Transitions between cooperative educational experiences to the university

Cooperative education programs (co-ops) are partnerships between industries and universities that allow students to gain real, hands-on experience in their field. The benefits of co-ops have been explored thoroughly in relation to both students and employers, as well as universities seeking to establish more connections with industry. Participants in co-ops often have higher starting salaries and a higher level of job satisfaction, because they have experienced the work and have accurate expectations for full-time employment. Employers also benefit from the co-op system, with both inexpensive labor and the opportunity to invest in qualified new employees. In addition to the career benefits and job satisfaction resulting from co-ops, participants in co-ops often reflect higher GPAs than their non-participant peers. However, in a study examining the transition from co-ops to full-time employment, though it was not specifically asked of them, thirty percent of students reported that the transition from their co-op back to their university hindered their academic motivation. The researchers also found similar experiences reported by students at another university and thought this consideration was worthy of further investigation. This study interviewed four students' experiences about the transition from their co-op experience to their full time enrollment at their university and how this transition impacted them. Students enrolled in engineering degree programs at University of Louisville are required to complete three co-ops before graduation. This lends to a unique situation where all students go on co-op, hence the interest in how co-ops affect the transition back to the university after co-op. The interviews lasted between 15–30 minutes in a structured format. The students volunteered from a survey asking about difficulties coming back to the university from co-op. All of these students, except one, reported having a difficult time with that transition. They reported the difficulties of getting back into the rhythm of a full course load, where they have many tasks to manage every day compared to a job, where they only have a couple tasks to focus on and complete every day. One of the four students reported that they utilized the institutional student support system to help them with their transition. These findings show that for some students, the transition is difficult, and there may be institutional support that could be provided to help them.