Originally, I was planning for my first co-op to take place off-campus—preferably outside the state of Ohio, where I have spent my entire life thus far. However, due to factors outside of my control, I resolved to devise a plan with my supervisor to transform my part-time job with the college as a Residence Life Administrative Assistant (RLAA) into a co-op position.
My time working as the RLAA offered many learning opportunities that introduced me to entirely new skills in addition to building on some existing ones. For one, it allowed me to improve on my time management since I had projects to complete on my own time, alongside the office hours I held on Mondays through Thursdays and the class I was taking on the side. Furthermore, I was able to familiarize myself with Microsoft Excel—something I have done in the past, but not to the degree I did during my co-op. However, the best learning experience I had was when I was given the task of creating a video thanking the individuals who work in facilities for all that they do. This required piecing together clips sent in, as well as developing transitions and opening/ending slides. As someone who hadn’t worked with Adobe Premier to any extent prior to this co-op, having the chance to teach myself a new skill and utilize it to make a final product as a part of my role was a wonderful opportunity.Â
All in all, my time working with Residence Life was a great opportunity that allowed me to expand on numerous skills. It also allowed me to become more involved in event planning and to speak to many students that I hadn’t before, which reaffirmed my belief that I would most enjoy working directly with other people and serving in a role that involves heavy communication. I look forward to my next co-op opportunity, especially with the prospect of travel, yet I’m elated that this was my first co-op as an Antioch Student.
