<p>Hello everyone, I am a senior who slacked off greatly in high school. I earned a 3.1 cumulative GPA without doing much after school such as sports or having a job. I know I could have done a lot better, I got a 710 on Math and a 560 in creative writing. Basically Im not worried about actually getting into college but I know I wouldnt get into School of Engineering and also I would receive no scholarships. My household has a middle class income but money is very tight at the moment from my parents bad choices in trying to open up a company. I don't want to give my parents extra bills so i have decided to put joining the Army near the top of my list if not the top.</p>
<p>My Plan: For some reason I really want to join the United States Army to serve my country, aid with college expenses is just a plus. I plan on doing four years of service and then going to a local community college. I already know what classes I need to transfer to continue my Bachelors in Electrical Engineering at Rutger's New Brunswick. So I plan on doing two years of community college to ensure I get accepted to the Electrical Engineering Program at New Brunswick. After community college I then plan to use my G.I bill which would cover housing and tuition. I would get to experience the college life I want! Any loopholes in my plan? Thanks for any help.</p>
<p>PS: I will try to take at least 1 "year" of classes throughout my military years. Not sure if that would be possible but worth a shot.</p>
<p>Going that route (military service -> community college -> state university) is not that unusual. It can also be an advantage for financial aid purposes, since military veterans do not need to include their parents’ financial information on college financial aid applications.</p>
<p>But you may want to consider which branch of military service is most likely to have the jobs and environment that you will prefer and do best in.</p>
<p>Speak with a Navy recruiter. When my daughter was considering the military as a means of getting through med school (took a different route, though) she found the Navy to be the most accommodating. Could the Navy get you into an assignment that would be beneficial later in applying to engineering schools, or even help pay for your education while you are still in the service? </p>
<p>I’ve worked with teens who get told one thing by the Army, and then something else is done. One kid was promised that they would train/employ him in one field, and then sent off somewhere else. There’s also the chance that you’d end up in the infantry instead of a maintenance or similar job that would appeal to your engineering interests. </p>
<p>I work with a lot of veterans, and most say that the Navy was the most enjoyable. As one guy said, “in the Army everything is forbidden unless you get permission; in the Navy, I could do anything unless it was forbidden”.</p>
<p>The military employs lots of engineers. Could be that it would be a career for you until you get your pension assurred, and then still have time for a civilian career.</p>
<p>I would feel remiss if I didn’t put in a plug for the Air Force. They need maintenance people for all the avionics used on the aircraft. And the Community College of the Air Force will give you college course equivalency for much of your training.</p>
<p>In addition to credit for coursework offered by each military branch, there are a number of colleges and universities that offer live courses on or near bases world wide, and extensive online ed programs for military personnel. Check your own home-state community colleges and public universities. Two that have been around for a long time are [UMUC</a> - Homepage](<a href=“http://www.umuc.edu/]UMUC”>http://www.umuc.edu/) and [Penn</a> State | Online Degrees, Online Courses, and Online Certificates offered by Penn State](<a href=“http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/]Penn”>http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/) Depending on where (and how long) you serve, you might be able to complete a full AA or AS during your period of enlistment.</p>
<p>You also need a back-up plan in case you aren’t able to complete your full period of enlistment. Every year some enlistees do not even make it through basic training because of previously unidentified health problems that appear during basic. No one talks about that.</p>
<p>Thanks for the tips everyone! Also some more information; I was planning to get a job as an Interior Electrician so I can become an Electrician and Electrical Engineer. The best of both worlds. Bad thing is that I have read that they assign I.E to do other work in the engineering MOS such as combat engineer which is similar to infantry. I then started to believe in going in the Intelligence MOS, I still have to do more research before I make that choice. I haven’t received my ASVAB scores back yet but I believe I will do good. I scored a 91 on the Pre-ASVAB at the recruiters office.
Also im leaning more towards the Army at the moment. I like what the Navy has to offer but I don’t think I will fair so well on a ship for several months at a time. Last time I been on one for a day I got very sea sick. Not a fun experience. I loved the idea of being a Marine but it might just be too hardcore for me. I have fractured my ankle in March 2012 and have finished physical therapy in August 2012. So I am not sure I can handle their strict requirements.
I would look into doing online classes. Not sure how they work so far in being transferable so I have to do more research on that as well.</p>