Transitioning to the college life... What recommendations or advice do you have?

2015-07-03T21:34:15-04:00

I am currently the president of Student Veterans of University of Alaska Fairbanks. Recently I created a survey that I shared with members asking various questions.

A few of these were:
How do we better connect the veteran community on campus?

How do you create commodorie and what sort of events, activities would veterans participate in?

How do you help a veteran struggling with text anxiety, being in a classroom, and connecting with in the civilian sector.

My goal is to create a better organization that serves our veterans at UAF

Response by CAPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 3 at 2015 9:48 PM

2015-07-03T21:48:03-04:00

I helped Northeastern University with this informally when they were starting out after the Post-9/11 GI Bill was approved.

I'd sponsor a low-key event that includes availability of alcohol - not to encourage drinking, but to convey a sense of grownup responsibility. Then at this event, get to know them. Ensure you know all the nitnoids about the Post-9/11 GI Bill and your school's procedures including the Yellow Ribbon. Ask them what help they need, and then make your group their "fraternity" - a place to join for kinship and comfort - but without all the silly requirements or ceremony. Be their place to go when no other place quite feels right for them. Recommend you connect on RP with SrA Andrew McCarty - he's Northeastern's vet rep.

Response by CW2 Joseph Evans made Jul 3 at 2015 10:51 PM

2015-07-03T22:51:23-04:00

Wyakin Warriors out of Boise State has some solid background from their Academy program...

Response by MAJ Monique Ruiz made Jul 3 at 2015 10:54 PM

2015-07-03T22:54:23-04:00

Veterans need a lot of social support. Integrating with people who have similar goals or direction help ease the anxiety. If they don't know what events or organizations to participate in, it would be like picking a degree or exploring interests; they won't know unless they get out there and experience it.

Another helpful tool is to get into some sort of individual counseling. It will allow the veteran to get comfortable communicating how they feel about the transition and how to sort out their thoughts to feel confident about moving forward in civilian life. Best part of it, the therapist/counselor keeps everything confidential to avoid the veteran feeling embarrassed or shy about the information they share.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 3 at 2015 10:54 PM

2015-07-03T22:54:58-04:00

SPC James Gilchrest, recently I have been looking for helpful resources and suggestions for a friend, all of the suggestions I have received for him can be found under this link. I hope this is helpful for you. Have a great 4th of July!

Response by SPC Makissa Lewis made Jul 3 at 2015 11:13 PM

2015-07-03T23:13:19-04:00

As a person who did it unsuccessfully and successfully I would recommend 1) take it seriously 2) ask for help when needed and ask for help often 3) if you can use your military career to make a point don't be afraid to do so 4) enjoy the moment not many veterans get to that point you did

Should you require additional help feel free to hit me up.

Response by LTC John Shaw made Jul 3 at 2015 11:56 PM

2015-07-03T23:56:38-04:00

Being a veteran gives you a strong background of experience to pull from and share. Veterans also should learn to be a good student, how to focus on your classes and establish effective study habits that lead to successful integration with an academic environment.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 4 at 2015 1:12 AM

2015-07-04T01:12:30-04:00

I went to a junior college to start and then transferred to a university, where I graduated with a B.B.A. in 1977. I was working full time and was able to graduate in five and a half years. I was busy, but I loved college life. At that time, there was a veterans administrator that signed me up for the G.I. Bill. There was no Veterans organization. My recommendations:
1. Become active in the school veterans organization.
2. Share your knowledge and experience with the other students - Everyone will benefit.
3. You will find college exciting and you will enjoy the experience. Your maturity level and discipline will be much greater than non-veteran students.
4. There are plenty of people that will help you - The smart thing to do is ask for help when you need it.
5. The most important thing is to have fun, but not too much fun - stay focused on your studies and do not fall behind on reading or assignments.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 4 at 2015 3:13 AM

