Im 19 years old and im deciding if i should go to the military or go to college, what is best for me?

cyndaylou

only you can decide what is best for you. If I'm correct the military would help you pay for college if you joined. But going back to school if you haven't been for awhile is kind of hard.

JAY

Go to college

mr_white_the_secure_american

College...definitely.

How will you go to college later if bush gets you killed in iraq?

r1114@sbcglobal.net

college yes

CORiverRat

Given what the current administration is doing to the military and those who survive I would definitely go to college. Unless touring Iraq for the rest of your life is something you want to do, or being wounded and sent to a moldy hospital, or having your VA benefits cut... Go to school, and if you want a career in the military when you get out at least you can go in as an officer and still get them to pay some if not post of your student loans.

Android 18

Go to college. If you can't go to a 4 year college then go to a community college and get an AA or AS; it is easier to get into a 4 year college if you have gone to a community college.

â™¥ Mae â™¥

COLLEGE... The Army Is The Last Place You Wanna Be WIll All Thats Going On Besides That Your Education Is The Most Important Thing

Bria S

Military or College? Put it this way Dying or Building your Future. I reccomend college. College may be the reason you won't be in a graveyard in the next 20 years but instead you may be a doctor, lawter, whatever your ambition may be. There's too many young people in the military dying leaving their families with the grief. You have a chance to have a great future embrace this chance and keep it for your own use.

Henry VIII

The GI bill can help you get an education but right now unless you want to learn Arabic you may want to try going to college.

katie dennis

go to college and then after you finish college go and sign up for millitary because you are only 19 and you still have a life dont mess it up until you are sure this is what you want to do.

Mosype

Go to college, the military is the last choice you want to make. Too many people have lost legs and arms in the military thinking they could get there school payed for that way but it is not worth losing a body part.

Grogan

Go to School and when you get out, and still thinking about military then you can go in as a Commissioned Officer

Ivan S

college

hisemiester

My young friend, only you can answer that question.
What is good for you, is not necessarily good for anyone else.
Do what your heart feels.

New Year, New Me

Only you know what's best for you silly....

Mr. S

I would advise you to go to college for a semester, see how you like it, and then go into the military if you do not like it. Take EMT class, Arabic, management, or something else that is useful and makes you special in case you do go into the military. Despite the fact that the military does give you training, you can't always get what you want when you want. I would HIGHLY recommend EMT and Spanish or Arabic 101 your first semester. If you went into the Navy's SWCC/SEAL or either Army or Marines with those skills to build on, you would be a superstar in your own way and could really bring some good skills into the game. If you went on and got a degree in arabic or nursing (RN), you could become an officer and do even cooler things.

It's a really good feeling to have special skills and it is a confidence-builder to have a few college units under your belt. From boot camp, you will be seen as a leader and you will promote faster.

Or you can become a cop and get paid 4 times as much... You'll see more action as a cop in a major city if that's what you want- or less action if that's what you want. You have much more control over your life as a cop or firefighter, and the military will always be there in case it doesn't work out.

I see the military as a last chance to make something of yourself if you simply can't fund even a semester of college and you can't become a cop. A few people go in for the adventure, but hell if that's what you want, go teach english in China for a few years and come back with language skills or something.

Take the opportunity to TRY college, and to TRY a better paying career before you sign away your young years. Once you are part of the military machine, you won't have those options ever again.

Good luck with whatever choice you make.

wayne A

Join the Military, preferably as an Officer Cadet and be educated with all your expenses paid for (mostly) a great career and excellent prospects when you leave.

If its anything like Australia you'll be considered the top of the lot and highly sought after ! Also Uni can be a huge waste of time and money when here 80% of graduates work in small business or departments for a boss who doesn't have a degree, or supervisor !

guy_from_there

Look at it that way. You will go to the Military for God only know how long, but let's assume One year, then after that you go to the college. This means your education will be delayed one year. One year of education and experience can make a big difference. Do you really have to go to the army.

Alyssa I

First of all, you shouldn't be asking a group of strangers to decide your future for you. With that aside, realize that the men and women in our military fight for your FREEDOM and RIGHT to attend college...they lose legs, lives, and comrads for a country who doesn't support them as much as they should.

Secondly, the military can pay for your schooling when you enlist if you sign up for the GI Bill. This should be true in every branch. So, you can actually do both, but a lot of military 'jobs' or MOS's centralize and train you on a specific job so that when you are discharged you're more qualified than some people who went to classes for the jobs that are connected to your MOS.

