Contrary to the views of many peers, parents or others, the military is a great option for recent high school graduates, and it doesn’t necessarily take the place of a college education.
Everyone knows college comes with a lot of stress and expensive bills. You’ll spend four years struggling through college and you will not even be sure what you are doing with your life or why you got this degree.
On top of that, no degree 100% guarantees you a job, “More than 40 percent of college graduates take positions out of school that don’t require a degree, the study found. And more than 1 in 5 college grads still aren’t working a degree-demanding job a decade after leaving school,” commented CNBC on the importance of good jobs.
But my parents told me I had to go, my school pushed college at me, and my friends asked when I was going on my next college visit.
What if you could be stress-free when you’re twenty-four or twenty-five, and all your friends are held down by bills?
You can be. Joining the military has huge benefits, everything from the low cost of living to free college. Yes, they will even pay for your college. Kiplinger said about the GI bill, “The Post-9/11 GI Bill covers the full cost of in-state tuition and fees at public colleges for up to 36 months (four academic years), or up to $23,671 per year for private colleges and foreign schools. You’ll also get a housing stipend and money for books and tutoring.”
If you still believe college is the way to a comfortable life, you can go to state schools or to the academy of your choice, depending on the branch you’ve chosen. The branch you’ve chosen will also pay for your four-year degree, at no cost to you.
The Navy academy is currently one of the top 10 schools in the nation when it comes to STEM. It is highly competitive, and it will put your resume on the top of any pile of job applications.
On top of free college, or the free cost of living with on base pay, everything you do in boot camp, from class work to drills, counts as college credit in almost all colleges.
If you have any other questions, talk to a recruiter. Periodically the school will bring in recruiters, but if you don’t like talking you can visit any of the branches websites.