2015-07-04T03:13:15-04:00

I say it depends on the surrounding community and they type of university. Not all universities are "military" friendly. First thing I recommend a service member to do is to thoroughly research their degree program through the education center counselors while still in service. Have detailed degree map and financial plan defined prior to exiting the military (yes, this is very possible). The university I attended, Franklin University, was part of the Army's Tuition Assistance program and was very active in the military community. Both my undergraduate and graduate universities offered veteran clubs or the possibility to organize one. Be sure to check out the Student Center on campus or get with the Student Body Council. They are there for you. They provided exclusive services for GI Bill recipients and offered standard tutoring, as well as test taking skills and workshops. The other big factor is to have a university that charges fair tuition and related costs while giving you a strong degree. What I mean is, to research the type of credits given, regional or national. I would not have been accepted to the Texas A&M online MBA program with a nationally accredited degree. So please look beyond the undergraduate program and consider that service members may be able to advance their civilian careers with graduate to doctorate level degrees as well. Best of luck on your journey.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 4 at 2015 7:30 AM

2015-07-04T07:30:08-04:00

Good thing your campy has a vet group because one thing I learned is a lot of civilians don't know, understand, or truly care about what we went through, so they can't really support you. As far as classes just stay focused, put in the time, and don't take on more than you can handle comfortably. Apply your experiences when necessary (emphasis on when necessary). Don't be afraid to ask questions or ask for help.

Response by SSG Ricardo Marcial made Jul 4 at 2015 8:10 AM

2015-07-04T08:10:13-04:00

Seek out local chapter of SVA - Student Veterans of America for starters. Take time and fine a school that will benefit your needs not your wants. Seek advise from veterans in your area or veterans in the schools you're looking at. Hope this helps and good luck.

Response by LTC David Stender made Jul 4 at 2015 8:26 AM

2015-07-04T08:26:04-04:00

The question is what do you want to do after graduating? I don't recommend criminal justice or social sciences unless you plan on a Masters and you can accept low pay. I would recommend you look at industries that need to be filled well into the future. Medical, financial, business, franchise, etc. I also recommend police, fire, and government services, but you can do these with or without a degree. These need a good background in leadership, administration, organizational management, etc.

Response by PO1 John Miller made Jul 4 at 2015 10:07 AM

2015-07-04T10:07:10-04:00

I would also suggest assigning a "Battle Buddy" to each veteran in your program. One that the vet can reach out to when they're struggling with college life or just life in general, readjusting to civilian society.

Response by PO2 Peter Klein made Jul 4 at 2015 10:22 AM

2015-07-04T10:22:26-04:00

Recognize that there is a big experiential difference between the veterans and the students who went directly from high school to university. Think of it as bubble gum vs. squared away. The non-veteran students have no idea what we have gone through.
With that in mind I suggest a variation on battle buddies: study groups. Have vets and non-vets in them. Study groups help everybody in the groups do better academically and they build comraderie (sp?) which is a step in learning to network, a very important skill.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 4 at 2015 12:03 PM

2015-07-04T12:03:13-04:00

I need to practice this more, but: Infect people with fun, life, smiles, and positivity. The rest should fall into place.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 4 at 2015 1:44 PM

2015-07-04T13:44:02-04:00

Do your research and take time to find a program that's a good fit for you and that also has good outcome statistics. Be as patient as possible with yourself (don't overload your schedule) and with both professors and students who lack a realistic perspective of the world outside academia. Good ol' NCO tact and military bearing can go a long way in politely correcting some of the misperceptions that are fairly common in less military - centric institutions.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Jul 4 at 2015 2:08 PM

2015-07-04T14:08:48-04:00

Determine your priority list is and enumerate you passions.

Response by SGT Mark Rhodes made Jul 4 at 2015 3:52 PM

2015-07-04T15:52:07-04:00

I work a 50+ hour a week job and go to school 15-20 hours a week working on my BS in Information Technology so I can do a career change due to my disabilities. It is a tough life but I know when I'm done it will be all worth it. Thank you for doing the job you do to help our Vets and Warriors.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Jul 4 at 2015 5:32 PM

2015-07-04T17:32:42-04:00

I am going to help with this superbly sage advice. Live in the barracks if it is coed. You will make instant freinds. Also be classy to the women as they tend to try out the assholes first then look for the nice guys. Trust me homie!

