G.K. Chesterton, writer, and philosopher, wrote one of the best quotes for Veterans Day;
“Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die.”-G.K. Chesterton
Indeed, the veteran is a patriot who chooses to live the life of doing everything in his power to fulfill his life’s mission, even if fulfilling the mission means giving up his existence. The powerful contradiction also points that a veteran is a person with an intense desire to work towards a goal at all costs. They can certainly use this quality to their benefit no matter what goal it is that they are trying to achieve.
Veterans, who after returning home from war, decide to continue their education and join college, often face the trouble of adjusting to their new environment. This can become a major source of stress in their life and such re-adjustment issues might cause serious health issues leading to severe physical as well and mental health problems.
So, as a veteran, before you decide to follow up on the educational track, you must become aware of the challenges that you may face and learn how to deal with them.
Take some time off
It’s always good to be enthusiastic. However, the mind and body also need some rest. Jumping straight into study mode after combat mode won’t be easy. Studies require enormous amounts of effort, commitment, and a clear mind to sink in all the information it receives. Oftentimes, veterans return home with severe physical as well as mental injuries that take time to heal. Visit the doc and make sure you are fit for studying. Otherwise, you’ll have an added difficulty of managing your college life along with the remnants of war still wedged on to you.
Ask a Fellow Vet
It would be wise to ask a fellow vet his success story in college. A real-life example of a former vet in your current position will not only allow you to obtain a lot of useful information, but it will also give you the hope needed to believe that you can and will be able to complete formal education. His mistakes and advice may also prevent you from making the same mistakes during your process.
Know Your Benefits
Veterans are entitled to a range of various benefits for their convenience. Knowing all of these beforehand and which ones you are eligible for would also be constructive since they are specially designed to make a veteran’s life easier. The Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, more commonly known as the G.I. Bill, provides veterans with the help and cash needed in certain situations during their readjustment phase. Facing employment difficulty after years of service and feeling “out of place” in the community is a major source of disappointment for all veterans. Concerning education, G.I. Bill provides veterans with tuition fees and living expense benefits. The application process can take six to eight weeks or even more to process. Your school or college will have a VA Advisor who you can ask questions about your benefits. Mostly all colleges have VA Benefits, advisors, and a separate VA page on their website. Some colleges even allow credit transfer for serving in the military.
Be Willing to Accept and Blend In!
This is the most important tip of all. Veterans tend to start feeling lost and lonely in their new surroundings, unable to adjust. No one can make that adjustment happen. You gotta do it yourself! Agreed, civilian life, young bubbly students, and the slowness of everything can get to you. However, unlike much other advice, your commanding officer may have given you during combat, there’s one more you need to keep in mind at all times, i.e., where there is a will, there is a way. Whether it is a matter of defeating armed men who are more than you in number, or being the odd one out in a bunch in a college full of young students, you have to have that determination to win the battle!
“Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.” –Niccolo Machiavelli
A professional career counselor, Alice Scarlet works at a prominent firm where students come to Buy assignment. She assist students in overcoming their educational problems and leading a successfully academic life.