I already been out of high school for 3 years. i'm 21. I have a 2 year old daughter, and I only have 6 hours of college credits. I really don't know what to do. If you were in my shoes, what would you do? what advise can you give me?
Idunno
Favorite Answer
I would go to college, your daughter needs you. Don't take the risk of leaving her.
TheGreatHushpuppy
Well, if you really wanted to join the Navy, you could do both, and be commissioned as a officer.
But, I believe officers are switched to a new base every 2-4 years, so your family would have to move a lot. You could also go to college, and college alone, and get a job closer to your home. That way you'd always be there for your little girl. Although, college is expensive, and you could always enlist in the Navy and start working right then. However, it is very hard, and once again, you won't always be there to look after your family if you get deployed.
It really depends on how much you want to join the Navy, and how close you want to stay to home.
I'm afraid that's all I can help with.
Johnny
The military isn't a generous financial aid institution, and it isn't concerned with helping you pay for school. Two-thirds of all recruits never get any college funding from the military. Only 15% graduated with a four-year degree.
What about going to school while you're in? Many GIs report that military life leaves them too busy and exhausted -- and doesn't really make time for them to go to class.
Joining the military is a dead end. After you've spent a few years in the military, you're 2 to 5 times more likely to be homeless than your friends who never joined. And, according to the VA, you'll probably earn less too. The skills you learn in the military will be geared to military jobs, not civilian careers; when you come out, many employers will tell you to go back to school and get some real training. As former Secretary of Defense Cheney declared, "The reason to have a military is to be prepared to fight and win wars...it's not a jobs program."
Britney
As someone who graduated college this past May, I say join the Navy.
Now, I absolutely LOVED college. It really was the best four years of my entire life so far. However, I also went into college with very little money. Taking out loans seems like the appropriate course of action because you don't have to pay them off until after you graduate, but when it hits, man it is absolutely terrible. I'm 80,000 dollars in debt after going to a public school and working two part-time jobs every semester (they say the national average is 20,000 in college debt, but these studies don't take into account the wealthy people). My monthly payments are now almost 1,000 dollars. The economy is still terrible, and I've applied to more jobs than I can count with very little luck. I did get offered one job, but it didn't pay enough for me to make my payments and afford other life necessities (I've never owned a car, and I desperately need one!) The job I am currently working in pays a little better, but offers no health benefits. I want to move out of my parents' house and start my life already, but I simply can't afford it. Fortunately I'm still on their overall health plan, but now that I'm no longer a student I don't get their dental insurance. I even have a cavity right now that I can't get filled! At 22 years old I'm living in a world of worry, and if my parents didn't let me return home to live with them the rest of the world would see what utter poverty I've suddenly found myself in.
Yes, college is fantastic, but unless you have the money for it then it is not a smart option in today's economy. If you can, join the military and have them pay for college (and you really should go to college eventually!) I would actually love to be in the Navy right now, but I recently found out that I would have to do some serious lying at MEPS in order to join, and quite frankly I'm not personally comfortable with committing a felony to get in :/
Anonymous
I'm normally all for people joining the military.
But in your case I'd say finish the college, if you can afford to. Spend this time with your baby girl, and in a few years, maybe consider joining.