JT_Grogan

I recently graduate college and have been looking for a job in my field for a few months. In order to pass the time while I search and get a head start on my student loan payments, I just accepted a job at Target. However, I also recently interviewed for a position with a company in my field and am reasonably sure I'll get the job. In the event that I do, there's no doubt that I'll be quitting the position at Target. That said, I do feel a bit bad about the prospect. The managerial staff was very receptive to me, and even though I only applied for a seasonal position, they offered me a full time job at a much higher pay rate than most of the other employees at the store. On top of that, I haven't even started working yet. My first day would be sometime this week. So does anyone have any tips, in case I do get the job I'm hoping for, that would help me quit the job at Target without coming across as unappreciative of the managerial staff's time?

I arrived 10 minutes early and waited about 15 minutes for the interviewers while I filled out some paperwork. The interview was a lot more informal than I expected, and the interviewers were very friendly. They were really easy to talk to, although I obviously know they were still evaluating me. One of the things that threw me off was that they didn't really ask about any of my specific skills. We went over all of my previous job and internship experiences one-by-one, but they didn't ask me any of the typical interview questions like listing my weaknesses or what I could bring to the company. After going over my previous experience, they went over the position in depth, which I took as a good sign (why would they bother telling me all about the job if they didn't have at least some interest in me). They both had a copy of my resume and made plenty of notes, which I also took as a good sign of their interest. Eye contact was plentiful and there weren't any lapses in conversation to speak of over the course of about 45 minutes. When they finished telling me about the position and asked me if I had any questions, I asked the standard interviewee questions. What's the company's future look like, tell me a little bit about the team I'll be working with, etc. I ended the interview with a handshake and asked what the next step in the process was, and they told me I would hear from them by the end of next week. As soon as I got home I wrote each person a thank you email.

I recently graduated college, but needed a place to stay near the school to finish out my internship. A friend is away from the summer, so he's letting me sublet his apartment. Admittedly, I should have had an inkling and done my research, considering the apartment is in a low-rent neighborhood in Newark, but I honestly would have ended up living here anyway just for the convenience.

In any case, these roaches are a serious pain. They're mostly confined to the kitchenette, and only really come out in force at night, but it's still a hassle having to sidestep an army of bugs every time I want a glass of water after 8 p.m. I've sprayed Raid on every baseboard and under every appliance in the apartment, and thankfully that's kept them at bay somewhat, but I can't seem to get rid of them. I really don't think I'll be able to either, considering this is the third apartment this friend has had in this complex, and he's had roaches in all of them.

In any case, do you think it's worth spending the time and money to hire a professional exterminator to check the place out? On one hand, it'd be nice to live without bugs. On the other, I'm only here for six more weeks, and exterminators don't come cheap.

I'm not too worried about what the renter comes back to. He's more a friend of convenience, the kind of kid who stole my dead grandpa's American flag once "because you weren't doing anything with it." I'm sure he can deal with a few bugs since he's lived her a while.

I got a parking ticket when I accidentally parked in a no parking zone on my college campus today. I'm going to pay the ticket, if only to avoid a headache, but it got me thinking. I go to a private university that has its own private security force. They aren't police, just security guards. Their cars have amber lights, they don't carry weapons, the don't have the power to make arrests, etc. Also, the ticket I received was not from the municipality, but from the school's public safety office.

I also wonder because I've had friends who got similar tickets in the past and did not pay them. They were called by the school every day and asked to pay, but were never threatened with legal action. So even though I'm going to pay to avoid any headaches, do I really need to pay the ticket according to the law?

I ordered a package a while back, which was shipped last week via UPS. Tuesday I got an update saying that the package was in a town about 20 minutes away, and was "progressing through the postal system to the final destination". The official status was "In Transit by Post Office" (the UPS description is the same as the end of the last sentence).

In any case, the shipment tracker tells me the package has been in this nearby town for upwards of four days now, without any updates. I know UPS and USPS (who provide the delivery confirmation updates) are notoriously awful at updating package statuses, but this is the first time I've legitimately had no idea where my package is or when it's going to arrive. I know I haven't received it yet, because I get an email from my school every time I get a package, so I'm not sure what to do. Is this worth calling UPS/USPS over, or should I just give it a few more days?

