Hindsight Being 20/20...

...there are many things I would do differently - particularly with my undergraduate experience. I don't necessarily regret the choices I made but I might have sought out more opportunities and/or done some more digging to take advantage of what my alma mater had to offer.

These opportunities that I read about online at Kettering University are an example. I wish there had been opportunities like this when I was in college or if there WAS that I had known about them! LOL

I graduated with my degree from a Big Ten university in a program that was nationally accredited for that particular field and I held ONE job doing it after graduation and found I didn't like it.

But, Kettering provides a co-op program that begins as soon as a student is admitted. No more waiting until one's junior year to begin major classes. Students rotate them between school and their co-op job alternating every 3 months to gain practical experience right from the beginning. Freshmen are out in the work place immediately figuring out the field they're interested in, getting experience, and building the necessary skills to be a leader in their chosen area.

That co-op idea would obviously be one of the reasons Kettering ranked number one again in U.S. News & World Report as one of their 2008 America's best colleges for their Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering program. Their engineering co-cop programs include not only the number one but also the number three program in mechanical engineering.

If you have a kid (or ARE a kid) considering Kettering, you might want to give their site a look-see.