If there is one thing I want to accomplish in life, it is earning the title of Marine.

I do not want to go through the OCS program - not at first. I want to enlist first, obtain the rank of CPL or higher, then, if I meet the requirements, go into the Officer program.

I am 19 years old, a female, and very motivated. I have conviction, and am excited about my future regarding the United States Marine Corps.

As a potential Marine, I want to consider all of my options. Would it be best to attend college for a a couple semesters and then enlist, or, in any active duty/retired Marine's opinion, would enlisting almost immediately after graduation (June 7th) benefit me in the long run?

I'd love to hear anyone's take on this. I intend to go into the MOS 5811, with the intent of obtaining a secondary MOS of 5812, Military Working Dog Handler. I realize that the job is not guaranteed, but I am willing to do whatever it takes to achieve my goal.

Thank you,
Dana Griffith

Get your education. We'll still be here.

it depends. i'd listen to 29P and go get your schooling done, but it's gonna be your decision.

you should weigh the pros and cons of enlisting now or later. (or of possibly becoming an officer later)

i guess it depends on who you want to pay for your schooling. your Uncle Sam will pay for it if you join the service.

ever though about NROTC? might help you make your decision.

there are also other threads on the wannabe forum for becoming a Marine officer.

best of luck to you.

You could do the reserve thing. By the time you graduate, you'll have some good experience within the Marines. Unfortunately, outside of training, it's not like Active Duty (der). However, you are much better prepared for OCS than the civilian college graduates.

Also, should you enlist and decide that it was a mistake, it is easier to deal with it in the Reserves. Alternatively, if you really enjoy it, you may be unhappy with only a monthly commitment.

reserves could be a good alternative as well as King Voodoo stated.

you would be better prepared for whatever you decide to do and you can go to college while you do it.

weigh all your options and see what works best for you.

Honestly....Ive always thought it was rediculous when I hear kids say....I want to be enlisted first.....and get the experience....then go officer....


Trust me....Go to college....get your degree.....because once you are on Active duty it will be twice as hard for you to find the time to go to school.....

Dont go into the reserves and expect to graduate college in a sane amount of time with today's deployment schedule, or that college will be the bigger priority then whatever the Marine Corps needs you for.

Myself, I have missed about 6 semesters of college due to boot, soi, deployment, and Marine Corps courses. Im packing bags again to go for another deployment so it'll be a while till I graduate.

Please, for the love of God, go to college first!!! Why do I say this? Because I am currently experiencing first-hand what it is like to not have a college degree after leaving the Marine Corps. The Marine Corps could CARE LESS ABOUT YOUR FUTURE ONCE YOU LEAVE THE MARINE CORPS!!!!! So now I am basically a 26 year old LOSER, with no girlfriend, and am not qualified for any job that pays more than $10 per hour! What's worse, I have to live at home with mom since my job doesn't pay enough for me to live on my own. Also, while I'm at it, the so-called Montgomery GI Bill that those f*cking recruiters promise will pay for your education doesn't even come close to paying for the costs of college after leaving the Marine Corps. So yes, it is IMPERATIVE that you attend college before joining the Marine Corps!

quote:

Originally posted by WingVet:
Please, for the love of God, go to college first!!! Why do I say this? Because I am currently experiencing first-hand what it is like to not have a college degree after leaving the Marine Corps. The Marine Corps could CARE LESS ABOUT YOUR FUTURE ONCE YOU LEAVE THE MARINE CORPS!!!!! So now I am basically a 26 year old LOSER, with no girlfriend, and am not qualified for any job that pays more than $10 per hour! What's worse, I have to live at home with mom since my job doesn't pay enough for me to live on my own. Also, while I'm at it, the so-called Montgomery GI Bill that those f*cking recruiters promise will pay for your education doesn't even come close to paying for the costs of college after leaving the Marine Corps. So yes, it is IMPERATIVE that you attend college before joining the Marine Corps!

That depends on your STATE OF MIND and DETERMINATION regardless of whether you have a degree or not.

I knew a former Army Captain who OBVIOUSLY "had the degree" after he got out. To top things off, he flew helicopters in the Army. What did he do when he got out? He drove junk food trucks and installed cable! Nothing wrong with those occupations except that you would expect more out of a college educated person who was an Army Officer and Aviator.

College is not the end all to be all.

Imperative...but not a show stopper if you don't....

quote:

Originally posted by danamichelleg89:
As a potential Marine, I want to consider all of my options. Would it be best to attend college for a a couple semesters and then enlist, or, in any active duty/retired Marine's opinion, would enlisting almost immediately after graduation (June 7th) benefit me in the long run?

It all depends on what your plans are. If you have no real plans for college (i.e. what you want to major in), then enlisting AD won't hurt an iota.

Those lines about:

quote:

So now I am basically a 26 year old LOSER, with no girlfriend, and am not qualified for any job that pays more than $10 per hour! What's worse, I have to live at home with mom since my job doesn't pay enough for me to live on my own. Also, while I'm at it, the so-called Montgomery GI Bill that those f*cking recruiters promise will pay for your education doesn't even come close to paying for the costs of college after leaving the Marine Corps.

