Just wondering

[gusthebus229]

I am a college senior in the BDCP (SNA), and I am looking for some thoughts and opinions (other than my friends and family) on what I should do in this situation...

I am currently enrolled in a school that uses the quarter system, and I have 33 credit hours left to take before I can graduate. I made some kind of mistake when filling out the academic completion plan in my BDCP package, and my academic advisor recently sat down and showed me that I can graduate one quarter EARLIER than what I told the Navy (I can potentially graduate November '09, instead of March '10).

But, this involves me taking summer classes, which I am disinclined to do. Zero of my core group of friends are staying, home is 5 hours away, and the town where school is is VERY quiet in the summers.

However, I am quite eager and excited to start my Navy career.

My options are:
1. Suck it up, stay the summer, finish school, try to get an earlier ship date (maybe in January '10?) and get the ball rolling
2. Enjoy my school-free, work-free, money-worry free summer at home near New Orleans (fun place to party), stay a kid for a couple extra months, and ship on my current date.

What would you do?

I know the typical 20 year old kid would pick #2, no contest, but the crazy thing is that I think I've made a decision to go with #1.

Can anyone talk me out of this? should I be talked out of it, or is it a good decision?

Any argument for or against will be appreciated

 

[Slammer2]

...Can anyone talk me out of this? should I be talked out of it...

Why?

As long as you are ok with the program you should do whatever you choose. If for some reason they say that you have to stick to your schedule (I have no clue how it works) then do what you're told. If you're free to do whatever why wouldnt you do what you want then? Not to mention, it would get you a slight lead.

Do you have any serious debt or maybe just something that you'd want to knock out a few more months of? Do you have a decent job? Would this job over the summer help you get out of debt? Does it not matter?

As long as you're allowed to choose either, do what you want. From the details you gave, I'd make the same choice. Get on with it as soon as possible. But you have to weight all the factors. Dont rush into something if you would be better off waiting. A few months in the grand scheme of things is nothing.

 

[navy09]

ROTC guy here...similar situation as you. I chose to bust my ass and commission sooner. Hasn't been a whole lot of fun, but I still find time to go out. I'm sure in a year I'll be cursing myself, but whatever- I'm ready to move on.

Getting paid, going to my ship (leaving this POS town), and deploying are all huge incentives.

I know the typical 20 year old kid would pick #2, no contest, but the crazy thing is that I think I've made a decision to go with #1.

The typical 20 year old kid couldn't hack it as an Officer Candidate or Naval Officer, there's a reason you're in this program.

 

[Lobster]

I came across the same delima at the end of last term, my advisor told me I could graduate next December if I wanted to but, I quickly realized being in Newport in January would not be fun with the weather and that I'd miss out on the best part of senior year. Also as mentioned before, I've got debt to pay off from going to a private school. It just makes sense to stay a little longer and get most of it if not all of it taken care of before OCS. Like you I'm chomping at the bit to get going with my career in the navy but at the same time I don't want to miss out on my last college months either.

 

[NTXRockr]

Yes, I agree with Kurtzie...Newport doesn't sound like much fun in the winter (and I might end up there Jan-Apr 2011) so it wouldn't hurt to get there in the spring when it's 50F and graduate in the summer when it's 80F.

Also, by hunkering down and graduating 4 months early, you realize that you'll be giving up around $10,000 of easy money that you cannot get back? It even could be $12,000 or more if you make Dean's List. I debated on loading up my semesters and graduating Summer 2010 instead of December 2010, but now by taking 7 hours the next two summers and 12 the next four regular semesters, I can focus more on my classes and get Dean's List (and increase my pay from E-3 up to E-4/5) and also find time to enjoy my last months as a civilian more.

The only thing that you'd gain is getting into the pipeline sooner, and 4 months is really not that much compared to 6 years or even 20 years if you consider going through to a full retirement. Nothing says that if you have the opportunity to finish early that you have to, or that if you don't that shows you're irresponsible or whatever. They have you slotted for a certain time, you signed an ADCP form detailing the last quarters of your classes up until you graduate; as long as you meet what your contract says, you are obeying your orders.

So enjoy the extra money and your last summer as a civie with your friends in the Big Easy, and then show up ready to rock at OCS and start your future career as a naval aviator...and consider yourself blessed to be in such a position - you're currently getting paid well before you even sit in a multimillion dollar piece of machinery that they let you fly to serve your country - very few people get to do what we do.

 

[Picaroon]

I am in a similar situation I suppose. I could probably pull off a semester earlier if I worked my ass off and changed my ADCP. And I'm also eager to get my career going.

But I'll be damned if I'm going to do it. Acting like a real "go-getter" might seem smart, but it's not.

