Posts: 342
Threads: 39
Likes Received: 48 in 31 posts
Likes Given: 13
Joined: Jun 2016
I am currently Army reserves/ROTC cadet. I am 18 years old and am expecting to finish my first degree from TESU before may of 2017. I am currently debating whether I should stay in ROTC and continue a traditional education then commission out of ROTC, or if I should apply for OCS in May when I will be 19?
Any opinions/comments would be greatly appreciated.
TESU March 2020 Graduation
--ASNSM Mathematics
--BSBA Accounting
--BA Computer Science
University of Alaska Fairbanks (December 2021 Graduation Goal)
--MBA (2/10 : 4.0)
I started this journey in the summer of 2016. I hoped to be done sooner, but I am still proud of the rate at which I have gotten my schooling done with respect to the many months of military training and deployments I have undergone.
![[-]](https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/images/collapse.png)
•
Posts: 10,296
Threads: 353
Likes Received: 59 in 21 posts
Likes Given: 1,406
Joined: Mar 2007
Zachcleigh Wrote:I am currently Army reserves/ROTC cadet. I am 18 years old and am expecting to finish my first degree from TESU before may of 2017. I am currently debating whether I should stay in ROTC and continue a traditional education then commission out of ROTC, or if I should apply for OCS in May when I will be 19?
Any opinions/comments would be greatly appreciated.
There's a much better place to ask this question with lots of military and distance learners, let me link you: Military-related education topics
•
Posts: 192
Threads: 22
Likes Received: 1 in 1 posts
Likes Given: 0
Joined: Feb 2015
ROTC will be easier, however longer.
OCS will involve your chain of command. Your chain of command will have a lot of say in whether you go to OCS or not. If they are not willing to back you than it is likely that your application won't go any further.
My choice would be ROTC as it is the route that will get you to where you want to be, almost guaranteed. OCS is almost out of your hands and more up to your chain of command, after you have finished the paperwork.
•
Posts: 1,681
Threads: 176
Likes Received: 365 in 264 posts
Likes Given: 1,035
Joined: Feb 2015
If you are prior service OCS will be easier. ROTC is for newbie's and long. In the end only you can decide. I took an ROTC scholarship back in the day, but wished I had done OCS just to get it done fast. You are still very young. Take some time to mature and develop yourself and you will be a better leader. I never saw a 19-year old 2LT worth much in my three decades.
Non-Traditional Undergraduate College Credits (634 SH): *FTCC Noncourse Credits (156 SH) *DSST (78 SH) *CPL (64 SH) *JST Military/ACE (48 SH) *CBA (44 SH) *CLEP (42 SH) *FEMA IS (40 SH) *FEMA EM (38 SH) *ECE/UExcel (30 SH) *PLA Portfolio (28 SH) *EMI/ACE (19 SH) *TEEX/ACE (16 SH) *CWE (11 SH) *NFA/ACE (10 SH) *Kaplan/ACE (3 SH) *CPC (2 SH) *AICP/ACE (2 SH) *Sophia/ACE (2 SH) and *FRTI-UM/ACE (1 SH).
Non-Traditional Graduate College Credits (14 SH): AMU (6 SH); NFHS (5 SH); and JSU (3 SH).
•
Posts: 192
Threads: 22
Likes Received: 1 in 1 posts
Likes Given: 0
Joined: Feb 2015
11-07-2016, 02:56 PM
(This post was last modified: 11-07-2016, 03:04 PM by johnjaxs.)
Life Long Learning Wrote:If you are prior service OCS will be easier. ROTC is for newbie's and long. In the end only you can decide. I took an ROTC scholarship back in the day, but wished I had done OCS just to get it done fast. You are still very young. Take some time to mature and develop yourself and you will be a better leader. I never saw a 19-year old 2LT worth much in my three decades.
I meant to get into. Not the actually course, 14 weeks of OCS will probably be easier for anyone that has prior military knowledge course wise.
Problem is getting into it requires a lot of hoops to be jumped through and it involves your chain of command and if they don't think highly of you than they are less likely to back you. Furthermore if they mess up your paperwork than it is on you not them, many CPT's and even higher ranking Officers have never done an OCS packet for a soldier, meaning they will actually need your guidance on it and will likely mess it up if you can't correct them.
Remember most Officers came in as an Officer not Prior Service. They had someone pretty much hold their hand the whole way through the process.
•
Posts: 342
Threads: 39
Likes Received: 48 in 31 posts
Likes Given: 13
Joined: Jun 2016
Thank you all for the input. I don't believe getting into OCS would be a problem with my chain of command, unless the paperwork was done incorrectly. I am just not sure if it would be worth it to do ROTC for 3 more years, mature a little bit more, and get another degree instead of going to OCS and hitting the ground running early as an officer, so I would have a bit more runway.
TESU March 2020 Graduation
--ASNSM Mathematics
--BSBA Accounting
--BA Computer Science
University of Alaska Fairbanks (December 2021 Graduation Goal)
--MBA (2/10 : 4.0)
I started this journey in the summer of 2016. I hoped to be done sooner, but I am still proud of the rate at which I have gotten my schooling done with respect to the many months of military training and deployments I have undergone.
