Does joining the military make sense for me?
Hello,
I am aware my situation is a little different, and I am not here to get clowned, but I want guidance on life.
Ok, I am 23F in grad school right now in, like, the social sciences/analytics, but I'm thinking about going into the military. I still want to finish out my degree. I looked into OCS. It seems like something I could do if I take half a year off. Is that how it would work? Should I go to basic training?
My dream job is either being a professor or working in government agencies. I am aware I can be a civilian and work these jobs. I think my “ why” for wanting to join right now and why I have been thinking about it for the last couple of months is like, yes, I am in school, but I do not have much sense of direction.
Money is also a big thing. I am in grad school and earn a small stipend. I did some research; I think Guard/Reserve is part-time (~$8–10K/yr) and keeps me in school, and active duty is full-time (~$80K/yr) but would derail my degree. I’m leaning toward Guard so I can finish my degree.
Has anyone done Guard/Reserve OCS while in a PhD program? How did the timing actually work?
I am not sure if 'serving' is the right word here; correct me if I am wrong.
For someone whose real goal is professor/government research, does serving actually help that, or is it separate?