Just because you sign up for the military DOES NOT garuntee that you will be 'shipped off and killed' in Iraq ASAP like other posters have claimed. There are several administrative jobs in the military that range depending on the branch you choose, which if you do decide on joining the military is the second most important choice you make. If you don't want to see a lot of combat, don't be a sniper. If you're afraid of water, don't be a sailor..not that difficult.

My fiance is a Marine, and he's finishing up a tour in Iraq right now, and should be home in mere weeks. The military is like a huge family, one that you inherit when you graduate basic/bootcamp. Join the military because you're PROUD of your country and not because it's something to do.

Both college and military can happen at once, so don't rule that out either.

Scott D

Well l just separated from the military and after 10 yrs in I can tell you it all depends on your career field. If you get into an easy career field and have time go to college. If you don't get into a career field that lets you take advantage of your "free" time at work, it can be very hard to get to school. It also depends on if you are married, how well you can manage your time, and above all, how you manage your schedule. You will be busy at first in the military; learning the ways that business is done and the military jargon, etc. Take a real deep look into the decision and try to talk to people that are still in and then talk to people that have gotten out. Plus, like other people have stated, be prepare to deploy alot.

afkl;djkf;akljsdf

well, I do believe it is your decision. everyone has the right to live their own lives. I'm joining the air force, right after I graduate this May. my parents don't agree with my decision, but it's my life, and that's how I want to live it; by serving my country.

a_non_ah_mus

Consider the ROTC it might give you the best of both worlds.

Hagar

Join the military, and get your education paid for by Uncle Sam. If you do join the military....GOOD LUCK!!!

msjgirl

Coming from a military wife of almost 18 yrs, with an 18year old son, who is considering the same thing, we have advised him to work for a while, and see if in a year he still thinks the same way about it. It's at least a 4 year commitment, no mater what branch of the service you go into. Consider each branch and what they have to offer first.
My son is considering the Coast Guards, it's still a branch of the service, you get the same things (IE, college, medical,) after taking the ASVAB test, you do get a choice of which area you would like to go into, you don't get that choice with the other branches. There are several things to consider, and only you can make that choice, don't make that choice on a split decision, do some good research and choose carefully. Ask all kinds of questions, some may seem stupid, but the only stupid question is the one not asked. I hope some of this helped.
I wish you the best of luck no matter what you end up doing.

M C

If you are asking the question, do neither and 1st get a job. Then start by talking with people in the military... hear the pros and cons. Also take a class @ a nearby community college and see how you deal with the reading, studying, and test taking that is all a part of learning.

College classes are expensive... but scholarships are available. Also take the time to look into careers in the military. Will the gov't pay for your college?

Matt W

Both choices are excellent, in my opinion. The military will give you life experience that is invaluable. College will open thousands of new doors for you in life. You can do both, but it is very difficult, at least on active duty. If you join a branch with the reserves, you can go to college full time, and have "drill" (Training) sessions one weekend a month. BUT, chances are high that you will be deployed to Iraq from 6 months to a year (Depends on if you're in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, or Air Force.)

NOTE: If you are joining only for college money, or something other than to serve our country, for god sake's, don't waste your time and the government's money. You will probably hate it, and waste Unlce sam's precious money.

edgar

I had to make the same decision and chose college. thinking back i may have been better going in to the millitary and then college after because im 22 and still going to college.

Howarth7785

I'm in the ARMY now, it's not bad, i got the GI bill and will start school this fall when i get out. I would recommend going to college and find out if they offer the ROTC program, try it out, its obligation free for the first 2 years, TRUST me if you decide to join become an officer, don't go enlisted..good luck!

Chrys

now why ask a bunch of strangers what is best for YOU ???
If you don't know, then maybe you ought to sit yourself down and have a good talk with you...you are past the age where you ought to know something about yourself...if you don't, then maybe you should ask your parents who you are...(you need to grow up a bit I think....)

jasonjas

I wanted to go into the Marines and actually met with a recruiter one-on-one. Then it struck me that I would probably be going into war even though I said I wanted to learn about computers, he said that it was "a possibility". Basically, it wasn't a guarantee and I chose college. I'm still there and I like it.

The military is for those who want free college and good training, but there are also the worries of going to war and dying. College is for those who don't want to go to war and want to teach themselves.

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