends. I'm going to blurt out my thoughts on the spot without any sort of coherence.
The degree of value that co-op is to you, can depend on the previous success of the program, the connections that particular co-op program has with said companies of interest, as well as what you make of the experience, etc etc. The list goes on.
If you're wishy-washy about this or that, co-op is a great opportunity to gain experience in the workforce as a student without the same pressures and expectations from that of a graduated student. As a co-op student, you are there to learn and develop your skills and most employers will acknowledge that.
People looking to enter the workforce directly out of their bachelor's, particularly those who do not have a professional degree, are essentially tacking on an additional skill set under their belt. It gives them something to talk about during an interview, when several other applicants have the same grades and piece of paper as you do.
That being said, it's hard for peeps coming out with certain degrees (usually professional degrees) like applied sciences to find themselves jobless and naked in the industry unless they have severe social skill deficits. That's not to say they couldn't benefit from co-op anyhow.
At the end of the day, co-op is there to teach you how to fine-tune job search skills, how to build an impressive cover-letter and resume, score interviews, etc. Connections with well-established companies is a bonus. The amount of effort you put into the program will determine how much you receive out of it.
A big reason I decided to do co-op was because I felt I needed a break from studying for 3 years. To take time off entirely from school without doing anything seemed like a waste of time, but on the other hand, studying for 3 years straight was sucking the life out of me and I knew I needed a break. Naturally, co-op was the perfect fit for me.
When making critical decisions like this (decisions that will undoubtedly impact your future), always weigh out the pros and cons. It sounds corny, but that's really what it takes. If you're really on the fence about doing it, I would take a leap of faith and try it out. I know you're set on grad school, and I have much respect for people that have a goal set in place, but you never know how one experience can change aspirations you thought were once set in stone.
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Yeah it's definitely good to take time off so you don't get burnt out. Glad to know co-op worked out so well for you man. Thanks for the advice, I find that the pros seem to outweigh the cons by a little bit haha.
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Originally Posted by Energy
Do the co-op. You won't regret it.
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I've already accepted the offer to do it, but I just needed a more... mature opinion on the matter. Thanks!