Will I have time for college in Intel?
Create Post
Results 1 to 7 of 7
  1. #1

    Will I have time for college in Intel?

    Hello Marines,

    I am currently a poolee in the Delayed entry program. My ship date is 20110919 and the MOS I've chosen to pursue is Intel. I've never put much thought into continuing my education while in the Marine Corps until I had a conversation with my old JROTC Instructor. He told me it would be a good idea to continue my education just in case i want to be employed in the civilian world. Even though i want to make a career out of the the Corps, I couldn't help but think "what if...". So my questions are: Will i have time for college in the Intel field? If so what would be the best way to go about it (Night class or online courses)? When would be the best time to start during mos school or during my actual job in intel? How will it affect my time(free and working)? What are some programs in the Corps that helps to further education?

    Also what are the jobs in intel like (since i don't know my job specifics) info on any 02xx would do? also what's mos school like? Whats the working environment like (at duty stations and deployed)? and Where are the places i'll most likely be station?

    So If you have any info on the mos, college during enlistment, mos school, or personal experiences please let me know... Your answers are deeply appreciated

    Sorry for all the rambling questions... I'm just trying to get a feel for life in the Marines, although i know i have to actually focus on BECOMING a Marine, first.


  2. #2
    Continuing to pursue higher education is highly recommended in the Marine Corps and the amount of credits you earn will be factored into your evaluations while in the Marines. The largest opportunity comes from distance education provided by multiple different colleges that will usually have representatives at the base education center. Night classes would be based on what's available around where you are.

    As for when, typically you are not authorized tuition assistance while attending MOS school, but once you arrive at your first duty station there should be no problem getting command authorization to attend.

    Time. Won't really be doing much of your off-duty education during working time and if you are then you are not properly employing yourself. Some allow this, but there is always something that could be done job wise to make the mission, workplace, or your job knowledge better. It is called off-duty education for a reason. Deployments would be a whole different issue regarding this.

    Programs in the Corps. You can gain some college credits from certain training you do in the Marines; MOS school, correspondence courses, etc. Beyond that, there are other opportunities but not until you earn some rank.

    As for the jobs, it is difficult to say what it will be like just because things can vary greatly depending on various factors. Another thing you need to be aware of is that the "Intel" option encompasses both 0200 and 2600.

    Hope this helps.


  3. #3
    Thanks Haebyungdae also about the 0200/2600 option how do they determine which mos you get? I preferably want to be an Intelligence Specialist, but wouldn't complain if I got something else. So what are the odds that I'll actually get Mos 0231?


  4. #4
    Who gets what, no idea. Probably randomly selected or computer generated selection based off of various data.

    As for getting your desired MOS, statistically I think it is in your favor to get it (as in slightly more likely to get it over one of the others), but you never know. I would read up on the other 0200/2600 MOS's (0261, 2621, 2631, 2651, and 267X) to see what else is out there and what the differences are. About dot com is a decent source as is Wiki.


  5. #5
    There is a sticky (last one listed) in the "ask a Marine" forum about 0231. You should read that.


  6. #6
    Here are a couple of thoughts about off-duty education while on active duty...

    haebyungdae provided some good scoop. My advice, layered on top of his, would be to get at least six months of fleet time under your belt at your first duty station before attempting off-duty eduction. MOS school will prepare you to enter the fleet and discover how much more you have to learn to actually be proficient in your MOS. Doesn't matter what your MOS is (I know you are contracted for Intel, but this applies to everyone) -- ensure that you know your job cold before you look at taking college classes. Chances are your SNCOIC or OIC would have a long talk with you if you went to submit a tuition assistance form in your first couple of months in the unit.

    Personally, I did night courses (that was a long time ago) and I did online courses (not so long ago) and for me personally, I found the online courses to be the way to go.

    Whether or not you'll have time to go to class (whether online or at night) is really up to you and how you choose to spend your free time. Lots of guys will spend their time playing video games, drinking, or something similar -- other guys won't. Figure out what's important to you and manage your time/prioritize accordingly. How much time a course will take largely depends on what kind of a student you are, how fast you read, and how well you retain information. As a general rule of thumb, figure about 8 to 10 hours a week for a college level course - that includes reading time, class time, research time, writing time, etc -- but that is still rather variable depending on a number of things.

    One consideration is to look at a college degree program that can complement what you do in your MOS. But you have time to figure that out as you get settled in at your first duty station.

    Bottom line - it is do-able.

    Hope that helps, and good luck!


  7. #7
    Thanks Marines for all of the helpful info and advice and taking the time to answer my questions


Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not Create Posts
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts