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January 16, 1997
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Texas A&M students work full-time
jobs through co-operative education program
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By Meussa Price
The Battalion
W-
s5 V V C
lile some students are
worried about passing
Chemistry 101, others are
ie director John Ciust hoping they are pleasing their
apher Debbie AI|, 0SS es.
Cooperative Education students
ake semesters off from school to
Mirk in a “real” job, gaining worth-
ivhile experience — and a grade.
Co-op is a program in which stu
dents work with academic advisers
to design a degree plan allowing
them to alternate semesters of
school with semesters of work. Paid
co-op jobs are usually related to the
students’ majors.
Martha Boerema, associate di
rector for cooperative education
at Texas A&M, said students who
co-op are able to get an early focus
on a career path, to ascertain if it
is really what they want to do.
“It enables them to reality-test
|a career decision at a time when
there are less problems before
graduation,” Boerema said. “It en
hances their marketability at
^graduation.’’
rtesy of TAMSCA
Boerema said that A&M was
ranked nationally among the top
five accredited voluntary co-op
programs for the 1995-1996 acad
emic year. With the exception of
the Colleges of Medicine, Educa
tion and General Studies, all A&M
colleges have a cooperative edu
cation program.
Although re
quirements differ
among the col
leges, all co-op
students are re
quired to main
tain an overall
grade-point ratio
of 2.5 or higher
and must have
taken 30-45 credit
hours at A&M be
fore their first
work term.
To receive co
op credit, students
must also agree to work three alter
nating semesters at the same com
pany, and are required to occasion
ally meet with a faculty adviser.
Approximately 1,250 students
each year are taking advantage of
the benefits co-ops have to offer.
Not only do students generally gain
expertise in a particular field of em
ployment, they also earn money,
and posess a competitive edge over
other students when looking for a
job after graduation.
Troy Schwartz, a junior chemical
engineering major co-oping with
Glitsch, Inc., said he
has gained a great
deal of hands-on
training he can use in
the future.
“It’s a lot differ
ent than school,”
Schwartz said about
his co-op job. “It’s
more of a real-world
experience and has
made me get a lot
more organized.”
During the se
mester they are co
oping, students must
enroll in a co-op course that enables
them to keep their full-time student
status even though they’re not ac
tually attending classes at A&M.
Students are also required to sub
mit a technical report evaluating
their work experience at the end of
the co-op semester. These reports,
which are graded and factored into
a student’s GPR, are available to
other students in the Co-op Center.
“This is a unique aspect of our
program,” Boerema said. “Students
describe their work experience in
what is called an addendum, and
other students get to look at what
their peers have said.”
Boerema said students’ expec
tations of a co-op job are some
times higher than they should be.
Some students don’t find their first
term co-op jobs to be as challeng
ing as they would like, but the pur
pose of the first term is to acquaint
the student with the company and
its clients, she said.
Co-oping seems to be popular
among students participating in
the program. A study conducted
by the National Association of Col
leges and Employers said 58.6 per
cent of new hires had previous
work experience in the form of a
co-op or internship. Furthermore,
29 A&M co-op students were em
ployed by Fortune 100 companies
in the 1995-1996 academic year,
Boerema said.
Beth Wilder, a senior finance
major who worked two terms as a
co-op with Price-Waterhouse, said
she would recommend co-oping to
CO-OP FAIR
• Feb. 10-11 in Zachry
Lobby
• Bring resumes
• Talk with prospective
employers
• For more info contact:
Co-op Center
ph: 845-7725
net: http://aggienet.
tamu.edu/cctr
every student.
“I knew co-oping would give me
great experience for future job
hunting,” Wilder said. “It’s given
me a taste of the real world, and
I’ve learned that the real world is
n’t so bad.”
Eighty-five percent of the 450-
500 co-op employer sites are in
Texas, and other sites are spread
throughout the country.
Although Boerema realizes stu
dents may want to live at home
while co-oping, she said they;
should keep as many options’
available as possible in order to in-|
crease the number of potential-
employer sites.
Jason Rosewitz, a senior biomed-;
ical science major who is co-oping at!
Campbell-Nantucket Animal Hospi-;
tal, said he is glad he had the oppor-!
tunity to co-op, even though he was;
nervous at first.
“People are more emphasizing 1
work ethic and experience these-
days than grades,” Rosewitz said.
