by Bradley Hood, Student Contributor
American Military University
Like many prospective military students, I have asked myself “Do I have the time to tackle the studying and exams that accompany taking college courses?”. In January of 2011 I was assigned to 6 weeks of active duty for training to achieve a new MOS designation. I had just completed a little over half of my Bachelor’s degree at American Military University, and I was eager to complete the rest as soon as possible. I had a choice to make: Either take a break from school, or sacrifice my free time to knock out a couple more classes. I chose the latter option.
When I reported to the Marine detachment on base, I was quickly put in a student leadership role because of my time in service. I was not surprised, but I knew this would strain my time further. I needed to balance a lot of responsibilities. In the morning I was the first one awake, making sure my Marines were ready for the PT. I had to attend daily classes involving practical application and exams. At night most of my time was spent either studying or supervising frequent field days. Sometimes I would get a quick workout in the barrack’s gym. Most days I had only an hour to do homework. Depending on the schedule, sometimes the weekends offered a little more time, but not always.
Despite constraints on time, I managed to complete my courses, and achieve the grade of “A”. I graduated from MOS school as distinguished graduate and class leader with a test average of 98%. This is not the result of a life of success or some innate ability. In fact, prior to transferring to AMU I studied halfheartedly at Rutgers University. Though I had much more time to work with, I did a mediocre job in classes. I would discover later it was not because I lacked the ability, but the discipline necessary to succeed. Part of my later success came from the discipline instilled by the military, but the rest came from a developing desire to learn and excel.
So, the answer to the question I asked earlier is “Yes!”. With only a few rare exceptions, such as during training, a military student has enough time to take classes and pass their exams. The key is using time wisely. When I was at MOS school I had only a short period of time to study and prepare for final exams. When I sat down to study after a long day I would frequently remind myself of two things – First, I would remember that I was working towards a realistic goal, and that the need for intensive study and the resulting reduction in personal time was temporary. Second, I would reflect back to earlier classes and remember the sense of personal pride and the deep satisfaction I derived from completing an exam to the best of my ability. Watching final exam grades post at AMU was rarely a dreadful experience for me, though to be honest there were a few I worried about. What student does not?
Take a single class to ease into the process. Get a sense for what kind of commitments you will have to make in order to complete your work before you dive headfirst into a full time schedule. Find a program that interests you. For me, this was Military History. I found that having a passion for what I was learning turned my education into something I enjoyed. Writing a paper or taking a timed exam may not be my first choice of pastimes, but in the end I cherished the experience.
My recommendation to any military students on the fence about taking classes because of time constraints or a fear of exams – Go for it. With proper time management, planning, and a little bit of discipline, you will not regret the decision.
Bio:
Bradley Hood began his studies at Rutgers University in 2007, but transferred to American Military University in 2009 after his enlistment into the Marine Corps Reserve. His 2013 graduation with a BA in Military History is followed by acceptance into Norwich University for a Masters program and an active duty commission as a Second Lieutenant on June 15th.
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