September 1, 2010
Furthering Your Education In The Military A Great Intro To Civilian Life
If you were to get a recently retired soldier to talk about their wartime experience in the Mideast, most will tell you active duty is made up of intolerable boredom spiked by a few minutes of absolute terror. There’s nothing one can do about the horror of war, but the soldiers found one particularly constructive way to handle the boredom. They take online college degree programs.
Even though soldiers get their share of training before they enter active duty, shooting a gun or piloting a jet aren’t necessarily skills that are transferable in the public job market. Then again, civilians don’t have to worry about being ambushed or keeping an eye out for landmines. That’s why the armed services have absolutely no problem with their charges taking extra courses after basic training.
At the same time, many soldiers have issues adjusting to civilian life. It’s due to going from the extremely structured boredom of the military to a world that’s a lot more random and free choice. Going to an online school helps many former service members strike a balance between structure and independence. The structure of e-learning is a good transitional form between the real world and the military one.
Another benefit deployed soldiers get from classes is they sustain a connection with the outside world through their courses. They communicate with civilians in study groups and teachers. They can even make new friends out of their fellow classmates. This minimizes the transition every soldier goes through when he or she returns states side. Many retirees state they feel a bit isolated when they return home, but those taking courses apparently feel it less than those who don’t.
Taking classes online help students gain the marketable skills they need to complete a higher degree program or launch a civilian career. It gives soldiers a head start while they serve and also helps get a degree faster than those who wait until they are discharged. In addition, it familiarizes them with the college learning process, which provides greater success in their future pursuits.
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 benefit that doesn't really have a name, but is a quality. That they performed their military service while taking online courses is highly attractive to civilian recruiters. It’s believed they are able to multi-task and will apply the same work ethic in the civilian world.
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 Hispanic Scholarships by Rose