When I was told that there was going to be a site visit during my work term, I had no idea what to expect. Do I prepare something? Write out paragraphs? Make a presentation? What do I do? Amidst my worries, I asked one of my friends what to expect and she simply replied “Don’t worry, it’s a nice chat!” Turns out I only had to book a room for my coordinator and myself to meet in, plus a mid-term check-up. A mid-term check-up is a form you fill out about your work term so far, which includes your learning objectives and achievements you have accomplished so far.

When my advisor came to the office, it was actually quite fun. I have had a very positive experience at my workplace, and I had no problem telling her about it. And really, that’s all it was, just a nice chat with my advisor. She asked me about the things I was doing, my most and least favourite parts. The site was quite simple and straightforward. I really enjoyed talking about my experience. At the end of our discussion, my advisor asked me to talk to my supervisor. I’m guessing my advisor asked my supervisor some general questions about me too. It was pretty quick, and after handing me an instructions sheet with the next steps for the rest of my co-op placement, the site visit was done!a

Do be wary though, sometimes it's not all rainbows and butterflies! If your work situation is not going well, which does happen, then the site visit is the perfect opportunity to discuss with your coordinator the issues you are having with your work or manager. Your coordinator is there to help to mediate the situation and improve your work environment.

Overall, if your work placement is going well, then your site visit should be a piece of cake. If your work placement isn’t going too smoothly, then your advisor is there to help and make your co-op experience a more positive one. So, take some time to prepare for your site visit, this will help you get the most out of your site visit and improve your overall co-op experience!