My overall experience during co-op was something that I will never forget. I enjoyed how I was able to make an impact in Durham with my team, as well as make new friends, learn about policing, donating towards charities and even volunteering. One of my personal favourite experiences was when we went to the DRPS Education and Training center where we learned about canine’s and physically was taught Use of Force. I enjoyed how the Officers taught us some scenarios during the day and night that might occur during their job, as I will one day be going through that same scenario as a Police Officer.

As a pharmacy assistant I learn and develop skills related to running a successful pharmacy such as filling prescriptions, how to add each prescription into the computer including putting the expiry dates, scanning each drug and confirming if the drug is correct, as well as answer complex questions from patients. This requires understanding the drugs, differentiating between generic, brand name, liquid, powder, cream, etc., as comprehending how to collect payments and how to package the drugs once they are filled in the computer.

When working at the pharmacy, the most important lesson that was taught was to have patience. In the beginning of working at the pharmacy I struggled with important tasks such as talking to patients over the phone and helping them out with the cash. It was hard to remember all of the steps and answer questions that I wasn't sure of. A problem that occurred a lot throughout the process was impatient patients. It was overwhelming at first but one thing that I got reminded of was even though they are impatient, try to reason calmly as best as you can. Even though, sometimes it can be difficult since some can come in yelling, cursing, may be hard of hearing, or can't understand what you're saying through a mask. I was reminded to take my time. This has been important throughout my development because this helps me develop my people skills as well as controlling my emotions to not react in the moment. This helps me be brave and show my leadership skills on how to deal with these complicated situations in a calm manner.

Hi my name is Alia Rawji and my coop placement is at Air Canada. This was a great experience for me since it would give me the opportunity to get my foot into the industry before actually getting a job with Air Canada. Overall it was a lot of fun and I am glad I was able to learn new skills and knowledge that will help me in the future. If you are able to take coop I definitely would recommend!

Over the past few weeks I have really enjoyed my co-op placement. My peer helper position has been a fantastic learning opportunity for me. My placement has taught me a lot of qualities that will assist me in my future profession, such as people skills, organization, and positive thinking. I've watched myself mature and become more responsible as a peer helper. I am always excited to go to placement every day to see what's the new task of the day. I would not argue that my placement has any drawbacks since I value the chance to grow, learn and take advantage of the opportunity that I have been given.I strongly recommend this placement to future students because I believe that with this placement they have the ability to work on their leadership skills that will help me in the future no matter the career they go into.