student's success with money

The topic that I plan on researching is the CO-OP learning opportunities offered at SUNY New Paltz. I chose this topic because I feel like almost all students at this university would highly benefit from CO-OP programs.As I said before, I am majoring in cellular biology, hoping to become a doctor in the future. I am currently in the accelerated BS/DO that is offered through New Paltz. Through this program, I am on track to graduate in three years, and I am offered a guaranteed admission at either NYITCOM or TouroCOM. These are the two medical schools affiliated with the school. Obviously, I am grateful to be given one out of the eleven seats in this program, but it is that hands-on experience that we are lacking. I believe that this is a serious issue to address because many students are graduating college and not understanding what they are getting into. Some might not know what to do after college, because they couldn’t grasp that through lectures. Or they think they know what they want, but once they are in that setting, they might regret that decision, because the environment is either too slow or too fast. With the implementation of more CO-OP programs, students will get a better insight into their future after college. Not only would they know what they want to do, but they will also know what type of environment they want to continue their journey in. My leading question is should SUNY New Paltz offer more CO-OP programs? If so, how would students benefit from these programs, and would they have to pay extra for them? Would the CO-OP programs be similar to the ones offered at Northeastern University?

CO-OP programs are basically when students can work in their field of interest for as long as their agreement with that company, hospital, etc., stays. It could take four to five years, depending on the program. One benefit is that they generally are paid positions, so it is a great way for students to make money while getting experience in their field. Many of my cousins have done CO-OP programs while they were doing their undergraduate studies, and it either solidified their passion or made them slightly switch it up. A person I know who currently goes to Drexel University, which is another university with a major and diverse CO-OP system. Since he wants to become a physician assistant, there is an opportunity for him to start the CO-OP beginning of his junior year. Since he is in an accelerated program for his track, his program directors created a whole layout of when they should do what, so they are on track. In his case, he would be staying for five years and one quarter, and that is when he would graduate. I plan on interviewing a SUNY New Paltz faculty member Beth King. She is the Internship Coordinator at the Career Resource Center. I believe she would know the most about what CO-OP programs and anything similar to it are here at New Paltz. At the same time, I have done a bit of my own research. One of my online resources is SUNY New Paltz Should Provide More Academic Credit for CO-OP Learning. This is an article about how SUNY New Paltz should give students more credit for these CO-OP programs. There was this paragraph that talks about how Northeastern, Drexel and the University of Cincinnati students seriously benefited from their CO-OP programs. Overall, this article talks about the financials and the benefits that CO-OP students would acquire. My other source is Drexel University’s website (https://drexel.edu/difference/co-op/benefits/). Similar to the Northeastern site, they go in-depth about the benefits of CO-OP programs and how it even benefit them in the future. I picked Drexel University’s website because I wanted to see how another university integrates CO-OP into their students’ schedules. Students gain the professional skills that they need in order to thrive in the real world. CO-OP programs give students the opportunity to see what life as their chosen career really is like. For some, this only prepares them and furthers their interest and others realize that it’s not for them. Either way, students at SUNY New Paltz would greatly benefit from the direction and the confidence brought by the CO-OP programs.