help!!!! well actually i just have a question for current or former service men and women!?

Question

I am approximately two years away from finishing my college degree, I have one semester left followed by a full year and an additional semester, putting me one semester behind graduating in four years! It will also add another 40,000 dollars to the amount someone will one day paying back to Sallie Mae!!! I have really wanted to join the air force to serve my country, learn a skill, meet new people and travel before I settle down in my civilian lifestyle and hopefully start a family! My question is how hard is it to finish your degree while in the Air Force and how long will it take? Or is it perhaps better to join after graduating(I don't want to be an officer) and serve my country travel work in something that supports the mission of the air force, and use tuition assistance and my GI bill to get my MBA while enlisted? I mostly want to know how long it takes to finish your degree, and from the outside looking in which is most beneficial?

Answer 1

Why don't you ask the expert--- your local Air Force recruiter???

The military recognizes the value of a degree, and just might have the right answer.

Answer 2

Good on you for wanting to join up. I can't answer the question fully, due to the fact that I enlisted in the Marines rather than the Air Force and I’m not very familiar with how the AF works. Keep in mind that joining the military is just like any other job. You will be working 40+ hours a week, but with no overtime pay. Personally I was waking up at about 5:00 am and get home about 5:30 pm five days a week. Field training and combat are very different though, in that you will not be able to attend classes while you are participating in them. If you do have time to do attend classes you will be doing it at night on your own time. My personal advice is to stick with school get your degree and become an officer. Military jobs are similar to civilian jobs you get paid more if you’re a college grad, i.e. an E-1, with less than two years in service, will make around 1,200 dollars a month compared to an O-1 with less than two years who makes almost 2,500 dollars a month. If you are joining for the pride of serving your country then my personal suggestion is the Marines. The history and traditions are above and beyond any other service; it will become part of your very being and stay with you until the day you report to the pearly gates. Either way, good luck to you if you decide to join.

Answer 3

This is a pretty hard question to answer without knowing more about what you're studying and where you're enrolled right now. Another variable would be your military specialty in the Air Force.

I have known people who were able to breeze through studies and get degrees in a couple of years, but your luck in getting assignments is at least part of the equation.

I would sit down with a recruiter and explore the specialties open to you. Take the tests and take a hard look at what you're qualified to do.

Tuition assistance will add some time to your service commitment.

I think what you want to do is very commendable and can probably help you, but it might not be as easy as you think and it might be quick or it might take a long time. The Air Force is education-oriented and a lot of your training will be eligible for college credit, but that might or might not help you much at the graduate level.

Answer 4

Let's answer this one at a time.

How hard is it to finish your college while in the military? Well, you're working a full time job, and taking college at night and on the weekends. The classes are usually 1 1/2 -2 hours, Monday and Wednesday, OR Tuesday and Thursday. There are also lunchtime classes and "tea time" classes. You have plenty of time to go to school and do your homework. The instructors are hired by the Dept of Defense; therefore, they will work with you even more than a "normal" college/university.

Who says you can't work on your MBA while you are serving in the military? I know several people that have obtained their MBA while on active duty, and several who are still working it. You can also use your GI bill while you are active duty to pay for your books, since tuition is free.

The length of time it will take to finish your degree depends on how hard YOU work. You will have to determine how much college you can take per semester, complete all your work, do your job, and enjoy your weekends. I was taking 2 classes per semester, and it worked for me. Of course, there are also CLEP and Dantes tests that you can take that may eliminate some classes.

My recommendation is to enlist now. If you go USAF, you will have to enlist for 4 years, during which you can finish your degree. Then you can decide to stay in, or get out, and use the college money that you earned to further your degree.

Good luck

Answer 5

As a former Enlisted man who went to college, graduated, and was commissioned as an Officer - and about to retire, I think I'm qualified to offer solid advice.

Finish school. Let me say that again...Finish school now. Unless your school will allow you to complete their degree requirements without attending classes on campus, you will unlikely complete your degree. Other universities will only accept so many transferring credits before they want you to attend their classes (and spend money). Further, as you distance yourself from the classroom you will find the desire to return to the classroom and study.

The Airforce is a great organization. Joining with a degree opens up doors that would otherwise remain closed. There is absolutely nothing wrong with learning a trade or skill however you will find the opportunities as a commissoned officer more challenging and that allow you to develop managerial and leadership skills that will place you far above your peers when you decide to join the civilian sector.

Finish school. If money is an issue - visit the school's financial aide office and request help. Better yet, visit the Airforce ROTC on campus or, if they don't have one, see if there is one in the area that will allow you to continue to attend school yet pay for your final year. You won't regret it. Good luck.

Answer 6

Join the service after you finish your education. Enjoy college life and do the things college students are supposed to be enjoying. The Air Force isn't going anywhere. I firmly believe in serving your country but since you've already started college, finish it. Besides alot can happen in the next two years. You may decide to take a different path in life. That's what college is for, to make educated decisions on which direction take.

Answer 7

finish school first!!! the air force is one of the hardest branches to move up in rank and the only one that doesnt have warrant officers.going to school in the military is extremely hard now since everyone is getting deployed more often and for longer terms. stay in school and become an officer. join the navy and @ least apply for a warrant officer grade. i spent 10 years enlisted before i got a commission. i would never want to be enlisted again. whole different world when you are an officer. you get to give orders and never get dirty and you get better assignments as well!!

Answer 8

If you owed that much money and chances are that you will owe more, I would suggest the Army. Not everybody is an infantry soldier, so I am pretty sure that you can get something that will be to your liking. Besides, you don't see many people walking around saying that they are proud AF veterans, maybe because is for wimps.

Answer 9

There numberous opportunities for you to further your education while on active duty. The AFB I just retired from had two different University branches on base. you also get credit toward promotion for continued education. They will also help you if you want to go to a local school, depending on the type of degree you are going afrer (maybe electronics engineering/aero space engineering) they will be panting to get you onboard and help you further your education