<p>Hello. I am a Pennsylvania senior interested in aerospace engineering. I want to work for a private space/aero company after graduation (SpaceX, Lockeed Martin, Northrup Grumman, etc). I am considering VT for their program. Here is the catch:
I really want to avoid the drinking/partying scene in college. This is why I am not considering Penn State. I also have a medium interest in military service. Would the Corps of Cadets be a good way to avoid alcohol? Is there partying and substance use in the Corps? I would do either the civilian or Air Force track, and would definetely be involved in the Highty-Tighties.</p>
<p>First question - Would you recommend VT for aerospace engineering?
Second - Is the Corps of Cadets a good way to avoid the party scene for someone who doesn't want to get into that?</p>
<p>Yes - VT is a great choice for Aerospace Engineering
Yes - being part of the Corps will make it near impossible to “party” given the rigorous structure on your time they enforce.</p>
<p>Here is my real question however…Why would you consider the Corp if you are not seriously interested in miltary service? If it the civilian track (ie: no military committment after college) and for the excellant leadership skills learned then I understand the option. If it is simply to avoid “partying” then I would say no to the Corp. It is a very intense program. Afterall, it is always your choice whether to go to and/or participate in the party scene. In fact, VT has a living / learning community called “The Well in Newman Hall” dedicated to a substance free environment. Maybe that might be another options for you if the Corp is of medium interest. Just a few thoughts.</p>
<p>You can party in the corps and you can stay sober as a regular student. Joining the CoC isn’t going to actually stop anybody that wants to drink from drinking and being a civilian isn’t going to force anyone to drink and party.</p>
<p>Your freshman year it will be impossible to party or have any social life really (except for with your bud class) After your first year, I can’t really say because I haven’t been here that long. </p>
<p>But I wouldn’t recommend the CoC unless your 100% committed to the military, because regardless of whether you want to join the military, their going to train you like you do and it’s pretty tough/time consuming.</p>
<p>It is totally your own decision if you want to party/drink around here and nobody will really force you to do anything unless you yourself opt for it. If you want to join the corps just to avoid alcohol/partying, I don’t know if that’s the right move unless you want to get military experience/service.
As for me, I go to parties to socialize but dont drink at all and nobody has ever ‘forced’ me to drink either. Even if they ask I just tell them that I don’t drink and everyone respects that. So it completely depends on one’s own will…</p>
<p>"Your freshman year it will be impossible to party or have any social life really (except for with your bud class) After your first year, I can’t really say because I haven’t been here that long. "</p>
<p>I definitely partied with guys in the corps but looking back they may well have been upperclassmen. All joining the corps is going to do in regards to drinking is make the consequences more severe but if you were that good at assessing consequences and modifying your behavior accordingly then you wouldn’t need to join the corps to stop yourself from drinking, if you have a reason that you shouldn’t anyway.</p>
<p>You will find drinking and partying at every university but if you fill your time with other pursuits (sports, clubs, dating) you won’t need to fulfill your social needs by chugging beers with your buddies.</p>
<p>Lockheed Martin, Northrup Grumman, GE, RollsRoyce, NASA, Orbital Sciences have all hired VT AE or ME graduates.</p>
<p>Just saying…you don`t need to be in the Corps of Cadets to avoid the party scene. Ever heard of, “Just say no”?
While there is the civilian track in the CoC, I wouldnt recommend it, because its tough, time consuming, and not for everyone, so unless you`re committed, I suggest you reconsider.</p>
<p>WRJosh88’s assessment about the demands of the first year is very accurate, especially for freshmen engineering students. If you attend VT, you should join a strong study group. In my son’s case, his study group also became his closest friends.</p>
<p>My son is an Aero Eng major. It’s an excellent program and very challenging. </p>
<p>I would not recommend the CoC as a way to avoid the drinking/partying scene. The Corps requires a significant time commitment. I remember my son talking about a group engineering project where one of the team members was in the Corps. They had trouble scheduling meetings because of his Corps commitments. </p>
<p>I don’t know if you are planning to graduate in four (4) years. If you are, you should assess the Aero course load against the time demands of the Corps.</p>
<p>Be aware that if you find the Corps is not a good fit, and you resign when you are permitted to do so (October 5th this year), you will be billed $1033 for uniforms! I understood from their website that it would be $250.00, which seemed fair. I was told today I misunderstood. So you have to pay $1033 for wearing the uniforms for a month, even though you leave in good standing. This is a huge penalty people need to be know about in advance.</p>