Should I leave college to go on active duty?

2015-02-13T01:46:40-05:00

I am currently a pre-basic 09R (which is just a cadet) I am a freshman at MSU and have always wanted to be in the army for as long as I can remember. After my first semester of college and getting into the second, I am really not into the whole college thing. The way everyone I talked to,(including my recruiter) talked about this MOS made it sound like it would be amazing. Which don't get me wrong I'm not complaining I just don't think it is right for me. I am considering talking to my recruiter and trying to change to active. But first I need some honest opinions on what I should do in my situation.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 13 at 2015 2:37 AM

2015-02-13T02:37:07-05:00

Finish your college. The Army will still be there and if you want to be promoted you will eventually have to work AND go to school.

Response by PVT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 13 at 2015 3:06 AM

2015-02-13T03:06:14-05:00

I can only talk from my own experiences and situation so here it is and hope it helps.

I started college as a double major in a pre-law program. I was carrying a 3.7 gpa. But how i felt after my first year of classes was a lot different than i saw myself when i started. I also found that the way college worked I didnt enjoy. I felt like i was wasting my time there just sitting in class when i could actually be out doing something. I learned a lot about myself in that year and that is part of what college is for. One of the things i learned is that what I really wanted to do was something I loved to do not what I thought everyone expected. I wanted to do something with the military and I wanted to be able to work with people. I now am doing a program to get my EMT and Fire certifications and enlisted in the national guard.

My advice would be to work hard and finish this semester. Then take the summer to sit down and think about what you really want to do with your life cause in the end you need to be doing something that you love doing every day. Think about what you see yourself doing in 10 years then think about what would be the best way to get there and then strive for it and dont stop till you get there. Don't do something that doesn't feel right to you or you'll regret it for the rest of your life. Its a big decision and is a difficult one to make but trust your gut because only you know whats really right for you.

Response by SN Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 13 at 2015 3:42 AM

2015-02-13T03:42:23-05:00

Stick it out in school it'll be worth it in the end.

Response by PO2 Jonathan Scharff made Feb 13 at 2015 8:23 AM

2015-02-13T08:23:35-05:00

Pvt Pvt. Adams this is a complicated and serious question that you are asking here and I am glad that you posted it. First, let me say that 30 years ago I was in your exact position. I wish I had a forum like this where I could have asked experienced adults/servicemen these types of questions when I was a young man. However, I do wonder if there was, would I have heeded their advice or just have done what I did anyway? There is really no way to know. Also, now these 30 years later I have raised 3 boys all of which are successfully out on their own in the world. So, I feel I am in a perfect position to advise you.

First, you are at a solid school. MSU ranks in the top 100 national universities so a degree from there will carry weight in your future. However, one of the things that you failed to mention is what is your major? When you say, "I am really not into the whole college thing" could it be your major that your are not excited about? If it is, you can easily change that. Don't make the mistake of just getting any degree. Whether you go Army or not, you need to make sure that your major is marketable. A combination of a solid school and a marketable degree will give you options for the rest of your life

There is an easy way to tell if your major is marketable. Simply go to the next career fair at MSU, there will probable be on coming up in the spring, walk around and ask the employeers what majors they are looking for. Remember, these are business that not only have taken a day from their work to come and talk to you, but they have paid for promotional products and usually paid the school to be there! You will see a definite trend in the majors that they are looking for. If only one or none of the recruiters are looking for your major, I would give serious thought to switching or you will just join the ranks of the thousands and thousands of young college graduates with a ton of student loan debt working as waiters etc.

What I am trying to get at is you want to give yourself options in life. A degree will help you whether you decide join the enlisted ranks or the officer corp. It will also help you when you leave the service, which will also happen at some point. I know it is hard to look that far into the future, but the decisions that you make now will have a long lasting ripple effect throughout your life.

In the end I can only advise you the same as I did my own boys. All three went to excellent schools and got marketable degrees. My oldest went to Stevens Institute of Technology where he got an undergrad and masters in computer science. He has a full time job which he had before he actually graduated. My middle son went to Drexel (double major) and is now in his last semester of law school at Rutgers. He also already has a full time job as a clerk for a state judge after graduation. My youngest son went to Penn State (double major and minor) was in ROTC and is now commissioned as a 2LT in the Army stationed down at FT Hood, TX. Obviously he has a more than full time job after graduation. He is already applying to graduate schools and wants to do that while he is serving! If you would like his contact info I will be happy to send that on to you. Sometimes it is easier to take advice from a peer than one of us "old guys". Lol

So, I really feel like I am the perfect person to respond to your question. In short, stay in school! Look at your major if you need to. College is not perfect, but I have news for you, neither is the Army, or any other branch for that matter. Neither is any job after the service. What I wish for you is the same wish I had for my boys...options in life. Then whatever decision you make for yourself will be a choice based on desire not based on a lack of options. That's what leads to happiness.

I have sent you a friend request. Please feel free to message me with any other questions. I wish you much success and happiness whatever you choose to do!

Go Spartans!

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Feb 13 at 2015 8:46 AM

2015-02-13T08:46:33-05:00

Knock out as much college as you can, while you are still young. It only gets more difficult to do as you get older. "Life gets in the way."

But, if you aren't enjoying the "structure" of college, there are some alternatives.

CLEP, DANTE, Excelsior exams. Talk to the local Base Education officer, and find out what the cost is to reserves. Most colleges will take up to 30 credits (1 year) worth right off the bat, which will help. You can take these and knock out some of the low level classes & humanities, and get you into the "fun" or degree level classes.

