[hobonumber1]

Being a 4th year student at UW on a coop term in California, I can somewhat relate to your situation, although - knock on wood - all my coop terms have gone great.

Now, you'll probably disagree with me but I recommend you stay at your position. The truth is - you're not thinking too rationally. There are other steps you can take to improve your situation than to just quit. First try talking to your manager at work - I assume you took this position by choice and therefore you want to get some things out of the job. Ask if they can offer you those things.

If that fails, talk to your co-op advisor in Calgary, that's why they are there. Don't be a rebel just for the sake of being a rebel, it won't help you.

If neither of those situations work, then you go to work and work on whatever you want to at work. Code your own things, and get paid by the company for doing so.

4 months isnt a long time, and even if you have a crappy term, it will still teach you a lot about things you should not do next time.

I hope this opens your eyes to coop - seems like you made the mistake a lotta students make of picking the place with the highest salary and the one closest to home. Instead, pick the job that you enjoy the most and get the most out of.

[caesarion]

I'm not interested in rebelling just for the sake of it. I also didn't clearly mention this, but I'm going to sit down with the guys at work and make sure they know what's going on. I want to discuss it with them and ask their advice, and maybe we can sort out something that works for everyone. I'm making sure I stay aware, I'm making sure that I don't overlook anything. This is not a random impulse, it's based on a development I've taken some time to think about.

But none of that changes the fact that I'm beginning to realize that I'm not really happy with this kind of environment. I don't feel comfortable explaining every detail of what I think, and I don't feel comfortable trying to justify myself. I gave a bit of background information in order to provide a bit of insight into the situation, but at this point I'm essentially asking superficial questions:

Suppose I've already decided to leave - how much are they allowed to control? What can I do to prevent them from 'punishing' me unfairly?

I don't want to sound entitled or impulsive - that's not what's going on. But I want to cover all the bases, and that includes educating myself about how much power the school really has, and what my options are.

EDIT: I didn't choose the job blindly either - I would have been perfectly happy working for nothing if it was meaningful work in Calgary. Coming home was my first priority for a number of reasons. Pay was never a factor.

[hobonumber1]

Although I have never failed a work term myself (and so cannot speak from direct experience), some of my friends have. It definitely has a major impact when searching for co-op positions. Since this is your first work term, I think it would be especially hard. You don't have the high-level courses to back up your credentials (although you are probably very bright), so future employers would look at your past co-op job performances. In most of my coop interviews, the emphasis is placed on prior job performance than on marks.

Down the road, if you decide to apply to some top-tier companies, remember that you may be tied for 1st place with another student and the failed work term will put him/her over you. I can't stress the importance of not having a failed work term. The truth is that co-op employers have heard students bullshit a lot, so even if you speak the truth, they will assume that you could not handle the rigors of your first work placement.

If I were in your position, I would try my best for 2 weeks to resolve the situation at work by talking to the appropriate people. If that doesn't work, I would take things into my own hands and work on what interests me at work. A caveat: If your employer gives you stuff to work on that you don't like, but that was clearly on the job description, you should do it.

[caesarion]

The stigma that surrounds getting a failed work term doesn't bother me too much, because A) I've always found jobs on my own anyway, and B) I'd like to experiment with entrepreneurship, or at least something closer to it.

That being said, I think I agree with trying hard to make things work for the next couple of weeks. Even though it might be intimidating or uncomfortable to stick with it for a bit longer, I think that's the most responsible move to make. And on a less important note (but one that still matters), if I don't do that, I'm going to second guess my reasons for leaving - "Maybe I did it just to run away"

Besides, when making a tough choice I've often found that if there's no clearly defined path to take, the best thing is to just be patient until it becomes obvious what to do.

Anyway, it's nice to get to mull things over with someone who knows what I'm talking about (school-wise and in general). Thanks for the advice, I'm pleasantly surprised with how things are clearing up.

[hobonumber1]

Best of luck man!