I think you've taken my words at being solely towards co-op, not a co-op program itself. Deadlines, school, and stress are part of being in a co-op program. Having a stressful work term, that is when you are supposed to be on break from school, is part of being in a co-op program.
It's hard, some handle it better than others, but it's naive to say that the downsides are trivial and have little to do with being in a co-op program.
It's hard, some handle it better than others, but it's naive to say that the downsides are trivial and have little to do with being in a co-op program.