[Alumni-chat] Alumni-chat Digest, Vol 7, Issue 4

[bdevine (bdevine at antioch-college.edu)]

Pam writes:

Bob, thanks for enumerating these realities.  They do make the co-op program
more complicated.  I was always able to pay my way to my job from money
earned waiting tables at the Inn, then supported myself on the job and
earned enough to get me back to school.  On the other hand, on several of my
jobs I "lived in," i.e., in a residential treatment center, a couple of
state hospitals, and a school camp.  That helped a lot.  I never did the New
York for the sake of being in New York thing. I settled for New Jersey, and
going into the city on weekends.  As I recall, there were several live-in
possibilities in those days.  Maybe not many anymore. 


Pam,

There are still a large number of "live-ins" or room-and-board jobs, and for some students such arrangements are essential.  There are also a number of jobs in less urban areas -- still in New Jersey, in CT, in Massachusetts, a few in Arizona, New Mexico, etc.  It's just a lot harder these days for students to cover costs from what they earn.  I think you can understand that seeking only those co-op experiences that are financially viable limits options somewhat.  For a while we had some students benefitting from the opportunity to have diverse experiences in diverse settings, while other students were confined to jobs on campus or jobs at home because of finances.

Bob