The Case for College

When I first enlisted in the Army, I thought the training I got would be the thing that put me in a better paying job. I had spent the previous four years in a factory with no air conditioning and no future. I believed that with the training the Army gave me, I would get to be the guy in the polo shirt and khaki pants who sat at a computer waiting for someone to call and say their printer won’t print. Well, I was wrong. My 4+ years of military service and training got me the same job I had before I joined. Shipping and receiving clerk. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not bashing shipping and receiving clerks. They work hard and earn every dollar they get, but I had dreams. I wanted to be a writer and an English teacher, so I needed college. I learned within the first week that the Army had prepared me for a lot of things, but the thing it prepared me for the most was being a college student. 

You know one of the first lessons we learned in basic? Not talking when an authority figure is talking? Yeah, that will put you miles ahead of everyone else. How about a little personal responsibility? Remember how the Drill Sergeant laid out what he expected from us during the 9 weeks he had us? How he only told us once and every time after that we paid for it? Same goes for college. The professors spend the first day explaining what their expectations are and that’s it. No more warnings. I’m always amazed when I see 18 year old freshmen students try to claim ignorance of an assignment when we were told weeks in advance when it would be due.

And don’t forget your G.I. Bill. We paid into that and now we get to use it. Even if you have to work full time to get by (like I do), going to school part time and bringing in that G.I. Bill money is almost like a part time job. A part time job that gives you the tools you need to get a better job in the future. Maybe you already have the job you want. I’d still go to school. Get a backup degree just in case. Look at the economy today. You just don’t know what next year will be like.

I know some of you have kids at home and can’t go to a campus. The G.I. Bill will cover online classes. You just don’t qualify for Post 9/11 G.I. Bill BAH if you take every class online.

What have you got to lose? It’s paid for!