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 5 at 2015 1:52 AM

2015-07-05T01:52:04-04:00

Another thing I would like to add. Within in my organization I've decided to create a fund that is separate and untouchable that is specifically used for instances of disaster within the student veteran community. This would be like a house fire, a suicide or any freak accident. Although the ultimate goal is no more veteran suicides or disasters.

Thank you all for your gracious input.

Response by SSgt Tom Neven made Jul 5 at 2015 12:36 PM

2015-07-05T12:36:28-04:00

Whatever you do, avoid falling into the party scene on campus. Frankly, I don't know how anyone learns anything if they're drunk or hungover all the time and thinking only about their next blowout. If a school is known as a party school, avoid it at all costs. You're paying good money to get an EDUCATION, not to party.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 5 at 2015 1:27 PM

2015-07-05T13:27:18-04:00

I would recommend to team up with other student groups at your campus and collaborate on a campus event. I would recommend to do something like building care packages for deployed service members.

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Jul 5 at 2015 1:39 PM

2015-07-05T13:39:02-04:00

Make sure you get all your eligible VA benefits, including GI Bill as appropriate. If you can, sign up for a VA Work Study program through your college's VA program office.

Most of all though, focus on your studies. If you can avoid the distractions of money to live on, partying, etc., and work hard, long hours on your studies, you will do well. If you blow it off, or do "all nighters" or go to lots of stuff, you'll have difficulty.

At the same time, keep your physical and emotional health up. If you have health issues, don't put them off; go to campus Health, the VA or whatever, but get them treated. If you're dealing with any kind of emotional issues, whether military related or not, again, campus health, the VA, campus chaplains or whomever.

If you let any of these things fester, you will regret it.

Also, find time to get in your PT. Keeping up the endorphins from PT will keep your stress levels down and your emotions in check.

Don't bite of more than you can chew either. Remember: at least 3 hours of study time for every hour of class time. If you take 20 units, that means plan on 60 study hours, or an 80 hour work week. That may seem easy to a soldier, but when you get into college mode, it's a lot harder than it seems...

Good luck, and much success...

Response by SPC George Rudenko made Jul 5 at 2015 10:54 PM

2015-07-05T22:54:23-04:00

Meetings and get togethers. Bring vets together and let them share, then you can build a FAQ etc for future vets in the college.

Response by SGT Craig Northacker made Jul 6 at 2015 4:17 PM

2015-07-06T16:17:56-04:00

I needed to sit sideways in my classes to feel comfortable. That was a long time ago, though. We are slogging our way through bureaucratic stupidity at a certain bank, but we will be having a number of interesting and fun activities that also address a lot of our needs when we egress from active duty.

Response by SFC Bob Chapman DEng made Jul 6 at 2015 7:17 PM

2015-07-06T19:17:31-04:00

Host a symposium with the local VA and financial aide office and anyone else ypu can think of.. then adverise, advertise, advertise. Join as many student organizations you can. Veterans are everywhere and most don't use half of their benefits.. GI Bill is great but what if your state paid your tuition as well?

Response by SFC David Pope, MBA made Jul 9 at 2015 3:39 PM

2015-07-09T15:39:22-04:00

Before I attended online courses to get my Bachelors and Masters degrees, I studied at Dixie State University to get a degree in architectural design. As president of the Skills USA club I began an annual Veterans Day Luncheon that our club raised funds for. We had representatives from Workforce Services, VA Medical Clinic and local Veteran Owned Businesses. We had an honor guard and ceremony. Following lunch we began our job fair and veteran student assistance program. We were pursuing a program for vets to have a buddy to help them transition into student life from military life. I left the school before the program was able to get started. In my online schools we had veterans groups and speakers that would help give advice to veterans on careers and schooling. I recommend contacting your local VA outreach program to see if they can assist you in setting up a program at the school.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 20 at 2015 11:45 AM

2015-07-20T11:45:03-04:00

> How do we better connect the veteran community on campus?

