Online university with 8 week sessions that I can enroll in right now?

Also, since you will be a full-time student, take a few minutes to complete the FAFSA: www.fafsa.ed.gov/

If you can get some Pell Grant $$ that's a good thing. The FAFSA is relatively painless to complete.

Shawn

 

Re: Re: Online university with 8 week sessions that I can enroll in right now?

Thank you.

The Marine Corps will give you PFC (E-2) in your contract if you have 15 college credits in 100 level courses or above, so i'm trying to take advantage of that. I know other branches will give you more than E-2, but that's the highest the Corps will go.

 

Re: Re: Re: Online university with 8 week sessions that I can enroll in right now?

Understood - and from an Army guy, thank you for serving.

Shawn

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Online university with 8 week sessions that I can enroll in right now

Likewise, and thank you for your service.

 

Re: Re: Re: Online university with 8 week sessions that I can enroll in right now?

Are you aware that you will pick up PFC 6 months after you arrive at boot camp?

My advice? Enjoy life now, because your world will be completely different when you hit the yellow footprints. Why spend the last few weeks you have in the civilian world trying to complete 5-6 college classes for something you'll get in six months anyway. Go PT and look at pretty girls. The PT you'll need to succeed at MCRD and you won't be seeing many pretty ladies where you're going.

I never thought I'd say this, but worry about school later. The Corps will give you $4500 dollars every year to go to school. Spend their money not your own.

Good luck in boot camp. I hope you are able to join my Corps. The best advice you can get is to keep your mouth shut, your ears open, and do what you are told to do. Remember, no one wants to hear your thoughts on how things should be done. Especially your DIs.

0699
MSgt USMC

 

Usually 100 questions, the majority of them being True/False and Multiple Choice, each worth one point. The final two questions are essay style where you're expected to write a paragraph or two to explain your answer or point of view. Those are generally worth 5 points each. They're not difficult if you actually do the course work, and the course work goes very quickly if you stay focused. If you aren't currently working a job I think you could do 2 classes per week.

Pug

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Online university with 8 week sessions that I can enroll in right now?

I don't know if I can completely agree with that. It's all about goals - not just USMC, but life goals. If your life goals are to complete this school work so you go into the USMC at a level where you want to be, and therefore be closer to your BA later, then you should push for the five classes now so you don't regret not doing it later. If your life goals ae to spend more time with friends, family, and to savor a little relaxation, you should reconsider taking the classes. Every man's goals differ from those of the next.

I will agree with the MSgt on his boot camp advice: Keep your mouth shut, don't offer opinions, do (don't think), and don't get down on yourself when the DI's make you feel like a failure in the beginning...that's their job and they'll do it to everyone. Don't let them get in your head on a personal level. They are actually there to help you in the long run.

Are you going to the island for boot?

Pug

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Online university with 8 week sessions that I can enroll in right now?

Everyone has their own opinions.

I can tell you from personal experience that you won't sit in boot camp regreting that you didn't go to college for 15 credits so you could get promoted to PFC. But you will regret missed PT time and you will remember the last pretty girl you saw before you got to boot camp. I still do, even 20+ years later.

Hell, if you really want to get promoted to PFC quickly, just do well in bootcamp. The top 10% of each platoon usually get promoted to PFC meritoriously upon graduation.


0699

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Online university with 8 week sessions that I can enroll in right now?

There was a time when the honor grad made Lance Corporal upon graduation.

The Top is giving you good advice on what to do. I'd heed every word of it.

 

I agree with you, Master Sergeant.

jagc32,

It is good if you have some college credits for promotion, but not really neccessery. The physical training is a biggest issue during the boot training; therefore, preparing yourself in shape is more important than those college credits. Don't worry too much about, you'll have lot opportunities for off-duty education.

I graduated from the boot camp as a Private; and always picked up by score and time in grade/service. Guess what? I was promoted to the rank of Sergeant within 3 years. Like MSgt said...enjoy for time, and don't find the way to get some college credits for promoting PFC. Besides, you have to spend at least $2,000.00 on that.

Good luck with your boot camp training.

S/F,
Sgt, USMCR

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Online university with 8 week sessions that I can enroll in right now?

The honor grade makes Lance Criminal upon graduation only if he/she was contracted as PFC/E-2.

