Off
to
work
we
go
At
the
start
of
my
research
into
university,
I
had
not
even
considered
co-op
as
an
option.
I
originally
thought
that
co-op
seemed
like
it
was
bringing
me
into
the
working
world
early,
but
after
looking
into
it
a
little
more
I
realized
it
is
rather
useful.
Co-op
is
a
working
opportunity
for
university
students
during
their
off
term
that
provides
them
with
real-world
job
experience.
Co-op
is
not
essential
to
getting
a
good
job
after
post-secondary
but
it
can
give
me
a
leg
up
compared
to
other
applicants.
If
I
apply
for
a
job
after
I
graduate
that
similar
to
one
I
have
done
as
a
co-op
student
then
I
will
already
have
some
experience
and
familiarity
with
the
field
and
industry,
which
can
staff
that
I
have
a
higher
chance
of
getting
the
job.
Another
concern
that
I
had
with
co-op
was,
whether
it
take
away
my
“vacation”
time?
Then,
I
realized
I
would
be
spending
my
vacation
time
working
anyways.
In
the
co-op
stream,
I
have
the
opportunity
to
apply
for
positions
outside
of
the
Waterloo
Region,
enabling
me
to
explore
other
cities
in
and
potentially
outside
of
Ontario.
For
the
programs
I
am
interested
in,
I
will
not
have
a
co-op
work
term
in
my
first-year.
Co-op
starts
in
the
second
year
which
I
would
be
going
to
school
for
two
terms
before
my
first
co-op
work
term. After
my
co-op,
my
study
terms
and
co-op
work
terms
alternate:
study
–
co-op
–
study
–
co-op
–
study…etc.
Co-op
is
not
like
an
unpaid
internship,
I
will
be
paid
for
working
and
can
make
around
$9,675
in
my
first
co-op
work
term.
Co-op
is
a
great
way
to
build
your
knowledge
base
and
put
skills
you
learned
in
the
classroom
to
use.
It
can
also
be
a
great
way
to
learn
new
skills
like
communications,
working
with
a
team,
networking,
etc.
It
will
also
help
with
building
my
resume.
Personally,
I
feel
that
co-op
can
be
very
helpful
for
my
future
and
to
help
pay
for
some
of
my
tuition
and
living
expenses.
