- #1
bigbobclemson
- 2
- 0
Hi, I'm new to PF and from what I can tell, there are a lot of good members here on the forums, so I would like a little advice from you guys since I really have exhausted myself thinking about this.
So I joined the Army Reserves in Sept. of 2006, partly to improve myself physically and mentally, but mostly for the money they offered for college. You see, I started at a 4-year university and enjoyed partying much more than studying so I did not last past that first year. If my family could have afforded tuition, I could have came back after just a semester, but they couldn't and I was forced to find the finances myself. I worked my butt off for a year before I made the decision to join the military and worked that much harder to lose the weight I needed to join. Once I lost the weight I joined the Reserves and began taking classes again using the military money and I sweet-talked the financial aid dept. into giving me aid through the school even though my GPA was so low.
Long story, shortened just a bit, I stopped going to classes my first semester back because I was going to be half a grade point off from what I needed it to be to contract with the ROTC program. I was going to use the money stipend and my other military money to pay bills, tuition, and whatever other life expenses I had until graduation so it was a real blow to me when I found out that extra grand or so each month would not be happening.
So now I'm faced with the choice of staying Reserves and working my way back into school, or going full-time military and either get a more career-oriented MOS or stay combat and try school again in 4 years. I have been considering the Navy nuclear power school or, if I stay Army, there are several MOSs that I could use in the civilian world and make good money without a degree. I like the nuke idea because I would essentially have an engineering degree without the paper. The one thing about that program is that I do not learn very well in short times. I am proficient in math (I was on track for a high B in calc II this semester), and I am usually good at physics but found physics II difficult after being out of school two years, but that was mostly because I was slack on studying. What I'm worried about it getting to the nuke school and completely bombing out if my study habits don't change.
I am now 21 years old, so I have a good deal of time to work my life out, but I know I need to get moving soon. And I apologize for being so long-winded, but there is a lot going on in my head right now and I am in need of some wisdom from people who have perhaps went through something similar. Thank you in advance if you even read this. I know how horrible it is to read off a computer screen sometimes.
So I joined the Army Reserves in Sept. of 2006, partly to improve myself physically and mentally, but mostly for the money they offered for college. You see, I started at a 4-year university and enjoyed partying much more than studying so I did not last past that first year. If my family could have afforded tuition, I could have came back after just a semester, but they couldn't and I was forced to find the finances myself. I worked my butt off for a year before I made the decision to join the military and worked that much harder to lose the weight I needed to join. Once I lost the weight I joined the Reserves and began taking classes again using the military money and I sweet-talked the financial aid dept. into giving me aid through the school even though my GPA was so low.
Long story, shortened just a bit, I stopped going to classes my first semester back because I was going to be half a grade point off from what I needed it to be to contract with the ROTC program. I was going to use the money stipend and my other military money to pay bills, tuition, and whatever other life expenses I had until graduation so it was a real blow to me when I found out that extra grand or so each month would not be happening.
So now I'm faced with the choice of staying Reserves and working my way back into school, or going full-time military and either get a more career-oriented MOS or stay combat and try school again in 4 years. I have been considering the Navy nuclear power school or, if I stay Army, there are several MOSs that I could use in the civilian world and make good money without a degree. I like the nuke idea because I would essentially have an engineering degree without the paper. The one thing about that program is that I do not learn very well in short times. I am proficient in math (I was on track for a high B in calc II this semester), and I am usually good at physics but found physics II difficult after being out of school two years, but that was mostly because I was slack on studying. What I'm worried about it getting to the nuke school and completely bombing out if my study habits don't change.
I am now 21 years old, so I have a good deal of time to work my life out, but I know I need to get moving soon. And I apologize for being so long-winded, but there is a lot going on in my head right now and I am in need of some wisdom from people who have perhaps went through something similar. Thank you in advance if you even read this. I know how horrible it is to read off a computer screen sometimes.