Questions about College before joining

[Corpsman_Kat09]

So me and my current boyfriend are in the same spot. We both get 2 free years college, all paid for. Its amazing. We both are in DEP as well. I know I can quite. I was just wanting to know if I/we should take our free college. Can I go in as an officer with a 2yr degree? What other benefits would i get from have a 2yr degree and then entering the Navy??

Thanks,
Kat

[Da-Chief]

WHOA...

Hold on here...

1st things first.. You and your BOYFIREND?? You do realize the odds of you guys even being remotely close to each other after your in are "SLIM & NONE" correct?

What 2 year free college program are you talking about?? Could you please send us the info as we have yet to hear about this on our site. If there is something new out there I would love to be able to put it out. If it is the GI Bill, well it is actually 36 months of school for free.

What program are you in ?? Send it to us so we can better inform you.

V/R
HMC

[Corpsman_Kat09]

That was something else we were wondering about. I figured it would be that way.

We live in Missouri. Our hish school has a program called A+. Its were you gotta have a 2.5min GPA(no problem for me since mine is a 3.7 lol) and be at school 95% of the time. Plus 50hrs of tuitoring. Its very simple. Not all colleges take the A+ tho. Its mostly community colleges and tech schools. But its still 2 free years. I was looking into getting my LPN since I wanna be a nurse and i have to corpsman job. i was worried about lossing it tho cuz i know its not as simple for women to get the corpsman.

Our parents would like us to stay and take those years of college. Mine would rather I not go at all. But thats a different story. lol

[HMC-FMF-PJ]

"A Plus" (A+) is a Missouri program not a Navy program. And the minimum 2.5 GPA applies for your college grades, not high school grades.

http://www.missouriwestern.edu/Admissions/aplus.asp


I am all for higher education, especially when tuition is free! (expect to spend about $400 for books)

When is your ship date? It will help you in the long run if you can get some college in before shipping out. The college credits you earn might even help you get a promotion.

In addition to general ed classes needed for a degree, you could also look into an anatomy class or EMT class or something along those lines that will assist you with becoming a Corpsman. (or nurse later on)

A two-year degree will not get you a commission as an officer though. Besides, if you signed an enlisted contract then you will come in as enlisted.

You need to take a serious look at your future and make some adult decisions on the path you wish to take. In all likelihood, your military path will not be shared by your boyfriend so you better have a backup plan that includes doing things solo without him.

And do not do anything stupid like get married before your first tour is over. You would not believe the number of divorces of high school sweethearts that take place during & immediately after A-school. If it is really true love with Mister Right, then the wedding can wait a few more months.

[Corpsman_Kat09]

Yes i know the A+ is a Mo program and not a Navy. the 2.5GPA goes for our high school classes too.

My ship date is July 29, 2009. There is not much time to take college classes now. I was thinking about gettin out of my contract and going to college. Then signing a new contract. The only thing i was worried with was not being able to get my Corpsman job again. Im taking a HS anatomy class now but its not much of anything really. I got a class last year to become a CNA so i got that.

My boyfriend has talked about getting married but its not something i wanna do right now or i the near future. I dont think either of us are ready for something like that. And i agree, if its really ment to be then we can get married later.

[8404]

if its really ment to be then we can get married later.

Great attitude and how very true.

[Corpsman_Kat09]

Well its very much true. He leaves for boot 6 days after me.

[HMC-FMF-PJ]

Sounds like one of those adult decisions that may determine which way your life unfolds...

Personally I feel you should have pondered all this and made your decision prior to signing a legally binding contract....

Look before you leep. Think before you act. Blah, blah, blah, advice, lecture, advice,...

You need to take a serious look at your future and make some adult decisions on the path you wish to take. You have already committed to take one path but you are still early enough in the process that you might be able to back out without penalty. However, that does not mean there will not be any consequences, one of which does include that you might not be able to get a female HM slot later on. A lot could happen in two years and you might find yourself on a path that may never include military service.

Four or five years ago you said to yourself, "I'm going to graduate from high school"
Well, what are you saying to yourself now about where you want to be in 4 to 5 years?

Two years of tuition free college is a great opportunity and a good start to a university degree, but do you know enough about the program to make an informed decison? Do you have all the money to buy books, pay rent, and complete the program? Do you have the motivation to go to school, go to tutoring, complete the program (while your friends are out partying)? Is the A+ program a "now-or-never" deal or does eligibility last until age 24? Do you loose eligibility for the A+ program if you become eligible for the GI Bill? What college opportunities does the GI Bill give you? The new GI Bill will pay tuition, books, and rent. Does A+ do that?

The military has some great opportunities but the life is not for everyone. College has some great opportunities but most students flake out or get side tracked and never earn a degree. Heck the HS drop out rate is about 50% and college is worse. Make up your mind and decide what is a higher priority for you and which one will get you the closest to your goal/dream. Some people join the military just to earn the educational benefits to pay for college. Some join to jump start their career. Others join as a way to get out of town and travel the world. Why are you joining?