If your school has a distro list to all students (usually for events or opportunities), you can list your organization there.

While I was at UT, the university stood up the Student Veteran Services center. This was the official effort to accomodate veterans. The UT-SVA naturally worked closely with our SVS by bringing institutional support to the standing effort to connect veterans to resources (i.e. the local VA clinic, job opportunities, scholarships) and each other.

And of course, you can set up a booth or table at your next event.

> How do you create commodorie and what sort of events, activities would veterans participate in?

The same events and activities they did while in the service. Tailgates and bars are two that immediately come to mind.

For something more formal, UT welcomes veterans with a dinner at the start of every fall semester (or at least used to). It's basically a large meet-and-greet with great, free food. If your institution has funding, you might be able to get something going.

> How do you help a veteran struggling with text anxiety, being in a classroom, and connecting with in the civilian sector.

The UT SVS linked up with UT's learning center, an existing resource for all undergraduates, to help specifically educate veterans on resources to improve scholastic performance (whether it was subject-specific tutoring, test taking strategies, or curriculum planning). The truth is that many undergraduate, non-veteran students struggle with these same issues, so there is likely something similar at your university that you could encourage veterans to use.

The SVS also solicited its members for volunteer tutors and "sponsors" to help educate and guide our incoming veterans. It's similar to the above, except this is a more personalized effort and requires some of your upper classmen veterans who are already doing well to volunteer.

One of the best ways to connect with civilians (and remember, veterans are civilians: honor the service but stress the importance of reintegration) is to piggyback on whatever existing efforts your local community has for returning/reintegrating veterans. These are usually company-specific or at least can be found at a local VA.

You mentioned being a president of "Student Veterans" and I'm assuming you meant that you have a chapter of the Student Veterans of America (SVA). They have tons of resources to help you get started. In case you aren't already aware: http://studentveterans.org/

Good luck!

Home

The Home Depot Foundation partnered with SVA to award $400,000 accross 50 SVA chapters to improve their Veteran Centers on campus.

Response by Maj Mike Sciales made Aug 14 at 2015 6:19 PM

2015-08-14T18:19:56-04:00

You are certainly to be commended for taking on this leadership task. You need somebody to open the discussion. I'd start by seeing if you can get a list of all the vets who are enrolled and send them an outreach message like: "Veterans add a lot to our quality of life here at UAF. We want to know about you, please come to the X location time/date - refreshments and food." Then invite all the different sports -- Hockey, cross-country, basketball, volleyball, cross country, rifle competitions. Invite everybody. Make a fuss. Your vets are a lot of young, talented and athletic people most of whom like the outdoor life and can bring a lot to the university. Some of them are highly trained experts in winter survival. They are gold. But also feed them. If you break bread three times, you're a friend. When I was a young vet after my first enlistment and starting college, I was always hungry so I went to events for the burgers and people were just really nice so I started making friends and felt plugged in to the school. It also helped that the Student Advisor could always find jobs for vets while they went to school.
Good luck!

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 19 at 2015 7:18 AM

2015-09-19T07:18:01-04:00

Just wanted to say thanks for the advice to everyone. I had 27 people show up!

Response by CPL Beth Allsop made Jan 1 at 2017 12:55 AM

2017-01-01T00:55:39-05:00

Is there a Veteran's Advisor on campus? You might get some help from that individual to connect the vets on campus.

I think the vets might connect through study groups, or perhaps you could form a UofA vets group as a support group for transitioning vets.

As far as Test anxiety I propose you speak with the Dean of students, to attempt to create a kinder, more comfortable test environment.

Good Luck!

Response by SMSgt Lawrence McCarter made Jan 13 at 2017 8:30 AM

2017-01-13T08:30:24-05:00

Become involved in campus life, I did. sports, College Yearbook staff, wrote sports articles for college newspaper, attended the on campus functions. There were other veterans on campus plus i fell right in with new friend of My fellow students esp by involvement in activities. I transferred to a full time college after having about 2 years of college credit anyway from formal classroom time. None of My transfer credits used were from correspondence anyway. they were all in residence. One more thing I did I didn't take any semesters off, it too easy to make excuses to take breaks, I never did until I had My degree BS degree. Its not that hard, just jump right in.

