When a school touts itself as number one in co-ops and internships, expectations are high.
Those expectations include helping students find and maintain jobs in fields relating to their majors, and for the university to provide assistance in the process.
But as is often the case with Northeastern, nothing comes easy – not even our supposedly best asset.
While a majority of co-op students are able to find a job conforming to the six-month plan set in stone by Northeastern, it is often difficult for some (particularly those in the College of Arts ‘ Sciences, where work might not necessarily fit into a set schedule) to find jobs.
As if that weren’t bad enough, those choosing to seek a co-op independently are forced to do so without the assistance of Northeastern, and might be forced to pay in order to receive academic credit.
So it begs the question: What does number one mean?
Does it mean students get the best co-ops? Well, not everyone can work at The Boston Globe or Gillette.
Does it mean more students participate in co-op than any other school? Well, many programs require co-op.
Does it mean Northeastern makes it easy for students to take part in co-ops? Well, see the previous two paragraphs.
The answer, ideally, is all of the above.
Students at Northeastern should always be able to find and keep co-ops in any field, in any capacity. If an internship sends you to Siberia to photograph icicles, Northeastern should provide the babushka and the academic credit.
If Northeastern really wants to earn its number-one status, it must first expand the rigid co-op cycle to include internships that might not take six months. Experience, in the end, is more valuable than time.
If a student gained experience in his or her field, who cares if it took six months or six weeks?
Also, in need of an overhaul is the international co-op department. Seeking a job overseas is not an easy task, and there should be more than one advisor overseeing this process.
The very real possibility of 13 people being denied the experience of working in foreign countries is absurd on the part of the university, and a discredit to everything Northeastern has bragged about with regard to co-op.
Northeastern may be number one in co-ops and internships, but if students continue to face these roadblocks, our place at the top won’t last much longer.
