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At the University of Waterloo where I went we had a co-op program where people would get (usually) reasonably well paid internships. We switched between work a

At the University of Waterloo where I went we had a co-op program where people would get (usually) reasonably well paid internships. We switched between work and school every 4 months, so when you were done you had a 4-year degree and 2 years of work experience. This both drastically increased the value of the degree—it was very common to end up getting a job in one of the places you did a co-op term—and gave you some money to help cover your costs for each upcoming school term. It also helps that Canada subsidizes its universities, but I still would have had 30k in tuition alone if it weren't for co-op. As it was I left with ~13k in debt and I had lived reasonably comfortably and chosen to never work while I was in school. I really don't understand why co-op hasn't been adopted almost universally. It's hugely beneficial to all parties.

sghill 13y ago
> I really don't understand why co-op hasn't been adopted almost universally. It's hugely beneficial to all parties. I completely agree. I went to a much more traditional school in the US, but recently got the chance to visit Waterloo to do a guest lecture. It feels like the university of the future. In the classroom, students were having discussions with opinions backed by actual work experience. After spending the day there I wished I had known about it or looked for a co-op when I was looking for school.
ampersandy 13y ago
Waterloo's co-op program has been absolutely incredible. I'm fairly confident that most of my classmates will graduate debt-free (or very close) and already have several job offers on the table.
greenlander 13y ago
I was a manager at a major semiconductor company for long time. I personally hired boatloads of interns out of Waterloo. On the whole, they were a great bunch. Many of the best ones we converted to full-time hires. I agree it was a great program for both parties.

sghill 13y ago

> I really don't understand why co-op hasn't been adopted almost universally. It's hugely beneficial to all parties. I completely agree. I went to a much more traditional school in the US, but recently got the chance to visit Waterloo to do a guest lecture. It feels like the university of the future. In the classroom, students were having discussions with opinions backed by actual work experience. After spending the day there I wished I had known about it or looked for a co-op when I was looking for school.

ampersandy 13y ago

Waterloo's co-op program has been absolutely incredible. I'm fairly confident that most of my classmates will graduate debt-free (or very close) and already have several job offers on the table.

greenlander 13y ago

I was a manager at a major semiconductor company for long time. I personally hired boatloads of interns out of Waterloo. On the whole, they were a great bunch. Many of the best ones we converted to full-time hires. I agree it was a great program for both parties.