Many college graduates experience apprehension and anxiety as they move from college to the work place. In this study, differences in the patterns of socialization were compared for graduates from both a non co-op school and a cooperative one. Data analyses were conducted to address five major research questions: (1) What changes does socialization bring across time?; (2) What sources and content domains do newcomers sample to learn more about organizational life?; (3) Who in the organizational setting initiates learning?; (4) How does socialization affect the knowledge level of newcomers?; and (5) What are the assimilation outcomes of the socialization process? The cooperative experience appeared to prepare students better to assume a functional role more quickly in their new organizations than non co-op graduates. Cooperative graduates profited from their cooperative experiences by acquiring more effective learning strategies, accruing greater knowledge, and adjusting to organizational life more effectively. By providing more cooperative internship experiences, universities could better prepare graduates for their first jobs. Similarly, employers would be rewarded for their participation by creating a more qualified applicant pool from which to recruit and select new employees. (RJM)