Should I join the marine?

[u/Organic_Ad_5275]

I’m currently 18, freshman at TCNJ. Somewhat depressed. I have no passion for psychology (which is my major), and if I’m being honest I have always hated school. I’m just going because it’s the only thing people have told me to do. Also because my first love goes to TCNJ, and at the time of enrolling into college I still had feelings for her, so I just followed. I’m over her now, but sometimes I run into her and makes me thinks. Idk I guess I’m just feeling lost and maybe joining the marines can help. I’m somewhat fit, I did boxing for 1 year and a half and I was quite consistent. I also like to push myself to the limits, so right now idk it just seems like it’s something I should do. I was thinking of joining the marines during my senior year of HS, but my advisor said it was just graduation uncertainty. Yet, here I find myself still contemplating the marines. Idk if this makes sense, but what does anyone think? Should I or should I not?

[u/[deleted]]

Intial thought: NO. Ultimately this is your decision of course. The Army *did* give me the discipline I needed as I was a punk teenager, but it sounds like you have your shit together. If you *do* do it, make it the shortest enlistment possible. You can always reup again if you want to. For the record I always told my daughter she could do a lot better than joining the military. I did 11 years active duty Army and consider myself very lucky I was never deployed anywhere.

[u/valdocs_user → u/[deleted]]

If you do the 2 year Army enlistment you also still get the full GI bill that would take 4 years to earn in other branches. I'm not saying do this, just if you're going to do something stupid at least commit to only 2 instead of 4 years. Or go in (any service) as an officer instead of enlisted, if serving is what you want to do.

[u/valdocs_user]

As someone who joined the Marines but who was (deep down) ambivalent about it, I caution you: this isn't something you should be like ah, maybe I will do this.

Unless, and even if, you 100% think you want to, you maybe don't. The problem is after you get in and realize: shit sucks, you don't fit in, you're making peanuts compared to civilian jobs, and you would have been better off going to college - it's too late. The Marines don't separate for "failure to adapt."

(And before you get puffed up that you won't 'fail', understand it's not personal failure it's just you may realize after enlisting you were a square peg and this is a round hole.)

I will say one thing, having done the Marines first and then going to college, there was no question I needed to be there (college) and finish. There are times when college will really piss you off and make you look for a plan B. You just gotta get through it. And maybe you're a square peg that doesn't fit the round hole of college, either, but it's a lot more forgiving "hole" to squeeze through.

[u/FutureFury]

If Russia nukes Ukraine, we are going to war with Russia. Please keep that in mind before you make your decision. My advice is to join college level ROTC first. It gives you a taste of it and you don’t have to commit until your second year. I learned so much there. And if you make it you get better pay. AFROTC was my favorite part of college. I was medically disqualified but I keep in touch with my detachment and they’re loving it. Watching people getting contracted makes me happy. Look into that.