Better to join paras in british army or carrying on with collage and uni??

Question

ive enrolled into the british army and im supposed to go in on january the 28th but im also in my final year at collage and planning on going uni in sept. now im not sure which one to do because both attract me for 1 reason or anouther. The most you can tell me about the army to persuade me the better - from paras to royal enginners?? cheers

Answer 1

Would say go to Uni while you have the chance. If you still want to enlist after you graduate,you'll be able to enter as an officer or with higher rank than a non graduate. My ex boyfriend is a para trouper and would urge you to really think about it. Sure you're aware of the risks you're taking once you sign up,but be aware that even in peace time when you are not on a tour,you pretty much have no time to yourself and no life. You'll be expected to do what you are told,when you are told without complaint. You can't make any plans with any certainty that you'll be able to keep them,and you are unable to make your own decisions.

Answer 2

Depends how old you are? The length of service you want to give always changes too. If you are 18, sign up and go now and do an open university degree whist serving and get the military to pay for it with the open learning credits that you are entitled to.
Thats would be my advice, because serving in the military is definetly a great career move and life changing expierience that should not be missed. I went to uni first and then joined at 23 and I wished I had signed up earlier. If you go to uni first you will definetly lose your enthusiasm for it and end up working in a dead end office job. The services is a great job especially if you are single.
As for your choice of service. If you are dead set on joining the Army stay away from the regular Infantry units and support units.
The engineers aren't so bad but are full of wanna be Marines and Paras. If I were you I would concentrate on either the Royal Marines are Paras. The Paras are part of 16 Air Assault who are full of people who think they are Paras and are not. My choice would be Royal Marines. Check their website out.

Answer 3

Go to Uni and then on to Sandhurst, should you still want to join the Army but wait until you are absolutely sure. A previous respondent was absolutely right in what she said about her Boyfriend's service. My husband is a Senior Officer and has served for over 25 years. These last five years have been incredibly scary. We no longer get the ...let's face it 'jammy' postings we used to: Hong Kong, Canada.... The World is an increasingly dangerous place and you would find yourself deployed to the Middle East before your feet touched the ground. You would also find yourself amost constantly separated from your wife & family, with no ability to plan. A Para friend of ours was killed in his second Tour of Iraq, that's the reality now. It's not glamorous or thrilling.

Answer 4

Dude go to uni first and if you still think the military is your thing when you're done, then try it out. Can you do reserve training while at uni? Maybe it'll give you an indication of what you're in for and if it's for you.

I was an engineer, enjoyed my time, but should have done my uni first, coz now I am doing uni and sometimes feel a bit behind.

Maybe you can get the military to pay for your uni and that way you'll get to do both?

Just remember it's your decision, so don't let anyone else push you into a direction you're not confident is right for you.

All the best.

Answer 5

Go to Uni, join the Uni Officers Training Corps & see how you like it as a life. If you do enjoy the UOTC then after you graduate join Army. What course do you hope to do? Some are VERY useful to the Army esp languages in the Intelligence Corps based at Chicksands.

Answer 6

Well, if you are intent on spelling 'Collage' instead of 'College,' then I think you'd best stick with the army idea.

On second thoughts, maybe you meant 'Collage'!

Ok, aim high, go for the Paras.

[ Er, just to check, you do KNOW that 'Paras' actually means, 'Parachutist'? This means you'll be expected to go chucking your body out of the belly of an aircraft ...away up in the sky there, and trusting you life to that piece of bed-sheeting called - and it's a French word - 'Parachute' - to get you safely to the ground
...from what is supposed to be - 'a controlled fall'....! ]

I'm just going outside, and I may be some time. Save everyone waiting, you can have my go. I'll fetch the tea.
Best of luck.
Sash.

Answer 7

i can't say stay at uni because I'm in the army and already done 2 tours of Iraq and Afghan, going out again on the 15 Oct next month :-( but do you no what, when i get back i feel so proud that i have served my country once more, paras are getting hit hard by the way i won't lie, sh*t i don't have to it's all over the news but i can say this,,,


go with what your heart says, don't count on US lot giving you answers because if you join up as a para, this time next year you will be ready to get shipped out to Afghan because it's only getting worse, my mate's in para's, he has just came back of tour and he is going out again next month, 3 of his friends have been waxed since he joined up 2001, so i have to tell you, are you willing for the pain and hardship that your going to in counter in the next couple of years OR stay at uni and be a bum!!!

Answer 8

Get new friends, travel around the world, learn about taking responsibility and grow up not just physically but also as a person.
That's what you can do in the military.

Then you can always enroll in the university after you have made your tour of duty. I can guarantee that you will have a much different view about life than your future university friends, because you will have seen and done things they haven't.

Answer 9

Ex 9 Para - Royal Engineers. I think all past and serving ranks of all Units who make up and comprise the UK's Airborne Brigade would say ''Finish school, college, university or whatever it is first'' - then join up! You'll have to be extremely fit, dedicated and resourceful. Moreover you need to have something to offer both the Airborne and its Engineer Corps. Those guys, officers, nco's and ranker's are no slouchers! They are first and foremost Sappers! They all have their own disciplines and enough knowledge of their mates discipline to get by when its necessary. More important and universally respected by all - in the Para's - every one pitches in! No such crap like the divisions in line regiments. I even seen the Colonel get up and make the tea, i.e. everyone so damned busy and he wanting a cuppa so he made it himself - and handed it round to all the guys men with him. Good-Luck, I hope you'll measure up to what's expected of ''U''

Answer 10

join the paras after uni as an officer but if i was you id join the royal marines you need to be a bit of a head case to jump out a perfectly good plain