Education question

[daveleau]

I am in the military and I signed up for the GI Bill. As a young officer, I want to start my masters degree early, when my duties are light and my only job is to rack up flying hours. (Later on, I will get stuck with scheduling duties or other jobs.)

QUESTION 1: My question is, should I do something useful or something I will enjoy?

I was thinking of getting an IT degree, which would be the only useful and fun degree, but I think it might be a waste, since I won't be out of the military for a long time. Everything I'd be taught would be obsolete by the time I got around to using it.

I was thinking of an MBA, but to me, that would be the utmost in boredom, but useful once I got out.

There are no real useful medical masters degrees, and one of my goals is to continue to try to get into med school, which is what I did between college and the military.

I read a lot and focus almost exclusively on non-fiction books on history and politics. I do not want to do anything with law (it'd be my luck that I'd end up chasing ambulances), but history is one subject I would greatly enjoy. It is not very useful though.

QUESTION 2: Is getting a masters kind of like getting a Bachelors in that it doesn't matter what you study as long as you improve your way of thinking?

I have a ton of choices for Masters degrees online. I really like the looks of this link: http://www.apus.edu/AMU/navigation/academic_programs/select_program.asp?isGrad=1&nav=3
There are a lot of history options. I read a lot ont he Revolution now, so a study on the American Rev would be pretty enjoyable. But, again, I run up against the problem of it not being very useful later on.

Ugh! :)

Thanks for any opinions,
Dave

[M_Six]

My bachelor degree is in chemistry/geology and I'm a Systems Administrator, so that tells you how important a bachelor degree is. (The fact that you have one is important, but not so much the field.) But when it comes to a Masters degree, you're getting into more specialization. You want to be relatively sure your degree will be useful before you spend the time and money to get it. So you should consider where you'll be when you finally do get it. Will you still be in the military? If so, get something that will enhance your military career. Management, history, education, and like that. If you really want to get into medicine, think about biology or chemistry. But only if you plan on using it when you get it. Getting a degree in a science and then not using it for 5 or 10 years is a waste. You'll forget everything you learned.

The other thing to consider is where your degree will be from, as in, which university. When I got out of the Army I had almost 60 credit hours at Central Texas College. Umass/Boston accepted only 3 of them. CTC gave you credit for your military experiences. For instance, 3 credit hours for public speaking, even though you never took the course. That BS doesn't fly with real-world schools. So make sure the credits you're earning are solid and will be accepted anywhere.

[davidw]

I was in the military and got the GI BILL. I am currently using it (and have been for 7 years now). If I was in this situation, I would go for something useful (now) and afterwards use the GI BILL for something fun later. You have 10 years from the date you get out to use the GI BILL. Current enrollment pays $246.25 per class (up to 4) per month. If you only go half-time ($492.50), you still can go up to the maximum in months which I think it is 36*4 = 144 classes you can take in 10 years.

A little fun here is... 144 classes * $246.25 per class = just under $36,000 tax free money you will get (based on Oct 2003 rates). When you get out, have fun, take the extra money and learn something you will want to learn... whatever. Take the hard stuff in the military. Under certain programs you don't have to worry about any of the GI BILL, unless you choose to go that route.

[daveleau]

Thanks for the input. I took 4 years after college (BS Biology/ pre-med) to try to get into med school. I worked in a research lab and did not really enjoy it. I planned to get into med school and have the USAF pay for it and be a USAF doctor until I served my time. The first year, I was on the waiting list, but every year after that I got further and further away from being accepted. In getting into med school, there is no masters that will be more beneficial than any other. I plan to fly for a few years and then attempt to get into med school again.

If I don't get into med school this time, then I was thinking of a career in the military. I would get to fly for 12 years minimum, so that would be a lot of fun.

Whatever degree I go for, I plan to choose a school that will allow me to finish there. There are many online options for us, and that seems to be the only route since I will be flying a lot and being sent to remote locations. A brick and mortar school is pretty much out of the question, unfortunately.

History is what I am leaning towards as it would be fun (for me) and would help my current career. Plus, it would help just as much as any other grad degree in getting accepted to med school.

Thanks again for the input.

Have a good one,
Dave

[jshahani]

In my opinion, choosing a course of education depends on:

1) Your interest and aptitude in different areas.

2) How much you would depend on your education to get into a career where you actually make a living.

3) Availability of courses/degrees

4) Your ability to secure admission and afford such courses

If one is financially independent of such courses, then of course, its a lot of fun to choose something one truly enjoys. Because then you never have to work.

I also firmly believe that, apart for rare exceptions, engineers, doctors, lawyers and so on are not born but learn their profession through perserverence and hard work. Artists, mucical or otherwise, OTOH, are born with some intrinsic traits which can't be learnt.

Education, any education, is never a waste. It develops and enhances your ability to analyse the world around us. It is this skill that sets us apart from any other creatures. My point being even if one decides to study Theology or Philosophy, and there are few jobs for such qualifications, it is still a good idea as one will be richer and have a better appreciation of what I term The Human Environment.

I believe one can do a lot online nowadays so being in remote places may not necessarily be a hinderance.

[LordKwiKSilva00]

i am leaving in february myself for Lackland, and after that i am off to keesler(jackson MS)

they have me goin in for electronics, and IMO i think that is good...if i can get into 2e232(electronic and computer switching systems), i will be set...

heres how i see it:

the future of the world relies on new technology/computers...we are in the information age and everything is migrating to electronic data...i figure i already have my A+ from comptia, why not get into the air force and learn networking?? they are goin to pay for my CCNA courses and my MCSE courses...i figure when i do my time and retire, i can get a nice job as a network admin for a big company/school(using my air force training) and pull in the retirement package from the air force, and depending on job market, a 75k to 150k a year job....

IMO, i would go for a technology type of position daveleau, the air force is one of the best branches to learn that stuff in(their schooling is tied for best with the navy)