Boerema said that all students’
should seriously consider co-op
ing as an option to further their ca
reer goals.
“Learning what you don’t want
to do is just as valuable as finding
out what interests you,” she said.
“Students can work with an em
ployer and hit the ground running.”
‘It’s given me a
taste of the real
world, and Tve
learned that the
real world isn’t
so bad.”
Beth Wilder
Senior finance major
GMAT
The GMAT is changing. Beginning in the fall of 1997, the
GMAT will only be administered in a computer-based for
mat. If you prefer the paper and pencil format of the GMAT,
you have three chances before this change takes place:
January 18, March 15, and June 21
For more details about the changing GMAT and business
school admissions, call us at The Princeton Review.
800-2REVIEW
www.review.com
Hie Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton Univer
THE
P PRINCETON
REVIEW
The Battalion
Rachel Barry, Editor in Chief
Michael Landauer, Executive Editor
Tiffany Moore, Managing Editor
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John LeBas, Aggielife Editor
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Helen Clancy, Night News Editor
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Kristina Buffin, Sports Editor
Alex Walters, Opinion Editor
Chris Stevens, Web Editor
Tim Moog, Photo Editor
Brad Graeber, Cartoon Editor
News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in the Division of
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Markets Now Open!
'97 Start Back Specials
Puy school supplies at Markets, wo need to leave campus.
TSSS Noil
F*lTo i - w '““"('ice? 1 S*" 6
Wo , A ®taices
<«»?***
49c
flAV °Ks
Store Locations:
Common Market, by mail boxes in Commons
Underground Market, lower level of Sbisa, by Underground Food Court
n or, . ,, \ Store Hours:
/.30 am to 11:00 pm Monday - Friday 11:00 am to 11:00 pm Saturday & Si
.oMMq
Use Aogie fcjcta,
Sank Cards,
Personal Cheeks
' While supplies last
Free Vivarin® sample and
* Free Trident® sample
Dept of Food Services
Texas A&M-Unlversity
■ '7s X, W
X-GR 0 ^
Do You Worry Too Much?
Dr. Steven Strawn is seeking volunteers for a 2 month research study
of an investigational medication for anxiety.
You will be paid $100 for your study participation.
For more information call:
229-0049
Monday - Thursday 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Want to Get Published?
The Texas AtSfM University Undergraduate Journal
of Science publishes student - authored research arti
cles, literature reviews, booh reviews, articles on the
history or philosophy of science, and more.
Deadlines are approaching...
Spring Issue: February 1
Fall Issue: September 8
For more information contact Jason Moore at 862-7714,
jmoore@tamu.edu
Web site: http://acs.tamu.edu/~ujs/.
The TAMU Buck Weirus Spirit Award
1996-97
Buck Weirus Spirit Award Applications are now available for
undergraduate and graduate students in the following locations:
President’s Office 8th floor Rudder
The Association of Fonner Students Reception Desk
Vice President for Student Affairs 10th Floor Rudder
Office of the Dean of each College
Office of Graduate Studies
Student Activities Office Suite 125 Koldus Building
Multicultural Services Department Suite 137 MSC
Commandant’s Office Suitel02 Military Sciences
MSC Student Programs Office 216 & 223 MSC
This Award recognizes students for outstanding contributions to the student quality
of life program at A&M and honors Richard “Buck” Weirus ‘42 Industrial Education.
Highlight accomplishments of Mr. Weirus, Executive Director Emeritus of the Asso
ciation of Former Students: Served ad Executive Director of AFS from 1964-80, es
tablished the first computerized alumni association in the country, established the
Century Club, the initiation of the President’s Endowed Scholarship program and the
Visitor Information Center, was an active member and past president of the San An
tonio A&M Club.
Applications Due by 5:00 p.m. February 3, 1997 at the Clayton Williams Alum
ni Association Reception Desk. Good Luck!!
Hade you afu/ays u/anted to trade/ to the
Breezy Tropica/ Caribbean}
We/come to
DOMIAJICA
Spend your first summer session in the
rainforest of the "MATURE ISLAAJD"
White earning TAMU credit!
INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS
ON
TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2:30-3:30PM
THURSDAY, MNUARY 16, 2:30-3:30PM
ROOM 358 BIZZELL HALL WEST
Fer more information contact
Study Abroad Program Office
161 Bizzett Hat/ West
865-0566
HURRY! SPACES ARE LIMITED!