I need help

[CWillhite]

Hello Marines,
I am set to graduate high school in May this year. I want to go to college and play football but on the other hand I also want to join the Marines. I got $11,500 in scholorships for football, and my parents will pay $15,920 and I'll pay the last $3,500 for tuition.
Another thing keeping me from joining is that I'd be leaving all of my friends. I have a couple friends that joined and are leaving this summer and they've told me about the reserves and I'm also looking into that.
Any advice that you Marines have would be much appreciated.

Thanks for taking the time to read this:flag:

-Chris

[Phantom Blooper]

Go to school....4 years from now if the Marine Corps is still your dream...go for it!

You are 18....at 22-23 years old the Marine Corps will still be here.

Then again NO one can make the decision for you....you have to make it for yourself....

It looks like you are waffling.....you need to quit straddling the fence and make a decision.

You can enlist or go to school and become an officer....or after four years of school depending on your major your plans may change altogether.

You can also look into the reserves and still do the school and the Marine Corps!

Good luck!:evilgrin:

[BR34]

Lets see...I'd rather go to the Marine Corps at 22 than start college at 22. I say go to school now, join the Corps later.

[CWillhite]

Thank you both for your responses, I have a lot to think about it seems

[DaGhost]

Ok what about the Reserves that is still an option. You can have the best of both worlds. Go to College and during the summer of your 1st college year (between freshman & junior) you can go to Recruit Training, then go back to College in the Fall and the following summer you will then go to MCT & your MOS school (it's called the 92 Day Reservist-Split program) Go to college full-time and do the Marine Corps Training during the Summer. Talk to a Recruiter and get all the info on all your options before you make your decision.

[CWillhite]

My friend that showed me and helped me get signed up for this site keeps telling me to join the reserves, I don't know if he knows about that specific program but that sounds like a great idea and I'll have to ask the recruiter about that, thank you

[sully0331]

I went through boot with some guys on the 92 day program...its pretty good **** if you want the best of both hands down the way to go.

[tdrt]

I would not waste that scholarship opportunity.

[polizei]

School sucks...especially after you have experienced life in the Corps. I'm reserve, but did a semester of school before I decided to join. Now I'm back home and wish I would have just gone active, but I know if I did that I would never finish school.

The decision is yours...and I know you can do college while in the Corps, but I wouldn't want to. Opportunities are great on both sides...but you need to make a decision that's SOLID.

And one more thing, I'm going to go out on a limb and say I'm 90% sure those "friends" of yours won't remain your friends if you go into the Corps. It's happened many, many times...and I'm proof.

[Jopes Warrior]

I say go to to school now. You have a golden opportunity with that scholarship. Besides, going to college now is the best as you have fewer worries than you would if tried to go back when your older and maybe have a family.

I chose to do the reserves because I couldn't wait 4 years to become a Marine, but I also wanted to get my B.A. out of the way too. You have to think long term, and having a degree will help out out not only the Corps, but also in the Civvy world too. Just because you get a degree doesn't mean you still go enlisted too.

Good luck.

[CWillhite]

Thank you for all your responses, it seems I have a lot of thinking to do. I'll have to go talk to a recruiter to see what all of my options are. Thanks again Marines

[xbh]

I love the Marine Corps and am proud of my decision. However there is times I'm jealous of my lazy friends who went to college. I'm not saying college students in general are lazy, but my friends are. They don't realize how good they have it either.

Anyways I wouldn't turn down that scholarship, that's good money. Officer route is always an option as well.

By the way you can go to college or earn college credits while in the Marine Corps as well. MCI's count as credits, boot camp & mct is like 6 credits, your mos school will give you credits, and there's a bunch of different programs to do online courses.

[CWillhite]

Thank you Marines, I appreciate all the feedback