August 28, 2010
Military Education Helps Many Prepare For Real Life
Talk to a recently relieved soldier about being in the military, and most will tell you that active duty is a classic bit of armed service jargon. Most of the time being a soldier involves long hours of incredible boredom. For instance, the idea of guard duty is to stand still and make sure nothing, absolutely nothing ever happens. Off duty, especially when one is on overseas assignment, can be just as bad. Yet online college degree programs are allowing many of our service personnel to creatively handle their down time.
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.
Even so, many soldiers struggle with civilian life after they leave. They find difficulty managing their lives in the civilian world. Consequently, many former service members enroll in a college degree program. It helps them find a balance between structure and independence.
Deployed soldiers maintain a sense of connection to society with their online courses. Military students who further their education while they carry out their duties may be able to stay involved in society, which could help prevent feelings of isolation when they return home.
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.
Virtual education allowing taking a course any time and anywhere a soldier can schedule it doesn’t hurt either. It makes the brass happy that soldiers who pursue these degrees will not interfere with their other responsibilities, either in the service or if stateside, with their families.
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, the armed services pay for college degree programs. There is also DANTES, which gives credits for military training. Online military colleges provide the additional education one needs to make a great start when there is a return to civilian life. In the long run, it’s a win-win game for the country.
Filed under Graduate School Scholarships by Ian