My 21st birthday is in about two weeks, and I'll be meeting a few friends in Manhattan for drinks before we head to Brooklyn for a concert. One thing I've wanted to do for the past few years is drink on a rooftop in the city, and this is the perfect opportunity. Price isn't really an issue, since it's only one night, but I obviously don't expect a group of casually-dressed, newly-able-to-drink kids to be allowed up to the roof of a Trump venue. Can you recommend any bars that fit the profile?

I'm working a summer job at Lowe's, and I like to go for a run during my lunch hour. Unfortunately, I've come to realize over the last week that the area around the store isn't very safe to run. It's mostly main roads, and where it isn't, the roads are very busy and winding, where drivers can't see a runner rounding a bend. On top of this, my lunch break is really the only time I have free to work out, since everyday I go right from work to writing for my summer internship all night.

However, there's a gym in the plaza right next to where I work that has all the treadmills and pullup bars I need to do the body weight workouts I'm accustomed to while not on such a busy schedule. They have a summer membership sale (now until the end of August) for $79 for college students. Is it worth the money to join the gym just to have a place to run and access to pullup bars until I can get back to my college town and run in safe, residential neighborhoods and workout at the school's gym?

Currently I'm a junior in college. I participated in my school's Army ROTC program for my first two years, where I turned down a GRFD contract because I do not want to serve in the Guard or Reserves. For most of this year I pursued the Marines PLC option, though I was ultimately not selected due to the competitive nature of the program. However, for me, joining the military has always been about being in the military itself, not simply about being an officer. Of course a commission would be nice, but I'm just as interested in enlisting after I graduate in either the Army or Marine Corps.

That said, I cannot decide whether I'd like to pursue enlistment in the Army or Marine Corps. I lean toward the Army when I weigh the option to choose which MOS I would be trained in (though not necessarily tasked with following AIT) as well as the advanced enlistment rank that accompanies a bachelor's degree. However, I always lean a bit more in the direction of the Marines when I consider the prestige and camaraderie that is an integral part of the Corps (which is ultimately what has driven me to pursue the military all along), knowing full well that there is far less flexibility when it comes to choice of MOS and are fewer opportunities for promotion.

So, which, in your opinion, is the better option? The difficulty of training, service, etc. does not have any effect on my consideration. I'd simply like to know what you think, as well as to gather any other insight you can provide.

I'm applying for the USMC PLC with the aviation option. I'm taking the ASTB in about two and a half weeks, and I'm pretty confident on everything except the naval/aviation history. I've studied all the prep material my OSO sent me and everything I could find on other OSO websites, but there's not much in the way of this particular section. Does anyone know where I can find a reliable source for this information?

I'm expecting to have a drug test in 2-3 weeks, perhaps longer but not by much. I don't smoke marijuana very often, only when friends offer it to me and I try to space it out.

Last time I smoked was about a month and a half ago. Before that it was about two months. Before that it was about eight months. I smoked tonight, which makes it the fourth time in a year. What can I expect for this drug test? I expect it to be urine based.

For some background: I'm male, 145-150 lbs, about 5'10", and I work out every (running, situps, pushups, etc.).

I'm just starting to teach myself to play the guitar, so I'm not expecting to jump right in and be a god at it. I know finger soreness is to be expected for some time, but even so I'm still finding the strings pretty difficult to press down on, especially on the first couple of frets. I'm using some cheap Mahar my little brother won at a carnival, so I'm expecting things to be a little rough. Point in case, would it help at all to file the nut down a little bit with sandpaper or is it just normal for the strings to be very difficult to press fret?

I've just finished the actual application (which took a long time because my school decided to take its sweet time with getting my transcript out, but that's neither here nor there), and now I'm just waiting on the physical and PT test and whatnot. For some background about me:

- Going into sophomore year of college with just under a 3.2 GPA as a journalism major

- Former Army ROTC cadet (forced to drop because our class was too large)

- Vice President of my college's Martial Arts Club, a member of a handful of others

- Member of a fraternity recognized by my college

- Member of my college's pep band and newspaper staff

- 1160 SAT score (math and verbal), 26 ACT score

- Currently working a summer job

- Have past internships related to my major

- Former Boy Scout

- Was a member of my high school's track and cross country teams, earning varsity letters in each

- Regularly practice the Armstrong Pullup Program (also incorporating pushups, situps/crunches and running)

- Active in community volunteerism throughout high school and college

I feel like I'm a solid candidate here, especially considering my leadership roles on my sports teams, Boy Scouts and campus activities. Still, my OSO makes a point of stressing that the selection rate is around 25%. I don't know if he's telling me to beef up my application (though it's a little late at this points anyway) or if he's just stressing it as a statistic to keep in mind. I also feel as if being a member of ROTC in the past will help, especially since some of my references are my former military science instructors.

