August 26, 2010
Civilian Life Easier After A Military Education
Every soldier knows that one day, sooner or later, they will have to leave active duty and return to being a civilian. As military life, interestingly enough, involves a lot of time doing absolutely nothing, the smart soldier has come up with a solution for insuring their future for when it’s time to put the civvies back on. They take online college degree programs that allow them to make the most of their free time.
True, service members are sent to Paris Island or Annapolis to get their fair share of training before they enter active duty. Still, learning how to shoot a gun, pilot a jet or swab a deck aren’t necessarily skills transferable to life in the civilian world. Then again, civilians usually aren’t ambushed or watching out for IED’s. So, the armed services have no problem with their non-comms and officers taking extra courses off duty. In fact, the brass will often pay for it.
Unfortunately, many soldiers still have difficulty adjusting to civilian life. They have issues going from the extremely structured boredom to a world where there’s always someone there to tell them what to do. Consequently, many former service members find online college strikes a balance between structure and independence.
Another benefit deployed soldiers get from taking classes is they maintain a sense of connection to the outside world through their courses. They communicate with civilians in study groups and teachers. They stay involved with society, minimizing the transition and isolation they must endure when they return home.
And, as easily imagined, taking classes online helps them gain the credits they’ll need to complete a higher degree program or launch a career when they put their civvies back on. Many times, these soldiers have an advantage as when they retire they have built up a bank of easily transferable credits. In turn, they get a degree faster than those who wait until they are discharged or compared to a kid fresh out of high school. In addition, it familiarizes them with the college learning process, which will be invaluable as they usually leave the service as sophomores or juniors.
One of the basics of online degree programs is enabling students to schedule their coursework around their other responsibilities. This is ideal for the military. Because these courses of study can be completed at any time from any place with an Internet connection, soldiers who pursue these degrees will not have to worry they will neglect their responsibilities, service or otherwise.
There’s also one intangible benefit for these soldiers. That they performed their military service while taking their online courses and their assignments looks especially good to civilian recruiters. These individuals can easily prove to potential employers they are able to multi-task without sacrificing the quality of their work. Additionally, military students are more likely to apply the same work ethic in the civilian world, including a new career.
If that isn’t enough incentive, another advantage of serving is a number of education benefits available. Military college degree programs benefits come in many forms. The armed services will often pay for off-time attendance at online military colleges. They also have other programs, such as DANTES, that help earn credits for military training that can be transferred to a college and earn a degree faster. It’s the least this country can do for those who could actually end up sacrificing their lives for us. Military service and online education also combines to create a truly strong civilian force.
Filed under Minority Scholarships by Jenny