Saturday, May 5, 2007

.RICH.


Cooperative Education:

An educational system in which students may earn academic credit for career work done in their field of study.


The advantages of co-operative education are a more marketable resume, experience in desired field of career and a strong, positive network of contacts. A co-op program in theory allows a student to explore different aspects of their field of study in order to choose which suits the student best. A co-op program essentially allows a student to graduate from college with a more impressive resume than other recent grads, resulting in better paying jobs.

The disadvantage of a co-operative education is the loss of academic experience. Largely based on competing for internships and paid co-op jobs, many students focus on the interviewing process and job placement rather than classroom learning. The expense of attending universities that offer co-operative education is comparable to those of Ivy League colleges. The cost of work experience comes with the loss of a solid academic experience.

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