Graduating Early.

[MarinesFTW]

Hey fellow Poolee's, I've been thinking for a LONG time, hell I even took some senior classes last year, to graduate early. All for the reason to go to boot camp earlier and to start my life in the Corps. I got away from the idea when I had some friends who wanted to go with me. Well they all backed out, and the idea is floating back. There's a problem tho, my brother is getting married May 28 in which I want to be there. My only solution other then going to my ship date right now is to get a date where if I graduate on time, my 10 day leave will be during that week. Being in the wedding with blues, hell yeah? Only problem is, if I were to get hurt, I would miss it. He's my only brother and hopefully it will be his only wedding. I dont have a problem going early, I even gave my recruiter a heads up. I got until school to starts, because I would need to change one class out. I would just like some fellow imput and some other people's idea's. I know its my life and my choice, but having other peoples thoughts do seem to help out with decisions. Thanks brothers and sisters!

Motivated-
Poolee Vogt

[sbombard15]

I think you should change that class out anyway and that would give you a little more time to decide. As for the decision I think you should keep your original ship date and graduate with your class. You have your ship date and mos locked on so no need to make things complicated cause then things get screwed up. Plus have you thought about if your earlier ship date came then it got pushed back two weeks?

[Hartford]

The possibility of getting the exact ship date so your boot leave is during your brother's wedding is extremely small. The way things are now with people getting pushed back, moved forward, waiting long times to go to boot camp, etc. I really don't think your odds are very good. If I were in your position I'd graduate early and get a simple job to keep you busy until your original ship date. PT, relax, be with the fam, go to the wedding and be good and ready to go to bootcamp in June. Plus you'll have some $$$ from the job.

[MarinesFTW]

I think you should change that class out anyway and that would give you a little more time to decide. As for the decision I think you should keep your original ship date and graduate with your class. You have your ship date and mos locked on so no need to make things complicated cause then things get screwed up. Plus have you thought about if your earlier ship date came then it got pushed back two weeks?

Im thinking of changing my MOS to 03XX.. which was my whole reason for joining the Corps. I thought about that to, if I was told to wait, well I guess I could just wait until later. If they pushed me once, I might as well get pushed all the way back. I know thats being a pain in the ass and that is one of the problems.

[sbombard15]

Im thinking of changing my MOS to 03XX.. which was my whole reason for joining the Corps. I thought about that to, if I was told to wait, well I guess I could just wait until later. If they pushed me once, I might as well get pushed all the way back. I know thats being a pain in the ass and that is one of the problems.

Well if you joined the Marine Corps because of 03xx I think you would never be truly happy without it. What I personally would do is get 03xx locked on FOR SURE from the new fiscal year then change my ship date. I personally dont see the point in a graduation ceremony and all the tears shed at it. I would get out as soon as possible but everybody's different.

[MarinesFTW]

The possibility of getting the exact ship date so your boot leave is during your brother's wedding is extremely small. The way things are now with people getting pushed back, moved forward, waiting long times to go to boot camp, etc. I really don't think your odds are very good. If I were in your position I'd graduate early and get a simple job to keep you busy until your original ship date. PT, relax, be with the fam, go to the wedding and be good and ready to go to bootcamp in June. Plus you'll have some $$$ from the job.

If I am not going to go to boot camp earlie, ill stay in school and enjoy my full senior slacker year. 6 of my 7 hours are shop classes.

[MarinesFTW]

Well if you joined the Marine Corps because of 03xx I think you would never be truly happy without it. What I personally would do is get 03xx locked on FOR SURE from the new fiscal year then change my ship date. I personally dont see the point in a graduation ceremony and all the tears shed at it. I would get out as soon as possible but everybody's different.

