What is the best advice that you can give a veteran as they begin college after their time in service?

A few things I encountered and learned are:
1. No one cares that we are vets. You are just a student. Sounds harsh, but that is what I encountered.
2. Have patience. We are used to people following the rules for the most part, but in college you will encounter countless folks who don't. Most civilian 18 year olds are annoying, so don't let them get to you with their immaturity.
3. Stay positive. It's hard. It sucks. In the end it is worth it.
4. Maintain discipline and your work ethic. View it as you would any other mission. If you fail a class, retake it.
5. Keep an open mind. Even if the class has nothing to do with your major, learn all you can. The Bachelors level is designed to give you a well rounded education. 6. Don't stress about your grades. Graduating is graduating if you are a C student or an A student. Focus on just passing and learning. Anything more than that is just an added bonus.
6. Cite your sources. When in doubt cite it anyway. Funny story about this. When I was working on my thesis, one of the professors on the panel questioned if I got my topic from somewhere else. Turns out I wrote a similar but much shorter paper on the same topic in a class I had with him. Nothing like getting accused of plagiarizing myself lol. It all worked out. I got and A and graduated a month later.
7. Unless you are going into a very specialized field (medical, engineering etc), college does not train you for a specific job. Keep this in mind when you start the job hunt after graduation. I have degrees in history and so far I have held jobs in acquisitions, logistics, and project management. Of course you may need to talk to it on how it can apply to the specific job.
8. Unless you are with other vets, I would keep talking about the military to a minimum. The average civilian doesn't have a clue and I found that they can be quite annoying when discussing it. "It's just like call of duty right?" or "Did you kill anyone?" or "I almost joined but..."
9. Do not under any circumstances take out student loans if you can avoid it. If you need to you need to. Only take out what you need. The max amount might seem attractive but in the long term you will pay that numerous times over.

Even after all of that, my experiences in college were some of the best of my life. I learned a great deal. Not just about the subject matter, but about myself too. I wouldn't trade those years for anything. And no, I didn't pay for friends or party. I worked hard and finished the entire program in 35 months.

Best of luck brother!

I had been to 54 countries, 39 of them third world. I wasn't hanging out in the resorts. Then some 17-23 year old who had been out of state twice to go to Disneyworld would tell me I just don't understand the way things are. The military sheltered me.

My advice, learn to smile, nod your head and say "you know, you're probably right."

-Enjoy the journey (i.e. the learning experience), and don't grind yourself down by focusing too much on the destination (graduation). The destination will arrive before you know it.

-Leverage everything at your disposal:
1. Stay proactive, not reactive. Always read ahead and have a good idea of what will be discussed in each class (rather than going into classes blind and not having any idea what will be covered).
2. Ask questions IN CLASS when unclear (and not having been proactive can make you less willing to ask). The professor is a hostage during class. You have their dedicated time.
3. Study anything confusing as soon as possible after class (when the content is fresh on your mind).
4. Find study partners. Sometimes they can explain things better than the professors (who may overcomplicate or "under-explain" things).
5. Don't be afraid to visit the teaching assistants and/or professors if 1-4 aren't successful. They are there to help you learn, so make them help you.
6. Make sure you maintain work-life balance.

Good luck!