<p>AF vet here, Im looking to get out next october so I would be enrolling for the spring semester of '14. I was below average in high school but now hold a 3.73 gpa at AMU. I see alot of you are succeeding and getting into great colleges, however, I am curious as to how difficult the process of going from fulltime soldier to fulltime student is. is the course work and workload too much and do the professors help you or give you any leeway? id like to attend the best university I can get into but I dont want to get in, just to fail out next semester. thanks for the insight, please post with where youre attending</p>
<p>I’m not attending a “prestegious” school, though I was accepted to a lot of the higher ranking local ones in the BA of CA. I chose to go to CC for mainly financial reasons and will be transferring soon.</p>
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It’s the same way I describe to someone going from civilian to full-time service member: different.</p>
<p>Depending on how far removed you are from when yuo last attended school, it’s mainly a social adjustment and not an academic one. As a service member I felt I was mentally tested enough that sitting through 50 min to 2 hrs lectures wasn’t a challenge. The challenge is relating to your classmates and finding your place in your educational environment - basically like discovering what type of student you are to all other students all over again. It’s particularly difficult for older or more tied down service members because they may have many more “adult” responsibilities like providing for a family or paying bills etc. You typical classmate would not be able to relate on that level, but it’s nice to find the ones that try. Academically speaking, college is not the hardest thing you’ve done or will have to do in life - from a general servicemember POV.</p>
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With so much going on, socially, you’re not going to want to be treated differently as a vet. My experience is that most vets just want to be treated equally with their peers, so personally I’ve never asked for coursework leeway from a professor let alone tell them that I had even served in the Armed Forces. In reality I’m just like any other student who has other family commitments that may get in the way of school and I feel I shouldn’t be cut any slack for being so.</p>
<p>I suppose you can try to speak with your professors especially in intro classes or for the first year or so to let them know what’s going on with you and that you may be going through a different transition than the typical feshman admit and see how they respond. I could tell that some of my professors I’ve had so far would have completely understood and would have handled my instances appropriately, but I’m also sure they would have done the same for any of their students. I think it may still be wise to use the professors as someone to confide in when you’re going through some things that your classmates, again, may not be able to relate to you as much. Most of the time, I’ve seen they understand things like that and know they are more than just a professor to give an in-class lesson.</p>
<p>The best thing about being a vet sometimes is the giant network os student vets and the student vet organizations on campus. These are the groups you should cling to early until you gain your own ground on the school transition thing. They will know everything you’re going through, and more, and they really try to help in all the resources they can provide to you. Plus, they would be invaluable when navigating your VA educational benefits, if you’re entitled to it.</p>
<p>Let us know if you’d like more specifics on the applying process as veterans (i.e. how we utilized military exp for college app essays etc).</p>
<p>thanks for the offer, I might pm you when I get closer to applying</p>
<p>Feel free to!</p>
<p>@agerfan1 - I just got out of the Navy august of this year. I’m finishing up my first semester now. I find that college is a lot less stressful, and is pretty easy.</p>
<p>If you attend class, take notes, and do your homework you will do well. In all of my classes the professors will say you need to know this for your test during the lectures. They’ll post up a study guide for exams and have review sessions.</p>
<p>The professors I’ve had so far are kind and approachable. They always are open to you dropping by their office or emailing them. If you’re worried about course load and failing out you can just take the introductory classes needed for graduation.</p>
<p>College is way easier than the Navy ever was. Remember to take your CLEPS! If you know what college you are going to attend then look up what CLEPs they grant you credit for. Take as many as you can! This can save you at the bare minimum one or two semesters of college.</p>
<p>Also, I would look at what degree you want to get in the college that you’re going to attend and see if they require a math class. I would then find a class that the college will accept and take the math class if your schedule permits, that way you don’t have to worry about math when you’re in school.</p>
<p>Hope that helps. :)</p>
<p>I am majoring in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan and I was in the Marines for 5 years.
It depends on what major you choose, but I can tell you that academically, college is far and above more difficult than the military. I don’t know what these other responses majors were, but I never had anything as difficult to understand as differential calculus while I was in. </p>
<p>That being said, you will find yourself at a general advantage when compared to the other students. This is because, all humans are capable of learning difficult material but, it is the level of your commitment and hard work that makes you successful as a student. Hopefully your time in the military has given you these skills, if so you will do just fine. </p>
<p>Also, I feel that you do yourself a disservice by not reaching out to professors and telling them youre your history, especially if you are struggling. You are not the same as an 18 year old who just left high school. There is a reason the graduation rates for veterans are much lower than that of the average student. Professors often have experience dealing with non-traditional students and they may have advice or resources to help you succeed. For example they may refer you to a tutor/tutoring service that may charge you differently because you are a veteran. </p>
<p>Also a professor that associates your name with a favorable interaction and connection will grade you differently. This has nothing to do with veteran status; all students should seek this connection out. If you dont do it because you dont want to seem special you are playing on an uneven field compared to your fellow students, who I promise you are contacting the professor and doing/saying whatever they can to set themselves apart in that professors mind. </p>
<p>If you end up doing a major like English or criminal justice, your transition will be relatively easy, especially if you have been doing classes at AMU. If you decide to do a science, math or engineering major, be prepared to work a hell of a lot harder and for most of your AMU credits to mean nothing, especially at a prestigious school. It sucks, but the pay off at the end will be greater on the second road. I will have interned at 3 companies (2 of them fortune 500 companies) because of my major and vet status before I finish school. </p>
<p>As an aside, be very careful and meticulous when checking to see if your AMU credits will transfer. They are accredited through an accreditation agency that is not accepted everywhere. A friend of mine tried to go to law school after the military with a degree from AMU and they didnt recognize his bachelors due to an accreditation issue with AMU. This is a personal experience, so it may not be valid or 100% accurate, but it is something to be aware of. It would be much more worth your time and effort to take online classes through a state school (AMU is a for profit school) that offers them, especially while youre in and the military is paying for everything.</p>