<p>I would be intersted in hearing of experiences with engineering co-ops, internships and study abroad. Are these done during school, or can they be done over the summer? How do you go about finding one? Have they been valuable in terms of learning, employment or graduate school? Thank you in advance!</p>
<p>From my mech-e daughter's experiences so far. . . .</p>
<p>She did an internship w/ GE after her freshman year. Not in a subject area she really cared about, but good experience. How she found it--total luck, her former h.s. teacher's husband was looking for summer intern. . </p>
<p>She did a short summer study abroad, in an area of engineering she is interested in. How she found it--on the internet. Her college gave her three credit hours for it.</p>
<p>She did a full semester abroad last spring. She decided where she wanted to go, Ireland, and what she wanted to study, and searched it on the internet, again. Her school's study away office was slightly helpful after she found what she wanted. The semester wasn't a great academic experience, as the attitude towards academics wasn't as intense as most engineering programs tend to be.</p>
<p>Summer internship at a national research lab--this was great, she loved it, found the niche in engineering she really wants to go into. Again, pretty much found the opportunity herself--a national program called SULI, worth checking out, many good opportunities.</p>
<p>She's now applying to grad schools. Each of these experiences helped her find out what she liked and really disliked. And I'm sure they're all good stuff on any application. </p>
<p>At a Pitt info session, they told us that it's often a good idea for sci majors to do a summer study abroad. That way, they don't miss out in any of the sci sequences they need, eg bio 1 then next semster bio 2. I think that's the route my Pitt daughter will take.</p>
<p>Do I recall that your son's a sophomore this year? Does he live in the dorms? My daughter thinks moving off campus for her soph year is what she wants to do. I'm not enthused, what's your experience been?</p>
<p>From what we were told at both Pittstart and Orientation, the engineering school at Pitt has a very active co-op office with an excellent co-op program. The co-op office gave a presentation to the parents at Pittstart and said that they have a list of employers who have contracted with Pitt to interview and take likely candidates for what amounts to a three semester work opportunity. You don't need any experience to get the first job. You gradually increase your experience level from beginner to advanced over the three semesters. While there is no guarantee of employment after graduation, often that does happen.</p>
<p>Pitt guarantees your student status for the semesters you take off for co-op (these are 40 hour a week full time jobs for a semester at a time). You can do it over the summer semester or fall or spring, whatever works out with you and the company. You graduate from Pitt after 8 semesters, but not necessarily 4 years. Some people do these for the experience, a lot do it for the money, as they use their earnings to pay the next semester's tuition (or part of it anyway).</p>
<p>A student we met at Orientation told us her brother was a senior in engineering and he had done so well with his co-op company that they'd given him a partial scholarship for his senior year, a job offer for graduation, and also offered to pay for grad school if he wanted to get his masters at Pitt. The student said her brother had logged enough hours at the company through co-op to qualify for their tuition reimbursement plan.</p>
<p>I'm sure if you go to the co-op office they can explain to you in detail how it all works. At Pittstart they said that almost 50% of the engineering kids do co-op. (I think that's right, anyway it's a large %).</p>
<p>lkf - There's a ton of info on the engineering website about the co-op program. They are having the job fair on Oct. 6 and there is a list of which companies are coming. Lots of names, big and small, plus some government entities ranging from Penn. DOT to the NSA (the guys who do the illegal wiretaps - oops, meant to say the terrorist surveillance).</p>
<p>The FAQ page should answer all your questions about how it works. Looks like you are expected to commit to the three semesters just like the company does. It seems to go one semester of work alternating with one of study, no summers only. </p>
<p>You should also look at the engineering study abroad page. There are lots of opportunities there. I seem to recall that your son is double majoring in German. Note the programs they sponsor (the German gov't that is). I either read on the web site or was told at Pittstart that a lot of the German programs will let you come for the same tuition you are paying to your US school, even if their's is more, 'cause the German gov't wants to encourage US students to study abroad with them. If your son has a scholarship at Pitt, it is transferable dollar for dollar to the German school (ie, Pitt will pay the scholarship money to the German school) so the net result is that going abroad to Germany doesn't cost you anymore than staying at Pitt except for the airfare.</p>
<p>I would think any opportunity to study abroad would help you in future job searches, and to the extent it's free, sort of, personally I would jump on it as an enriching experience even if it didn't directly help with a future job.</p>
<p>As for Germany, well have you seen the Mercedes plant in Alabama? It's the size of a small city. U of A and Auburn both now offer automotive engineering programs that were designed to help provide Mercedes with workers and I would bet they'd love to have someone with experience in their country and their lanquage.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>My S just started his first co-op term at Pitt. He is working 40 hours a week at a company in the Pittsburgh area. So far, so good. There are a number of opportunities in the Pittsburgh area and beyond. The co-op staff is wonderful, they even drove him to one of his interviews. (Before we got him a car to go to work every day). He will do three semesters, and hopefully graduate just one term later than the rest of the class. He is making $13 or $14/hour, which will pay his rent and other expenses this semester.</p>
<p>My H and I are both NU graduates, and went through the co-op program years ago. It gives you some practical experience in the job market and helps to get a job after graduation. It also provides a reality check - do I really want to do this job? Several kids in my class got out after they realized what engineering was really like. Better to do that soon than later. </p>
<p>My S is an IE. His co-op advisor told him that there are more jobs than kids to fill them. I don't know why someone wouldn't want to do co-op, unless they just want to finish earlier.</p>
<p>Lfk- What type of eng did your son wind up with?</p>
<p>He is doing mechanical, along with a German major as mercymom said. I think the co-op would be a nice opportunity, but son is balking at taking longer to graduate (he wants spend a summer abroad and perhaps go to law school). Do you think that co-ops are still valuable if a student doesn't intend to enter the job market upon graduation? Might summer internships be a decent alternative to the 3 semester co-op program?</p>
<p>Co-op is probally not as useful if he is intending to go to law school right after graduation. I know that the co-op and career services department places kids in internships as well. Summer at Pitt is a whole four months, should be long enough to get your feet wet.</p>