Has college helped you in your flying/officer career?

[Kycntryboy]

Ave8tor, Not to jump on your case or anything, but I am one of those people that still live at home with my parents. I have more to worry about then just passing classes. I'm not getting a free ride. THEY aren't paying for college. I am attending a private university and paying for it on my own through scholarships and student loans.

What would persuade anybody to go to a private university, especially when your going to be in the Navy? You get the same degree except the private one costs alot more. No offense met by this or anything by this post... just tell me if I am missing anything.

 

[Fly Navy]

What would persuade anybody to go to a private university, especially when your going to be in the Navy? You get the same degree except the private one costs alot more. No offense met by this or anything by this post... just tell me if I am missing anything.

Um, can we say "100% NROTC Scholarship"?

It also depends where you are from. In Massachusetts, where I went to school, if you want a top notch education, you go to a private school. I've noticed in the south, a lot of the public schools are top notch. This is not a slight to the UMass system, which is excellent. But there is a distinct difference between public schools in the north and the south. I don't know why, honestly. The gap is also closing fast.

Also, so what if you're "just going in the Navy". I wanted to have a great education.

 

[squeeze]

Is this the thread of the week where people who have never been in the service/flight school talk about what it takes to make it? Just checking.

 

[Fly Navy]

Is this the thread of the week where people who have never been in the service/flight school talk about what it takes to make it? Just checking.

Don't miss it!

 

[wink]

Lots of good comments on how college applies to the navy. Zab had one of the best. The Navy wants to see you can start something and finish it, through trial and tribulation. For those of you that have been there, you know that OCS and flight school are major training evolutions with both real and manufactured stress. Learning how to study smart and manage time is incredibly important. Most guys learn that in college. If you have a degree, picked up in reasonable time (employment taken into account, finding yourself is not), the Navy can be fairly certain you have the basic intellect, dedication, study and coping skills to get through OCS and follow on training. Don't forget, enlisted applicants with degrees are highly sought after for all the same reasons.

 

[Thisguy]

Just a thought:

You've also gotta be a little more proactive to make it through college. Most professors won't accept homework late, unless you have a valid excuse beforehand. In high school, you could usually get away with handing in something late and lose a letter grade instead of eating a zero.

Oh yeah, remember this trick? If you didn't study for a test in high school, you could stay home "sick" and study for it, and take it the next day. In college you can't pull that crap. If you miss a test, you failed it. Unless you were actually bedridden sick (in which case you're going to need documentation from the medical building), you better be dropping that class.

Also, in high school, the teacher's kick you in the butt a little more if you're doing bad, they have your parents sign your 'F' test, and what not. I'll be honest, I've gotten a big fat score in the 50s on some of my college tests, and it was up to me to do better. In high school, there'd usually be that annyoing red ink saying "please see me."

 

[bunk22]

I'm thinking you have to much time on your hands. Maybe I do as well since I'm responding even though I'm on cruise and on det. I earned a BS in Human Resource Management and though I probably use some of it as of late, being an OIC, I don't remember much if any from my college days. Though I've been in the Navy for almost 12 years so it's becoming increasingly difficult to remember a whole lot from even 6 months ago. Like others said, a college degree might just give an inidividual the required discipline to complete a task or endeavor and hopefully that carries on through to their career pursuit. Kind of like the old obstacle course we used to do in API. What does the obstacle course have to with flying? I'm assuming it was used to test a person's perserverance, their heart and perhaps their desire.

 

[VetteMuscle427]

Wink, quick question: Why would someone enlist when they have a degree? Why not apply for OCS? Just about the only thing I could think of is some specialty like SEALs.

 

[Fly Navy]

Some guys don't want the responsibility of being an officer. That's one reason I've heard at least.

 

[sonshine]

What would persuade anybody to go to a private university, especially when your going to be in the Navy? You get the same degree except the private one costs alot more. No offense met by this or anything by this post... just tell me if I am missing anything.

Scholarships for one. Looking at it financially, even though the private university was more expensive, they offered me enough academic and talent scholarships to make it right at the same amount as attending a state school. I liked the campus, people, and environment. Also, if by some horrible chance the Navy doesn't work out for me, then it'll help any future job apps. And like Fly Navy said, it's a great education. The state schools aren't that great here. I know I could of gone somewhere else, but I know this is where I'm supposed to be and I don't regret it the least bit.

 

[wink]

Vette,
You have been around here enough to know how difficult it is to get accepted to OCS. Degree or not, we don't take just anyone who walks into the office. A solid applicant with a 2.8 in english is not going to get an offer today. An engineering grad that took 6 years to finish and has a 2.3 will not get an offer. The guy that has a 3.6 in ME but has a DWI in the last year will not get the job. If those folks still want to serve then they will probably get picked up on the enlisted side, and do well. Another consideration is the applicants desire. If he wants to be an air traffic controller, then he has to be enlisted. We have no AC officers. If a guy is really into medicine but can't hack med school or nursing school yet, then Hospital Corpman is a good place to go and get some great experience and earn money for later schooling. I had a guy that wanted to work on nuke reactors, not supervise their operation. He had a 2.5 in EE. I can't make him an officer nuke anyway, so boom, he is an enlisted nuke and happy as a clam. If he wanted a commission later he could have applied for it from active enlisted status. Everyone is different. I believe I heard that nearly 20 % of our incoming enlisted had degrees.

 

[Steve Wilkins]

Just to put it out there.....Zab is the man! He's been around here for awhile, and with no compensation to speak of. Listen to what he says and heed his advice. Wink is another exceptional voice to listen to. He actually pays us so he can post here! JK...that was a joke.

I'll put this in very simple terms. If you have to question why you have to get a college degree, then you might as well enlist. It's not that those with degrees are better or not better....it's about maturity.

 

[Steve Wilkins]

Why does having that stupid liItle paper make officers superior to the enlisted?

It doesn't. If I need to explain why, then you're not ready to be commissioned.

 

[PropStop]

I'd say the most important skills I developed at college that I use in the navy are my writing skills. I write pretty well and I've had several things go up to the Skipper for which I received many compliments. I was a criminal justice major so unless they make me Legal-O (to which I’d slit my own wrists), I don't foresee using many of my major classes.

Of any class that helped me so far with flying, I'd have to say my high school physics class has been by far the most useful.

Now college extracurricular activities, those are very useful in your navy career (if you did learn to hold your liquor that is).

 

[Kycntryboy]

The one thing that I know I can grab from what I have learned since the last day I was in college (Friday), is how much I llloovvee weekends.