You're accruing active duty service time right now. The longer you postpone commissioning, the closer you will be to a 2 year in service pay increase. You're also making money each month. Overall, over the course of your career you're making more total money if you don't rush to OCS.

Finally, everyone says that college rules and to enjoy it while you can. I'm inclined to listen to their wisdom.

It would be dishonest, I think, to try to put off your graduation for selfish reasons. But there's absolutely nothing wrong with sticking to the ADCP you gave the Navy when you applied. So enjoy your benefits and don't decrease them... you'll have plenty of time to be in the Navy.

My .02

 

[navy09]

Also, by hunkering down and graduating 4 months early, you realize that you'll be giving up around $10,000 of easy money that you cannot get back? It even could be $12,000 or more if you make Dean's List...and increase my pay from E-3 up to E-4/5...So enjoy the extra money...

I'll go out on a limb and guess you weren't a finance major...

His pay will double as soon as he commissions. If you're arguing this from a financial standpoint- which you are- he'd be a fool to put off a massive pay raise.

EDIT: Picaroon- read above. The 2 yr bump for an Ensign ($108/mon) is absolutely nothing compared to the lost wages from putting off commissioning for four months ($4,024). Oh yeah, and ASU sucks

 

[Picaroon]

EDIT: Picaroon- read above. The 2 yr bump for an Ensign ($108/mon) is absolutely nothing compared to the lost wages from putting off commissioning for four months ($4,024). Oh yeah, and ASU sucks

Yeah, but that money doesn't require work. And you're going to work for the Navy for the same amount of time whether you start 4 months later or not.

Let's just agree that the Cards rule and U of A wishes they knew how to party like ASU :icon_glas

 

[navy09]

Yeah, but that money doesn't require work. And you're going to work for the Navy for the same amount of time whether you start 4 months later or not.

I guess it's up to the OP to decide whether he'd rather have an extra four months "off" or the $4K now.

Let's just agree that the Cards rule and U of A wishes they knew how to party like ASU :icon_glas

Maybe and no.

 

[Slammer2]

such a nice post..
keep it up..

good going..

Go back to your own website

 

[Godspeed]

I was in a similar situation when i was in college. To be honest, i'm glad I took the semester off. You are accruing time in (which will count towards retirement and also to more pay), so what's the rush?

Here's what I did (just an example of how I made it worth it). I got a job for an airline. It wasn't a glamorous job... I was loading bags into the belly of a 737, pushing aircraft back, and sometimes working in ticketing. I made about $13 bucks an hour... No biggie right? Well it was an extra $2,000 a month which when combined with my BDCP check, netted me about $4,500+ a month.... (not bad for a college student).

Here was the beauty of it... As a worker for the airline, you (usually) have unlimited travel benefits for yourself, your parents, and one person of your choice.... And usually you have 10 buddy passes to use for friends.

So I just took my high cash flow, coupled it with free airfare anywhere (and anytime) in the world, and wham..... I had the most spectacular Summer imaginable. I just bounced around the world with my friends, first class most of the time. We would make decisions on a whim....

'Hey, you want to go to Vegas tonight?'
'Sure, when's the next flight leaving?'
'3 hours... pack your bags and i'll pick you up'

.... 6 hours later, we were in our suite at the Bellagio and hitting the blackjack tables...

Now I bounced around the U.S. mostly, but I had friends that just went rampant... They did CRAZY things... They went to a different country EVERY weekend.... One of my friends hit up Paris, Amsterdam, Portugal and Rome during one month (just shooting to a new country every weekend).

Now these are just ideas i'm tossing your way.... But all i'm trying to get at is that you are FREE right now. Even without another job, you could take up some pretty cool things...

You could get your SCUBA license and travel, diving the coolest wrecks you could find.

You could get your skydiving license.

You could learn how to fly (or take some flying lessons).

You could travel, or backpack around Europe (with a leave chit and the approval of your recruiter of course).


My only point is, that there won't be too many times in your life where you have a steady income, and 3-4 months of pure freedom on your hands. These two things, coupled together, can yield some great experiences....

End of rant.

 

[torpedo0126]

too much of the same thing always gets old. right now moving on seems like the best thing ever, then at some point you will wish your in college. either decision you make will have thinking at some point.

i would finish college, but thats because at this point in my life college was the best thing ever. if college sucks for you maybe its time to move on. i wouldn't want to take classes in the summer though

 

[egolnick]

dude just get you commission...why delay anymore than you have to?

 

[Godspeed]

dude just get you commission...why delay anymore than you have to?

Deep. Way to put some thought in to this one.

 

[egolnick]

Deep. Way to put some thought in to this one.

haha touche...never said i was a Rhodes Scholar....