Is only true if you fail to plan before you get out.

There are lots of service members, let alone Marines who are successful thorugh school, job, or both after their enlistments. It all depends again on your determination.

Yeah, the Marine Corps can care less about you after leaving, but what did you do to prepare before you got out?

quote:

Originally posted by SgtLtUSMC:
There are lots of service members, let alone Marines who are successful thorugh school, job, or both after their enlistments. It all depends again on your determination.

Where I work there are tons of prior service military of all branches. Alot have decided to go back to school as well as work. My Field Training Instructor (prior service Army) when I first came on just got his CPP and is halway through his MBA. Like SgtLtUSMC said, it all depends on your determination. I went to college for a year because it was the "thing" to do after High School. I quickly learned that I wasnt ready for college, had the grades to prove that. I have the determination now if I wanted to go back to college, but the wife's and kid's education has become more important. My wife is a prime example of determination, when the No Child Left Behind Act came out, she found out she had to go back to school to keep her job. For someone who had a hard time in High School, she is riding a 3.8 GPA. It's all about your own determination.

yeah I started a small thread about paying for college after you get out....maybe some others have some ideas...but definitely if you wanna go to school after you get out....prepare for a few things....

1. You may get called up (IRR or SMCR)

2. You will struggle to pay for school...even with the GI Bill, even with loans...it still sucks.

3. You will probably be in remedial math/writing..I had to take a pre-algebra course when I got out...it was a breeze but I knew I needed it.

4. Get accepted into a CC before you get out.

5. Have a budget.

6. Know the GI Bill regs as well as the fin-aid office.

7. Keep your eyes on the prize....

quote:

Originally posted by WingVet:
Please, for the love of God, go to college first!!! Why do I say this? Because I am currently experiencing first-hand what it is like to not have a college degree after leaving the Marine Corps. The Marine Corps could CARE LESS ABOUT YOUR FUTURE ONCE YOU LEAVE THE MARINE CORPS!!!!! So now I am basically a 26 year old LOSER, with no girlfriend, and am not qualified for any job that pays more than $10 per hour! What's worse, I have to live at home with mom since my job doesn't pay enough for me to live on my own. Also, while I'm at it, the so-called Montgomery GI Bill that those f*cking recruiters promise will pay for your education doesn't even come close to paying for the costs of college after leaving the Marine Corps. So yes, it is IMPERATIVE that you attend college before joining the Marine Corps!

So what you are saying is that you did not prepare yourself for the civilian world, right?

why would the Marine Corps care about your future once you leave? if you work at IBM(or any other company) and you resign do they care about you after you leave?

you should have started looking for a job BEFORE you were discharged.

my first job when i got out of the Corps was loading/unloading furniture for $7 an hr. i lived at home for a few months until i got a roommate and an apartment. you're right it sucks, but you have to start somewhere.

believe me, i've been where you are. you suck it up for a little while and make due.

broaden your search. don't look for the exact same thing you did while you were in the Corps. look at the local, state and federal agencies. you're a vet. they will want you before a civilian. you're more dependable, you'll be on time, and you have proven you are a good worker. you also should apply for veteran's preference.

go to the VA. ask around for help. that's what i had to do. i even found a decent paying job at the VA.

apply for your benefits. have the doctors look you over. maybe you'll receive a disability rating as well.

as far as the GI bill, it's not supposed to be a free ride. if your recruiter promised you that, that's another story. you should have looked into it yourself as well.

when i was discharged, i was receiving $480 a month for school. the benefit is now $1100 a month for full time school. will the GI Bill pay for 4 years at a university? probably not. but will it pay for a large chunk of scholling? yes, you can bet your a** on that. it's just in how you do it.

take classes at a junior college or community college where the credits will transfer over to a state school. it's the same education at a fraction of the price. after you have anough credits, you can transfer to a big time university. as a transfer student, just about any college in the country will take you because you're a proven student.

if you go to school, get a part time job and a roommate and you can pull this off. you can also get loans to help fill in the gaps. tend bar or something like that. it's a good part time job, it's pretty easy, and it's a great way to meet girls. (to help you out with not having a girlfriend-whatever that has to do with your situation)

apply for scholarships and grants. if you keep your grades up, there's bound to be something out there for you.

i'm not trying to say this is all your fault, but you have to help yourself out too.

either way, good luck to you.

I joined when I was 19 and that was after a year of college...

If I had to do it over again I would have finished college prior to enlisting becuase it would have opened many more doors for me.

I did the school thing on Active Duty, but it was a PITA. I accomplished so much more in college AFTER I got out...

You can go enlisted and try out for the officer programs, but your selection is not guaranteed. Contrary to what many others may believe, there is nothing wrong with being an officer without enlisted experience.

I guess it all boils down to what YOU really want to do...

Good Luck