I know graduating is a HUGE thing in someone's life, but graduation from MCRDSD is bigger then anything else.:marine:

[sbombard15]

I know graduating is a HUGE thing in someone's life, but graduation from MCRDSD is bigger then anything else.:marine:

Thats my thought exactly. Thats why I am telling my family to spend money on a plane ticket to my boot camp graduation and not my high school graduation. I think graduating college should be the big deal because then you are done ALL your schooling.

[Hartford]

Yeah high school graduation is a joke really, especially in comparison to Marine Corps bootcamp graduation. Anyone and everyone can graduate high school, it takes a little bit of effort and you can breeze through if you want...can't really say that about the Marine Corps...quite the opposite really. Only a few, determined, dedicated and proud men and women can earn that title of United States Marine.

[MarinesFTW]

Yeah, but it's still a huge step in your life if you think about it. There's so many pro's and con's. If there was no wedding, I wouldn't have a problem.

[chadhertz]

Funny you ask this because a buddy of mine and I are actually graduating early and timing our boot leave like your wedding accept for high school graduation. We're trying to walk at graduation in our Dress Blues.:marine: Anyways, if I were you I would just graduate early.

[chadhertz]

If I am not going to go to boot camp earlie, ill stay in school and enjoy my full senior slacker year. 6 of my 7 hours are shop classes.

Damn I don't know how they do it at your school but at my school if your a senior your only required to take four classes, most of the seniors who didn't **** up get out after third or fourth period i.e. at like eleven A.M. or earlier. Do they make your take all those classes even in senior year? I took summer school so I get out after third period and I'm graduating early.

[MarinesFTW]

Well, I could do that by taking a bunch of difference classes to get out. I would just rather take a structures class where we build a house, and then advance conditioning, good times.....

[JWG]

You asked my opinion, so I'll keep it short and to the point. What *I* would do is enjoy my last year as a civilian. Now that I know this is my last year, and who knows what could happen after this.. I'd be making sure all old bridges aren't burned and have a hell of a time and leave a lasting impression. The Corps won't go anywhere. You've got your ship date, your brothers wedding, and a last year to kick up your feet and enjoy life. Your service will come soon enough. Just my .02 cents, bro.

Ultimately, just follow what your heart is telling you. What will make YOU happy. Soon it will be the Corps who tells you what to do. Hehe.

[MarinesFTW]

You asked my opinion, so I'll keep it short and to the point. What *I* would do is enjoy my last year as a civilian. Now that I know this is my last year, and who knows what could happen after this.. I'd be making sure all old bridges aren't burned and have a hell of a time and leave a lasting impression. The Corps won't go anywhere. You've got your ship date, your brothers wedding, and a last year to kick up your feet and enjoy life. Your service will come soon enough. Just my .02 cents, bro.

Ultimately, just follow what your heart is telling you. What will make YOU happy. Soon it will be the Corps who tells you what to do. Hehe.

This is what alot of my friends are saying to.

[JWG]

Yes, but how do YOU feel?

[MarinesFTW]

I really dont know at this point. The girlfriend doesn't help to much when she freaks out about such small things. I told her to get over it, the Corps is forever, girls come and go. I really want to go early and start my life, but if something happened and I missed my brothers wedding, that would kill me inside. That would make it all not worth it, which is the kicker to the whole shabam...

[JWG]

Then lose the girl, or have some fun until you leave.. goto your brother's wedding, finish high school with your class, and then start your service to Country and Corps. Enjoy the family events (especially one so major to you) while you can. Once you begin active duty, the Corps comes before self. This includes many big family events, aside from certain tragedies, unless you're deployed. Then who knows. Like I said, I'd enjoy life as a civilian one last year. Live it up and make some good memories.

Again, my.. now .50 cents. Hehe.

[MarinesFTW]

Haha, yeah. Your so right, I know I should enjoy myself while I can. I still gotta get that job changed tho. My recruiter is going to be ticked!

