Co-Op? Internship? Work Study? What’s the Difference?

Many students plan on working in some capacity while they attend college. There are a number of different ways to make this work out: work study, co-ops, internships, off campus jobs. What is the benefit to working while in college, and what are the differences between all these different opportunities? Broadly, a co-op or internship is part of the student’s learning experience. It will be in their chosen field and will be part of their education. This is different from off campus or work study jobs which are ways that students can make money to help support themselves while in college. Let’s take a closer look at all four.

Off Campus Jobs:

These are the simplest to understand. An off-campus job is just that: a job. The employer is not affiliated with the college or university and the work does not count as part of the student’s education. This would be a normal full or part time job that a student finds for themselves to supplement their income. Many college students work in retail or in food service as well as in other industries. These jobs can have good pay rates, but because they are unaffiliated with the college or university, however, it can be difficult to find one that will work around the often hectic schedule of a student.


Work Study and On Campus Jobs:

Work study is a type of on campus job. Students can work in many capacities for the university at a set pay rate. The difference between work study and a regular on-campus job is simply where the funding comes from to pay the student. Work study funds are part of a student’s financial aid package and come from governmental institutions whereas a regular on campus job would see the student paid from a department’s budget or other pool of money on campus. These jobs will essentially look the same to the student- they just be careful if they aren’t approved for work study not to apply for jobs that are advertised as work study: there might not be funds to pay them!

On campus and work study jobs can be very varied. They might include working as a teaching assistant, manning a front desk, making copies, selling concessions, taking tickets at sporting events, helping the grounds crew, and a myriad of other opportunities. In the opinion of this author, the best jobs are the ones that are simple enough that a student can complete homework at work (working a desk), or in an area that can help a student build connections (working for a professor) but they all pay, so if a student needs supplemental income, any will do in a pinch.

Internships:

Internships are generally off-campus “jobs” that are set up in conjunction with the college or university in order to help the student get real life work experience. Many (if not most) internships are unpaid, so students who need financial support should ensure that they are working at paid internships prior to starting. The primary goal of an internship is educational, not financial. An internship is a part time job in addition to a regular class load and is often actually part of a class. If a student is interested in an internship he or she should talk to a professor or career services about finding one. Internships can be a good way to get a foot in the door with a possible future employer.

Co-ops:

A co-op is also a learning opportunity. Unlike internships, however, co-ops take the place of classes on campus for anywhere from a summer to a semester to a full year. Co-ops are full time work and as such should be paid opportunities. Different colleges may handle co-ops differently. Make sure you ask about tuition policies while in a co-op: some colleges will waive tuition for a co-op while others might not! Co-ops are great opportunities for hands on learning and financial support, however, because they take the places of classes, students need to make sure that a co-op will work with their graduation timeline. Academic advisors are great and assisting with such questions!

Regardless of which option they pick, students should plan to work in some capacity in college. Upon graduation, students who will be applying for jobs will find that any kind of work experience on their resume will give them an advantage of students who have no work experience at all.

If you have any questions please get in touch! We’re happy to help you better understand college working options.

Michal Strawn








Visiting Boston University

Located in Boston Massachusetts, just a few subway stops from the historic North End, and across the river from MIT, Boston University is well positioned for an involved urban experience. Boston University is a large, private, teaching and research university. Admission to BU is highly sought after by students from all over the nation, and application is simple with the common app, so their admission rate hovers around 20%.


Academics:

Boston University does its best to have a flexible approach to academics. Students who apply undecided into one of BU’s ten schools will have two years to declare a major. BU focuses on hands on learning, with 40% of their student body studying abroad at some point and many more students taking part in internships and completing research during their time at BU. BU has a program which they describe as “our take on the liberal arts” in which students can pick from over 1000 classes to build what the university sees as six life skills. Outside of those classes and classes for their major, students are free to fill their electives however they choose.

BU does a decent job of getting students to graduation with 80-85% of students completing their degree in four years. BU has a 10:1 student to faculty ration and their average class size is about 27 students.

Campus Life:

Like most city colleges, BU lacks the charm of the traditional green quad and wide open spaces. It is a fairly compact campus that often appears to be just part of the neighborhood around it. This would appeal to students who want to live in a major city and still be on a college campus. The campus has a mix of historic and modern buildings which makes for an interesting campus feel. Students are required to live on campus for only their freshman year and many take the opportunity to move into the surrounding neighborhoods with friends once their first year is over.  There is a decent amount of Greek Life on campus with 20% of students taking part in Fraternities and Sororities, but students say there are plenty of social opportunities outside of the Greek system.

Admission:

Applying to BU is fairly simple because BU uses the common app. While there are later deadlines for regular admission, admissions counselors at BU stress that students should have their applications done by December 1st for merit scholarship consideration. BU is test optional for at least one more year, so if you feel that your test scores do not reflect you, you can apply without them. In addition, BU will superscore any tests that you do submit. The best piece of advice given by the admissions officers is this “be specific when answering the essay question ‘why BU’”. Take your time on that supplemental essay. Don’t give a generic answer, don’t apply just for the relative prestige BU can offer. Have a good and specific reason why you want to be at BU in the fall.

Let us know if we can help you with that essay or with any part of your college application process- good luck!

Michal Strawn