Even so, I'd like to do as much as possible to beef up my chances. What tips can you offer, and is there anything else you have to say? Thanks in advance.

There have always been two things I've dreamed of doing: joining the military and experiencing the tropics. I'd say the first is on track, as I've finished all of the registration processes for the USMC PLC, which leaves the second.

As long as I can remember, I've been enamored with the idea of the Caribbean and the tropics. For the most part, I attribute this to having grown up listening to Jimmy Buffett combined with the fact that I live in Connecticut. Though I've been around the United States a lot, I can't say I've done a lot of traveling. I've never left the country, and the farthest south I've been is an hour or so south of Tampa. So I guess listening to a lot of that style of music kicked off my interest, and never having truly experienced their content it myself intensified it. Long story short, I've always been obsessed with the idea. I listen to Jimmy Buffett, read his books, I watch shows like Burn Notice just to see the scenery and I visit my relatives in Tampa every chance I get (though again, that's not really cutting it). It's not an unhealthy obsession, but definitely a strong sense I need to experience this all in a more-than-passing manner.

While none of these of immediate plans (I'm only 20 at the moment, not even out of college, let along in a position to move anywhere), the question is still there: is it feasible to move to southern Florida, around Key West or somewhere near there? Of course, I'm not asking the people on Y!A to help make permanent decisions in my life, but is that an area where it's possible to find an apartment where one might spend a few years? Or are those areas more touristy and very expensive? Also, assuming it is possible to find a place to live around there that accommodates both my budget and obligations as a Marine (should they still be a concern at that time), is it possible to sashay into the Caribbean culture occasionally with trips to the island areas on extended weekends or such?

Again, I know these aren't really immediate concerns, but I think it'd be nice to know whether these things for which I have a passion are realistically attainable at some point, or if it's more likely that I'll have to make due like some people do with the once-every-seven-years trip to Cozumel because I can't afford anything else.

Any information you have about the area and what it's like living there would be greatly appreciated.

I've got an upcoming physical fitness test to determine my eligibility for USMC OCS. I don't know the exact date, but I think it'll be sometime in the next month. Anyway, my weak point is pullups. I've been working for a few weeks and I've improved dramatically (could do about 2 when I started, can do between 10 and 12 now). But I've hit a wall and can't get past 10 or 11 reps at a time. I've gotten back into taking whey protein the last few days, but it's still too early to see results from that. What can you recommend to help increase my pullups?

If it helps, I'm a 19 year old male, about 145 lbs. Run every day that my schedule allows with pushups thrown in most days.

Long story short, I've got a brother who is pretty damn prone to wild mood swings; legitimately bipolar, maybe not, but it's a convenient term. In any case, it isn't unusual for him to, say, go from a happy-go-lucky mood to verbally (and sometimes physically) attacking me and my youngest brother.

For example, the other day we were all sitting down playing the Wii, and he was laughing and joking and being a generally amiable kid. When we finished, I left to change into some shorts and a tshirt, which was apparently when his dark side showed. I came back to the room and started a dry run of the Army physical fitness test, which is very important for unrelated reasons. My youngest brother, trying to be funny, went to sit on my back while I did pushups, which I told him not to do. My middle brother then decided to prattle off the reasons that I'm a douchebag, all of which were ridiculous (like not letting my brother sit on my back while I work out). My youngest brother started to tell him to calm down and to relax. In response, my middle brother started getting physical with him in a not-at-all-joking manner. This might be okay if he weren't almost 18 and a solid 200 lbs.

Point-in-case, he makes it a real pain in the *** to be home, to the point where I can't wait for August so I can go back to college in a different state. Even the therapist my parents have been sending him to can't seem to make a dent. I'm beyond trying to get along with him (I've been at it for 18 years). I'm just looking for some decent tips to avoid him and his ridiculous outbursts and make the rest of this summer break go by smoothly. Anything?