Response by MAJ David Brand made Feb 3 at 2017 7:14 PM

2017-02-03T19:14:56-05:00

I would say keep in mind that college is a means to an end. Get your education - have a little fun - but stay focused and move on to the next step and the reason you are getting the education.

Response by SSG Carlos Madden made Apr 5 at 2017 4:16 PM

2017-04-05T16:16:10-04:00

SrA Andrew McCarty heads a very successful veteran program at Northeastern. He's be a great person to help answer these questions SSgt Private RallyPoint Member.

Response by CPO Robert (Mac) McGovern made Apr 13 at 2017 1:48 PM

2017-04-13T13:48:58-04:00

When I retired, I was fortunate to retire in a town with a huge military presence. I immediately got involved in the military social organizations such as the VFW, American Legion, and organizations like the Elks and Moose Lodge. They help because they always have retired and active duty members that make the transition easier.

Response by SFC Joseph Hannon made Apr 13 at 2017 4:32 PM

2017-04-13T16:32:15-04:00

I’ve been trying to crack that nut for a while. I’ve been working on the staff of Granite State College in New Hampshire for about four years. I did a similar survey about two years back and found that our military and veteran students were pretty much fully engaged elsewhere. I’ve talked with other veteran’s services rep around the state and they have similar issues. It’s difficult for a lot of vets, if you consider the “average” student veteran is older, employed, and likely has a family. That’s a lot to put on someone’s plate. In addition to that, we’re non-residential school that has multiple campuses around the state so our student body is dispersed (of course you probably have parking lots bigger than NH up there in AK). I’ve tried a Facebook group, with mixed results, and I’m trying to get a no-credit “course” on our online teaching platform where we can automatically enroll military and veteran students. That would require them to opt-out, rather than opt-in and give me a platform to contact them with opportunities without hearing about the dreaded “e-mail fatigue” from marketing. Since we’re spread throughout the state, we don’t have the concentrations of students that residential schools have, so I’m pursuing partnering with community colleges with active student-veteran organizations to bring our vets together with other vets in the area. It’s been a challenge, but I think we’re slowly making progress.

Response by AN Donald Miller made Jun 17 at 2017 8:08 AM

2017-06-17T08:08:44-04:00

Study hard enough to have a 4.0 gpa then join an honor Society. One College offered a quarter million dollar year scholarship in Ireland. Apparently if you get the grades you het the money.

Response by AN Donald Miller made Jun 17 at 2017 8:30 AM

2017-06-17T08:30:49-04:00

One major point go to one University and stay there. I changed from a college in one state to another only6 out of 36 credits transfered. Get this had to take two classes over, a asp.net class, that tought from the same book at both colleges. Completed AAS then transferred to a University out of over a 100 credits only56 credits transferred. I now have a total of 150,ish credits but still need 33 more credits to finish bachelor's requiring only 120 credits. If you know your going to get more than an associate go to a University and stay there till finished.

Response by Col Jerry Smith made Jun 19 at 2017 5:30 PM

2017-06-19T17:30:37-04:00

Here's the input from a few of our Texas A&M student veterans:
Introduce yourself to your professors. Many have experiences to help you & will respect your opinion in class.
Graduation comes faster than you think – be prepared.
Get involved. Develop a plan early and follow through.
Ask for help; there are a tremendous amount of people who want to see you succeed.
Make sure that you utilize all of the available services. Take advantage of FAFSA from the beginning.

Response by SGT Thomas Hudson made Jun 23 at 2017 3:38 AM

2017-06-23T03:38:16-04:00

YOU KNOW HOW TO FIGHT..GO STICK UP FOR YOURSELF..FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION....HOOORAAAAAAAHHHHHHH