Professional Military Education (PME) Correspondence Courses. Talk to your unit. Find out what is required, and which ones give Reserve Retirement Points, and which ones will help the MOS you are looking at. Do these in your spare time. Some of these "can" be worth college credits as well. The Air Force & Marines also have Correspondence programs, and you can take their equivalent MOS classes.

Education opens up opportunity. Having schools done, means you have a check in the box, compared to someone else who doesn't. If you want to go WO or Commissioned in the future it will help. If you want to stay enlisted, it will help, especially in professional writing.

There are very few downsides to staying in colleges.

Response by PFC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 13 at 2015 1:24 PM

2015-02-13T13:24:15-05:00

I am a kin major and have a 3.6 gpa I do well in college and the ROTC program as well. After going to drill and talking to the officers there and experiencing some of what they do daily I can honestly say that being an officer is not something I want.
My original plan was to go active right out of high school but I got accepted to MSU and figured id give it a shot. That's when my recruiter told me about SMP and it sounded awesome but its not remotely close to what he said it would be and I feel like I could be filling my dream and doing bigger better things for the army. Even if not active just as enlisted reserves instead of SMP. And thank you all for all the help, I honestly didn't think I'd get this big of a response.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 13 at 2015 1:48 PM

2015-02-13T13:48:06-05:00

Stick to school. School will buy you a lot in the Army.

Response by Maj Kim Patterson made Feb 13 at 2015 1:48 PM

2015-02-13T13:48:17-05:00

A. What is is about college life that doesn't appeal to you?
B. What did your recruiter offer you?
C. If you finish a certain amount of college, you can enter at higher rank, with all the responsibilities and perks (that $1.50 pay increase)
D. Talk to the members of a local unit; National Guard, Reserves or Active Duty, especially focusing on those in senior positions in the area you'd like to work to round out the picture of what ultimate goal you have.

My first semester was awful but got better each year and I grew up. The second time I went to college, I had a long term dream of how I wanted to live my life. Thanks to the GI Bill, I was able to pursue this and college seemed so much easier with life experience and the ability to critically think. It was hard starting back with all the young people but life in the military also helped me focus and prioritize.

So good luck on making your decision, one that is right for you. Not as an impulse but with eyes open, and realistic expectations.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 13 at 2015 1:54 PM

2015-02-13T13:54:02-05:00

PFC Private RallyPoint Member - Finish your schooling. As you get older, the college classroom sometimes gets more challenging, ESPECIALLY with combat vets.

First, the "Adult Learning". As you get older, the way your brain processes things changes. So the classroom setting is sometimes more challenging for those that have had life experiences because of the fact that they have since changed their "framework".

Second, there are a ton of things that can happen that would abruptly end your military career. Getting an MEB (medical board), admin discharge or even just a pink slip...all of these will create a rapid end that could affect your lifestyle, some of which will NOT extend your benefits. Then, you need to rely on the MGIB, which may or may not cover costs. If you see combat and suffer a TBI or other part, there are studies that show that both combat and MTBI can create changes in cognition that are subtle but can inhibit a pass rating in school.

The Army will be there, but you need to look at your own life first and ensure that you have a Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C, especially if you have a family.

If you don't have career aspirations, then going to the Army could give you some time to think about them...but you need to be sure of that decision. You can always take some overnight classes or something with the consent of your command.

Just some food for thought on both sides of the coin.
v/r,
CPT Butler

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 13 at 2015 1:59 PM

2015-02-13T13:59:46-05:00

Are you on scholarship? If you are, it may make more sense to stick with it since college isn't cheap.

You also mentioned you're a pre-basic 09R. Before you drop everything, I would strongly consider getting an early basic and AIT date to see if you really want this. I am not familiar with current ROTC policy so check with the cadre first to verify the implications of this.

Response by SPC David S. made Feb 13 at 2015 2:12 PM

2015-02-13T14:12:30-05:00

Get your degree! Go in the Army after and then get them to pay for your masters. As its much easier to get it while not being active deployed somewhere.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 13 at 2015 2:32 PM

2015-02-13T14:32:13-05:00

You have to decide what's best for you. Do a pro and con sheet and see the risk versus reward in your own mind. Rush into nothing and don't let your recruiter push you into anything. It's not going to work out unless you are comfortable with your decision!

Response by PV2 Abbott Shaull made Jun 18 at 2015 12:48 PM

2015-06-18T12:48:26-04:00

Yes finish your college. It will give you many more options. What is the MOS you going for by the way?

Response by LCpl Mark Lefler made Jun 18 at 2015 5:30 PM

2015-06-18T17:30:20-04:00

Finish college, having a degree is important in any facet of life, even the military, plus if you finish then you don't have to worry about it later. The military isn't going anywhere.

Response by CPT Pedro Meza made Jun 18 at 2015 5:37 PM

2015-06-18T17:37:03-04:00

PV2 Greg Markarian Jr, the wars are over you are not needed yet, but your country needs you with a complete education, so stay in college. Develop the muscle between your ears first before developing the body. Notice I said not needed YET, so complete college first.

Response by SMSgt Bob Wilson made Dec 14 at 2021 10:21 AM

2021-12-14T10:21:38-05:00

No! Are you crazy. Stay in school get the degree then go ARMY or whatever.

Response by SMSgt Bob Wilson made Dec 14 at 2021 10:26 AM

2021-12-14T10:26:54-05:00

By the way is it MO MI, MS state university?