 

EBC would run about $1100 or $1200, but I agree that the last 8 weeks might be better spent really pushing yourself physically to prepare. I thought I was in pretty good shape when I went to boot straight out of highschool. I had always played soccer, competed in karate, etc. Oh how wrong I was! I really dragged for those first couple of weeks.

Pug

 

Looking back at my Army Boot Camp experience - I thought I was in shape also. I went to boot right out of H.S. and was a distance runner for my H.S. track team. I was dragging too.

However, don't overdo your conditioning before going to boot camp. Spend 3 days a week running, with 3 days a week on upper body (push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, crunches, etc.) If you can do the college thing, that's a bonus - but get yourself in the best shape possible first.

 

quick classes

try the fema independent study courses. they are 100 level and relativly simple. I think they can be transcribed at the partnering community college at 60 per credit.

that might work for your needs.
jeremy

 

Re: quick classes

That's actually a very good idea. You could knock out 15 FEMA credits in two weekends with ease (seriously, I've done 3 credits in 3 hours while watching football on Sunday...15 in 2 weekends would be a breeze), then have them transcribed by Frederick Community College for $60 a credit. I believe FCC requires you to take a test to show you know the material before they transcribe it, but you could still do it in a couple of weekends. That would give you the best of all worlds: You get your college credits, you spend only $900, you get to enjoy a lot of personal time before you leave, and you have time to get yourself into shape if you think you need it

In fact, ask your recruiter if they have to be transcribed by FCC if they are banked at Thomas Edison State College. If the USMC will recognize the credits through TESC, and they should, there is no transcription or secondaryu testing necessary and you'd only have to pay the $380 TESC credit bank fee!!!! To make it easier for the USMC to evaluate the number of credits you have, open up the TESC credit bank for $380 and transfer all of your existing college credit to the bank, including FEMA credits, so ALL 100 college credits show on one regionally accredited transcript!

Pug

PS - As an added bonus, not all are 100 level. Some are booked as upper level credit through TESC.

As a side note, and this is simply out of curiousity, if you are this close to a BA, why wouldn't you have completed the BA first and then applied to OCS?

 

Jagc,

So far, you have gotten good advice from this thread. If you really desire to get those credits, take the FEMA courses and have them transcribed.

I agree that you should try and improve your physical conditioning before arriving at boot camp. Definitely go to your recruiter and ask him to evaluate your push-ups and sit-ups. You will be surprised at how many people do those wrong.

Also, listen to your DI and keep your eyes straight ahead while standing at attention. While in boot, your opinion doesn't count, so keep it to yourself. Stay awake when you're supposed to be awake and sleep when your supposed to be sleeping.

And no matter what happens, don't get discouraged. Boot will be over before you know it and I guarantee that about a month afterwards, you'll be surprised at how much FUN you had and how good you feel about yourself for completing it.

Good luck,

 

The FEMA courses sound awesome and I definitely want to do them, but are you sure that they're 100 level courses?

And also, are you sure you have to take an exam through FCC? On the form at the following link for FCC it doesn't say anything about an exam: http://www.emergencymanagementstudy.com/content/files/downloads/FCCapp%20(2).pdf

 

FCC has an agreement with FEMA to transcript the credits for credit (at $60 each). That said, Thomas Edison State College will accept the FEMA credits, without FCC, and bank them through their credit banking service. You can take the courses for free directly from the FEMA website. Open up a TESC credit bank account and have the FEMA transcript sent to them. As I suggested in an earlier post, I would also send all other college transcripts to TESC so all 100 of your credits are reflected on 1 easy to read, regionally accredited transcript.

Not all FEMA courses earn credit. The following is a list of some that do:

IS001, IS007, IS230, IS120, IS324, IS288, IS275, IS208, IS279, IS394, IS005, IS346, IS301, IS008, IS010, IS011, IS111, IS292, IS139, IS240, IS241, IS242, IS244, IS630, IS015, IS235, IS394, IS513, IS003.

All courses are booked by TESC as 100 level courses or higher. Many are 200 level, IS513 and IS003 are 300 level.

I would call your recruiter to make sure this is a valid option for you but I can't imagine why it wouldn't be.

Pug