[PooleeHunt]

I agree with what has been said, at least from my own family values. Girlfriends come and go, but family and the Corps are forever a part of your life once they're involved. I know I would still be hitting myself and feel terrible if I didn't skip my classes, pay 700 dollars and lower my grade to be there for my brother when he graduated from PI. If its anything for you like it is for me, being there for the important moments (especially your brothers, cause they'll probaably be around for you for most of your life), is priceless and totally worth almost any sacrifice. Patience is a small price to pay.

I just thought I'd give my perspective.

[MarinesFTW]

I agree with what has been said, at least from my own family values. Girlfriends come and go, but family and the Corps are forever a part of your life once they're involved. I know I would still be hitting myself and feel terrible if I didn't skip my classes, pay 700 dollars and lower my grade to be there for my brother when he graduated from PI. If its anything for you like it is for me, being there for the important moments (especially your brothers, cause they'll probaably be around for you for most of your life), is priceless and totally worth almost any sacrifice. Patience is a small price to pay.

I just thought I'd give my perspective.


Yeah, I've decided to finish out my year. I've had alot of friends get angry when I bring it up. Even some are trying to talk me out of 03XX because they dont want to have to go to a funeral of a friend at a young age. Thats the best thing about this site, people understand you. People who dont want to join dont know the feeling for wanting to do things. What I always say is, why do people become priest? It's a calling and holy hell, 03XX is calling. My cousin who was in the Air Force for 6 years then National Guard for 4 keeps trying to talk me out of it. He is all about getting a security clearence and then getting my college done. I know where he is coming from because doing all that can help you so much more then being a grunt if you get out after 4, but then again, I want to be a lifer.

[JWG]

Do what makes you happy, whenever you have the CHOICE. Life is too damn short, and as far as I know.. we only get one spin around on the wheel of life. Good to go.

[MarinesFTW]

Yeah, I know its going to be a longer wait, but being there for the wedding is important to me and I dont want to risk missing it.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

It's your call. As far as the wedding goes, use the same philosophy as you did with your girlfriend. Not trying to be an azz, but look at the percentage of marriages that fail before the five year mark.....

Don't bet the farm on one little ceremony if it means losing something you really, really, want.

And don't let 'friends' try to talk you out of things, either. You gotta do what's right for YOU, not them. YOU are the one in those combat boots. Their advice might work well for them but you are the one who has to live with your decisions.

[SabreJack]

TALK TO YOUR RECRUITER!!! Even if you graduate early, with the current conditions, it is possible that you won't be able to move your date up any at all. My wife is pregnant, and my employer is downsizing, since I am new on the floor and missed a lot of work, there is a possibility that I will be let go. I talked to my recruiter tried to get my date moved up so that i could be finished with boot camp by the time my wife started labor. But with the flux of people joining, it was absolutely impossible to move my date up any earlier than the start of the fiscal year (which would put me at about week 5 when the baby is due). Your recruiter is most likely going to tell you that he will not be able to move your date up.

If you have a specific MOS already in your contract, you are even less likely going to be able to move your date up, based on the fact that at this time, your slot for boot camp and any individual training has already been alotted. If they move your date up, they will also have to find an open bed for you at SOI or whatever MOS school you were planning to attend.

With all that being said, i would reccomend not moving your date up for 2 reasons:
1. spend time at home with your family. You are still a kid, spend the time enjoying having no responsibilities like rent, utility payments, car payments, a job...etc. You have the rest of your life to work and worry about "grown-up" things, spend this time enjoying NCAA Football '10 and getting in shape.
2. try not to tie up any open beds for MCRD/MCT/SOI or any other school or training for people who are getting fired and have financial obligations.

If my recruiter were to call me right now at 0041 and say he can have me on a plane to MCRDSD in 8 hours because someone else did not ship, I would jump all over it based on my personal/financial situation. However, it seems that for the past 3 months, no one has been getting hurt, sick, or arrested with my MOS...I am going to have to wait until my original ship date (about a week before my daughter is due to be born) if I don't request that my date is moved back.