Didn't really make sense to me either. Pretty sure it's already submitted for processing now though. Either way, I don't want to take the thread over. If that's not normal then great, and OP can retake classes to up his GPA (if he has the time and money). He shouldn't have to though from what I've heard with plenty of people getting in below a 3.0.
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Concerned About GPA Hinderance
Didn't really make sense to me either. Pretty sure it's already submitted for processing now though. Either way, I don't want to take the thread over. If that's not normal then great, and OP can retake classes to up his GPA (if he has the time and money). He shouldn't have to though from what I've heard with plenty of people getting in below a 3.0.
My brothers and used to do that yyyyyyyupyupyupyup uhhh hhhhuuhh schtick a lot when we were kids.
There's probably a connection between Sesame Street and big pharma. All those flashy, funny, two-minute "lessons" probably contributed to a few generations' short attention spans.
There's probably a connection between Sesame Street and big pharma. All those flashy, funny, two-minute "lessons" probably contributed to a few generations' short attention spans.
In my case that would be “A”OCS and every person there had their eyes on wings. I got in with a 2.5 GPA cobbled together from an old military program called “University Without Walls” meaning that while my bachelors diploma has a single school name on it, my transcript has six different schools!
FormerRecruitingGuru
Making Recruiting Great Again
Look at previous pilot/NFO boards to see those with sub 3 GPAs get picked up.
babyhands17
Member
I'm still in the process of applying for OCS, so take what I say with a grain of salt. I might be biased because I have an engineering school myself, but I say stick with your engineering degree. In the off chance that the Navy doesn't work out for you, you will want a good degree. There are a lot of job prospects out there for someone with an ME degree.
The Navy will consider what you got your degree in. STEM is desirable, especially engineering. I'd assume a 3.0 in engineering will mean a lot more than a 3.7 in an easier soft science. Keep in mind, the transition from community college to university is generally difficult. It's not surprising that your first semester did not go as well as you had hoped. You need to give yourself time to adjust and take advantage of any opportunities for help that you wouldn't have normally gotten from community college. You had a good GPA starting out, so one bad semester will not tank your chances for OCS.
One thing to keep in mind is that the Navy has its own method of calculating your GPA. While I was going through my application process, all classes I've taken were factored in. I switched my engineering discipline in college, so some of the classes I took did not go towards my degree. I also had one class I retook, and a few that I withdrew. All these were factored into my Naval calculated GPA, which came in just a little bit under my graduating GPA. Although this method of calculation hurt me, it can actually boost your GPA in other cases. So lesson is, even if you switch your major, all classes you've already taken may still end up being factored into the GPA you will apply with. I second taking some easy electives to help fluff up your GPA.
Another thing to consider is your age. There is an age limit for OCS. For aviation, I believe you have to be done with OCS before your 27th birthday (hopefully someone can confirm this). If switching your major extends your graduation deadline, this could become an issue for you.
If you're truly unhappy with pursuing an ME degree, by all means, make the change. But don't let the fear of one bad semester have you making a major change that could end up being a mistake. Especially if you like ME otherwise.
The Navy will consider what you got your degree in. STEM is desirable, especially engineering. I'd assume a 3.0 in engineering will mean a lot more than a 3.7 in an easier soft science. Keep in mind, the transition from community college to university is generally difficult. It's not surprising that your first semester did not go as well as you had hoped. You need to give yourself time to adjust and take advantage of any opportunities for help that you wouldn't have normally gotten from community college. You had a good GPA starting out, so one bad semester will not tank your chances for OCS.
One thing to keep in mind is that the Navy has its own method of calculating your GPA. While I was going through my application process, all classes I've taken were factored in. I switched my engineering discipline in college, so some of the classes I took did not go towards my degree. I also had one class I retook, and a few that I withdrew. All these were factored into my Naval calculated GPA, which came in just a little bit under my graduating GPA. Although this method of calculation hurt me, it can actually boost your GPA in other cases. So lesson is, even if you switch your major, all classes you've already taken may still end up being factored into the GPA you will apply with. I second taking some easy electives to help fluff up your GPA.
Another thing to consider is your age. There is an age limit for OCS. For aviation, I believe you have to be done with OCS before your 27th birthday (hopefully someone can confirm this). If switching your major extends your graduation deadline, this could become an issue for you.
If you're truly unhappy with pursuing an ME degree, by all means, make the change. But don't let the fear of one bad semester have you making a major change that could end up being a mistake. Especially if you like ME otherwise.
2.6 Aerospace Engineering, coming up on 10 years (@wink was my initial recruiter and I bet he feels old right now 
). Don't quit the engineering degree, you'll regret it. Flight school is just as hard as your engineering degree (in a different way) and the grit and determination you acquire while finishing that degree will help you in flight school. What kicked my ass in flight school was the volume of rote memorization required, something which I never really had to do in my undergrad. When professors let you bring a flashcard with all of the equations to the test, there's little reason for rote memorization. That was the only reason I ever used flashcards, I did not use them in the traditional sense. That will likely be your biggest academic-related struggle in flight school (and for the rest of your flying career, tbh). You will have an edge on non-STEM guys because you'll inherently understand physics and systems but it will also cause you some grief now and then because you'll want to understand exactly why/how something works rather than accepting it at face value. For example, I just spent the better part of the yesterday in the weeds learning about the stupid little blue lever in piston aircraft. Most people will say fuck it and press the "I believe button." You'll have to do that sometimes, but the further you get in your career the easier it is to manage that decision (do I spend time learning how this shit actually works or do I drink a beer?).
I recommend beer 7 out of 10 times.
). Don't quit the engineering degree, you'll regret it. Flight school is just as hard as your engineering degree (in a different way) and the grit and determination you acquire while finishing that degree will help you in flight school. What kicked my ass in flight school was the volume of rote memorization required, something which I never really had to do in my undergrad. When professors let you bring a flashcard with all of the equations to the test, there's little reason for rote memorization. That was the only reason I ever used flashcards, I did not use them in the traditional sense. That will likely be your biggest academic-related struggle in flight school (and for the rest of your flying career, tbh). You will have an edge on non-STEM guys because you'll inherently understand physics and systems but it will also cause you some grief now and then because you'll want to understand exactly why/how something works rather than accepting it at face value. For example, I just spent the better part of the yesterday in the weeds learning about the stupid little blue lever in piston aircraft. Most people will say fuck it and press the "I believe button." You'll have to do that sometimes, but the further you get in your career the easier it is to manage that decision (do I spend time learning how this shit actually works or do I drink a beer?).I recommend beer 7 out of 10 times.
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I knew a guy while in NROTC who put SWO, Nuke, NFO in that order (no mention of or desire for SNA), had a 2.23 GPA in underwater basket weaving (super non STEM), had NOT taken the ASTB nor had he received a flight physical. Guess what he got? SNA. Turned out the physical didn't totally pan out for him and due to vision, he ended up commissioning as an SNFO. 12 years later, he is still out there flying around in grey airplanes as a department head. I know it isn't OCS specific, but there is hope.