Furthering My Career
Attending College While In The Military: Four Tips
Barry Myers
Enlisting in the military can be a great way to start your career and adult life. You'll learn responsibility, discipline, and what it really means to defend your country. However, unless you plan on making a career out of the military, you will need to pursue a different job when you get out. For many people, this means pursuing a college degree. You can save yourself time by beginning to take classes while you're still enlisted. Here are some tips to make that possible.
1. Take online classes.
A decade ago, taking classes online was almost unheard of, and online schools were seen as sub-par. This is no longer the case. There are plenty of reputable online schools, and you can earn a bachelor's degree in almost anything online. This is perfect for military members. You don't have to pick and choose classes that fit around your schedule. Instead, you can take any class you like, and fit your work in whenever you have time. There are even online colleges for military members.
2. Choose a major with a defined career path.
While someone who is 18 may have the time to flounder around in college for a few years and figure out what they really want to be, you are a little older and you don't have that time. It's important to choose an educational path that truly leads to a degree that can get you a job. Vague majors like philosophy or English are not generally the best. Majors like nursing, engineering, and computer programming, on the other hand, are smart choices because they definitely lead to career jobs.
3. Don't overwork yourself.
Only sign up for one or two classes your first semester, and see how it goes. You can always enroll in more classes the next semester if you find that you have the time. However, you do not want to take on too much and end up getting poor grades because you don't have time to get to everything.
4. Do a little every day.
One problem that busy military members often have when taking online classes is falling behind. You get busy one week, don't do enough, and then have to play catch-up. A good way to avoid falling behind is to promise yourself you will do a little school work every day. Even if you only do 10 minutes' worth of work some days, that's better than nothing, and it keeps you moving forward.
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I have always been one of those people who loves to get out there, engage with other people, and make the world a better place, which is why I felt really limited by my lack of professional education. I knew that I needed to do something to make my career a little better, so I started looking around for a school that offered the kind of program I was looking for. I was able to find a school that really offered a powerful program, and the counselors were really easy to work with. Check out this blog for great information on furthering your career with the right degree.