•
Posts: 16,325
Threads: 148
Likes Received: 5,477 in 3,748 posts
Likes Given: 367
Joined: Apr 2013
Zachcleigh Wrote:Thank you all for the input. I don't believe getting into OCS would be a problem with my chain of command, unless the paperwork was done incorrectly. I am just not sure if it would be worth it to do ROTC for 3 more years, mature a little bit more, and get another degree instead of going to OCS and hitting the ground running early as an officer, so I would have a bit more runway.
If you were my kid (and my kid is only 12 but has known he wanted to go into the military for years, family tradition on both sides, so this WILL be my kid in another few years), I would suggest the ROTC route. I think that it really can't hurt to go in a little bit older and more mature. You have PLENTY of time, so don't rush this.
TESU BSBA/HR 2018 - WVNCC BOG AAS 2017 - GGU Cert in Mgmt 2000
EXAMS: TECEP Tech Wrtg, Comp II, LA Math, PR, Computers DSST Computers, Pers Fin CLEP Mgmt, Mktg
COURSES: TESU Capstone Study.com Pers Fin, Microecon, Stats Ed4Credit Acct 2 PF Fin Mgmt ALEKS Int & Coll Alg Sophia Proj Mgmt The Institutes - Ins Ethics Kaplan PLA
•
Posts: 510
Threads: 95
Likes Received: 3 in 3 posts
Likes Given: 0
Joined: Jan 2008
ROTC is LONG... BORING... and unnecessary..... waking up early in the morning.. going to class... going to ROTC training.. Summer Training etc...
ROTC pay sucks compared to active duty pay.
there are a lot of options out there....
OCS is the BEST OPTION... 8 weeks vs 3 years.
Maybe... consider Warrant Officer ....
DSST Environment & Race to Save Humanity * 51/80 Clep CIS 63/80
College Math 66/80 * DSST Business Law II - No Pass
Principles of Mgmt 61/80 * A/I Lit 51/80 retest 61/80
Social Sciences and History - 66/80 - A * Freshman Composition - 60/80
Intro to Computers 426 -Current System - p/f = pass * Intro to Modern Middle East Studies - 61/80
Human Cultural Geography - 61/80 * US History I - A -61/80
US History II - A 68/80 * Civil War - A 57/80
Intro to World Religions - A 68/80 * Intro to Bus Law - 64/80 A
Public Speaking 55/80 A * MIS 429/500 * Statistics 459/500 * MacroEconomics 57/80
MicroEconomics 53/80 (ran out no money in meter) * Criminal Justice 418/500
English Comp with Essay 58/80 * Personal Finance 406/500 (Ran thru IC once & test once... 40 minutes/98 questions.. close call)
Principle of Supervision - 436/500 * Clep American Government 67/80
FEMA's Completed - 49 (sorry i'm addicted to them).
BA - Criminal Justice - Central State University
AAS - Computer Science - TESU
AAS - BOG - Info Tech - Pierpont
ΦΘΚ, Alumna Member
•
Posts: 342
Threads: 39
Likes Received: 48 in 31 posts
Likes Given: 13
Joined: Jun 2016
I don't think I'd have a very good chance at making warrant. However, I have been told OCS would be a "gimme."
TESU March 2020 Graduation
--ASNSM Mathematics
--BSBA Accounting
--BA Computer Science
University of Alaska Fairbanks (December 2021 Graduation Goal)
--MBA (2/10 : 4.0)
I started this journey in the summer of 2016. I hoped to be done sooner, but I am still proud of the rate at which I have gotten my schooling done with respect to the many months of military training and deployments I have undergone.
•
Posts: 16,325
Threads: 148
Likes Received: 5,477 in 3,748 posts
Likes Given: 367
Joined: Apr 2013
creationstory Wrote:ROTC is LONG... BORING... and unnecessary..... waking up early in the morning.. going to class... going to ROTC training.. Summer Training etc...
ROTC pay sucks compared to active duty pay.
there are a lot of options out there....
OCS is the BEST OPTION... 8 weeks vs 3 years.
Maybe... consider Warrant Officer ....
I guess it would depend...I have cousins and friends who went the ROTC route and they loved it. But, then really enjoyed their college experiences at a very expensive college that they didn't have to pay for. They liked the training, the summer training, graduated in 4 years with degrees...so it really just depends on the person and what they want to get out of the experience. My kid is really looking forward to 4 years of college, so I'm suggesting that he do it this way, and then if he decides part way through that he doesn't want to do it, he could always switch (I guess there is a point of no return, but he would know before then).
TESU BSBA/HR 2018 - WVNCC BOG AAS 2017 - GGU Cert in Mgmt 2000
EXAMS: TECEP Tech Wrtg, Comp II, LA Math, PR, Computers DSST Computers, Pers Fin CLEP Mgmt, Mktg
COURSES: TESU Capstone Study.com Pers Fin, Microecon, Stats Ed4Credit Acct 2 PF Fin Mgmt ALEKS Int & Coll Alg Sophia Proj Mgmt The Institutes - Ins Ethics Kaplan PLA
•
|