A group of friends and I have been looking for a decent rave to go to for a while. Long story short, I've been looking at something in Queens, NY at the Amazura Concert Hall called Bustin' Loose 2: Electric Boogaloo. The website for the event is here: https://www.facebook.com/events/276794475732262/

I was hoping someone could take a look at that site and tell me if the event is anything like what we're looking for, which is a decent rave for someone who's never been to one.

If so, what can we expect from the experience? Any tips or information one should know?

If not, would this be close enough to satisfy the needs of people with no experience for a night? Also, if that's not even close, where can we look for a decent experience?

Thanks for your time.

To give some background, I'm a college sophomore who was in Army ROTC until earlier this semester. However, our cadre announced that the program is currently overproducing on contracts, and so no more unsigned cadets would be able to sign contracts. I was an unsigned cadet, and so was forced to drop from ROTC.

For a while, I stayed in touch with one of the members of the cadre on a daily basis to see what options I had left for Army service, and after weighing my educational and financial situation we came to the conclusion that my best option would be to wait until after I graduate college and then pursue an OCS slot or enlistment. For a while this was my plan.

However, I was recently browsing the USMC website, and came across the Platoon Leader's Course. It looks appealing, as it will allow me to pursue a military career on the same timetable as if I had continued with Army ROTC without interfering with my education.

So my question is, has anyone commissioned in the Marines through PLC? What was your experience? Am I right in thinking that it's a viable alternative to Army ROTC, or would I be better off just waiting until I graduate to pursue a military career?

Also a general question, how dissimilar are the Army and the Marine Corps? Everything I know about the military and all of my training has been through the Army, so if I do decide to go the PLC route, what kind of culture shock can I expect?

Long story short, I have a few friends from my school's ROTC program who box a few times a week. Last week they invited me to join in, and I agreed. To my surprise it was actually pretty fun, though I didn't know what I was doing. Since then they've been helping me with my form and conceptual stuff, which is all easy enough to grasp until you have a large Polish man throwing fists at you. In a nutshell, does anyone have any tips for someone with basically zero boxing experience that would help?

Also, on a related note: It's not really an issue at the moment because I'm using my friend's gloves, but if I find it's something I'd like to stick with, where can I find a quality pair of boxing gloves and how much should I expect to pay?

I'm in Army ROTC, but have decided to drop the program and join the National Guard while I continue my studies due to a lack of contracts available within the program. At the same time, I'm applying for OCS, and to make the cut my recruiter says I will need to score at least 110 on the ASVAB.

I've taken a handful of short sample ASVAB tests online. Each time I scored perfectly (or close to it) on the general science, arithmetic, paragraph comprehension and mathematics knowledge sections (the last one surprised me, as I'm usually awful at math). Auto and shop information and mechanical information I scored about 50% on (I was able to answer simple questions like "What does AC stand for?" and "In which direction does friction act on the skier in this diagram?", but I stumbled on questions that had to do with shop specific knowledge like calculating the voltage of a circuit based on a diagram or describing the uses of a certain type of saw).

My questions are: How similar are these sample questions to the actual ASVAB questions? Realistically, how hard would it be to score 110? What can I do to brush up on my weak spots, specifically shop and mechanical information? Any other advice?

Thanks for your time and help.

I'm in Army ROTC, but have decided to drop the program and join the National Guard while I continue my studies due to a lack of contracts available within the program. At the same time, I'm applying for OCS, and to make the cut my recruiter says I will need to score at least 110 on the ASVAB.

I've taken a handful of short sample ASVAB tests online. Each time I scored perfectly (or close to it) on the general science, arithmetic, paragraph comprehension and mathematics knowledge sections (the last one surprised me, as I'm usually awful at math). Auto and shop information and mechanical information I scored about 50% on (I was able to answer simple questions like "What does AC stand for?" and "In which direction does friction act on the skier in this diagram?", but I stumbled on questions that had to do with shop specific knowledge like calculating the voltage of a circuit based on a diagram or describing the uses of a certain type of saw).

My questions are: How similar are these sample questions to the actual ASVAB questions? Realistically, how hard would it be to score 110? What can I do to brush up on my weak spots, specifically shop and mechanical information? Any other advice?

Thanks for your time and help.