Well if I did NROTC I would feel like I skipped and cheated my way to becoming an officer. I want to earn it. I don't want to do NROTC and get into the Navy and automatically be above the people who worked hard to get through Boot camp and their training. It just doesn't seem fair to me. This is a personal thing. I'm not saying that every person who has done NROTC cheated their way into the Navy.
Also, there are a lot of things you can't learn from a book or in school about being in the Navy and being around fellow ship mates and how they might react to a scary situation. If I have experience as an enlistee and also as an officer I think it would help me make better decisions that are good for everyone and that help improve moral. I would know how they felt and be there for them.
Sorry if this sounds retarded it is just how I feel.
Another question about doing college while Active duty: Are you allowed to bring your own Laptop onto a Carrier or Ship?
Heed the advice of previous posters, if you want to be an Officer, look into the NROTC program. As an Officer Candidate at Old Dominion, I can assure you that it is not an undesirable or paltry way to enter the Navy. Be careful about which commissioning sources you admonish, there are some admirals out there who came from ROTC who might thump you for being a 'tard.
Being a prior enlisted officer has its advantages. Usually you have a bigger wealth of experience to draw from in your
early years as a JO and you get paid a little more money. What you don't know is that the enlisted community and the officer community are
very different. Even as a prior, you are going to have a lot of things to learn. You may be ahead of your peers when it comes to wearing a uniform, showing up at work on time, and checking your LES, but you are still going to be a Ensign with a lot of quals to earn.
I am prior enlisted, and loved my enlisted job, but if I could do it again I would have just gone to college out of high school. Education is the most important thing in your life, in and out of the military. If you enlist, you
JOB will be to devote your time to learning your rate and advancing through the ranks. College will be a secondary objective for you. I strongly encourage you to think about this when prioritizing your goals. Transitioning from an enlisted member is very competitive, and those of us who have been given the chance had to do a lot of
extra work.
Go to school, and if you feel really strongly about it, enlist
with a college degree. It's been done before.
Good luck...