Got time? Do a co-op!

Hi All,

If you are one of the people who came in with AP college credits and are thinking of double majoring or minoring in something, I will add another worthy candidate to your list- do a co-op. If you didn’t come in with AP credits, you can still do a co-op with good planning.

Co-op is like a longer term internship. It typically lasts about 7-8 months and most positions are paid (pretty well!). The catch is, you have to skip a semester in college to work for the company. But the good thing is, you don’t have to pay for college over the semester you are away. With good planning with your academic advisor, fitting a co-op into your 4 year plan is not very hard. Co-op experiences are highly valued in the industry when you are applying for a full time job. There are more positions available than students interested.

I did a co-op in the spring semester and summer of my sophomore year. It was in a medium sized Software Development company in Virginia. Along with getting to apply classroom knowledge in the real world, I learnt important soft skills. I learnt how to communicate with different people and delegate tasks. I learnt to be responsible and dependable. I learnt how to work with senior members of the team and how to communicate my ideas and opinions to them. It was a great experience altogether.

If you are reading this blog and and interested in doing a co-op yourself, stop by at CDC and make an appointment to learn more!