Those
interested in a military career often think of it as something to do
instead of college. There are benefits, however, in attending
college first and enlisting after graduation.
A Path to Leadership
College graduates who enlist in the military are eligible for
officer training school. There are a few ways to progress in the
service. If you join directly from high school, you start at the
bottom rung of the ladder, and promotions are required, but not
guaranteed. College graduates can attend officer training school
following basic training. Doing so allows them to
begin their service as officers. Officer training school can be
anywhere from six to 17 weeks, depending on the branch of the
service. Once completed, a college graduate can begin his service
much higher up on the career ladder than someone who had spent the
previous four years in the military.
Preparing to Join
Talk to your
family, friends, and those who have served in the military to help
make your decision. Some people find it an amazing opportunity and
spend their career in the military, while others serve their initial
enlistment period and are happy to move on. Even if you decide not
to stay after your initial enlistment, you will leave with a wide
range of life experiences that would be hard to match in the working
world. Having that time to visit new places, face challenges, and
meet people from all walks of life provides a strong foundation on
which you can build a future career.
You are paid from the time you arrive at basic training, but
the starting pay scale is low. Before you leave, make sure your
finances are in order. You don’t want to join this new chapter in
your life with pending late payments or other financial
difficulties. Check
student loan consolidation rates to transition your various
student loans into one private loan with a single payment each
month. A private student loan provider can take all of your loans
and package them into a single product, regardless of their specific
terms and interest rates.
Basic Training Doesn't Have to
Be Scary
You may be intimidated by the idea of going through basic
training after college. The majority of your cohort are likely to be
younger than you by a few years and are possibly more physically
fit. There is no way to
remove all the stress from basic training, the program is
designed to be stressful. You can, however, make it a little easier.
Make sure you are in good physical shape before you leave.
There is no real reason to hit the gym unless you want to,
but make sure your aerobic conditioning is solid by running several
times a week in the months leading up to your departure. Basic
strength moves, including sit-ups and push-ups, are a good idea as
well. Be prepared for the discipline. No matter how well you listen
and how quickly you respond, you will get things wrong, and you will
get yelled at. That is part of the drill. Understand that, and know
that even things you do perfectly well at home will be more
challenging when you are stressed and sleep-deprived.
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