Why Taking Your Time to Get Through College Pays Off

What's better? Getting through college as quickly as possible with limited work experience? Or getting full credit for working your way through college, even though it'll take you five years? Many students feel the latter choice is the best one. They gain experience while making money and getting credit, and the only catch is it takes them one year more than most students to complete college. What is this innovative program called? Cooperative education.

Cooperative education allows students to attend college full-time for part of the year, and then work full-time. Most co-op programs take five years to get through because of the work-study cycle. One of the largest co-op programs in place is located at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. Almost all of the students at the university take advantage of the co-op program, gaining real-life work experience while getting their post-secondary education.

While many colleges have co-op programs, Northeastern has one of the largest. In a recent interview with Theresa Harrigan, Dean of the co-operative education department at the school, she explained how the program actually works.

FamilyEducation Network: Could you explain how your program works?

Dean Harrigan: Co-op students spend part of their freshman year as full-time students, and then work full-time outside of the school for the rest of the year. So, they spend about six months in classes, and then six months at work. It takes students five years to get through all the required credits this way, but provides them with real-life work experience, which is invaluable.

FamilyEducation Network: How many students are enrolled in the co-op program?

DH: About 6,000. The co-op program is mandatory for students in six out of the seven colleges here, so that's almost everybody. The Liberal Arts college is the one it's not mandatory for, but a lot of students do it anyhow.

FamilyEducation Network: How much money does it save a student?

DH: Well, the students don't pay any tuition while they are on co-op, so that's some money saved, and they get paid for the work they do.

FamilyEducation Network: How much do the students get paid? Is it equal to other workers' pay?

DH: Yes. In general, they get the same kind of compensation as any other worker.

FamilyEducation Network: What kind of supervisor follow-through is there for students when it comes to getting a job?

DH: Students look for work while they are in school, but the co-op department has its own faculty, which helps prepare students for their jobs, and also conducts discussions in which the students review and reflect on their work experience upon their return, either one-on-one or in group sessions. They also try to see the students at their job site and ascertain if it's an appropriate environment. We try to make sure that the students get training from the companies they go to work for, and we require that the companies do evaluations of the student's performance.

FamilyEducation Network: What percentage of students go on to careers in the field in which they did their co-op?

DH: The students have the chance to explore many work options. About 30 to 40 percent find employment as a result of their co-op. They get the chance to network with members from their field's community, and that's very helpful for future jobs.

While co-op programs don't necessarily work for every student, click here to read one graduate's success story.

More on: The College Years