I'm sure I'll actually get a large amount of flack with the political sentiments around this area, but I don't actually have a lot of people to talk about this with around here (meaning Meat World).

I've got a year of community college classes planned right now and I know I'm going to be doing that. I'm officially in debt to the United States Government with Federal loans now. Eventually I plan to at least get a baccalaureate degree and probably a masters. Depending on the job field and my finances, possibly even a doctorate since I'm liking the look of physics and most of their good jobs don't even take you into consideration without a PhD. Besides the money for all that, I also need to learn discipline and life skills along the way, not just how to do research and take tests. Besides that, I want to start giving back before I'm done with schooling.

With all that in consideration, the want to continue my education and my need for money and experience as well as my family situation, I'm planning to get into shape over the next year and try to join the local National Guard. A few things that should be covered: I'm not a pacifist, but I'm also not a violent person. I'm about 100 pounds over their max weight for my height (why I need a year to get in shape). Despite it being the national guard, in the past decade just about everyone in the guards and reserves have been deployed to an active zone at least once to support the main forces. I have hearing problems that could make it so they won't even let me in, but if they do they might not put me in any kind of active zone due to the danger I would present (I have no directional hearing, I can't tell where sounds come from almost any of the time). National Guard gives both Federal and State benefits when it comes to education, which in my state includes 4 full years of a state college or university tuition free. That and the fact that physicists with doctorates can get some good government jobs.

I, as with any sane person, don't believe The United States is perfect. No country is. The US has broken systems, crooked conspiracies in the government and extremist militias in the woods ready to blow up day cares or try to overthrow the government single-handedly as well as our current race tensions culminating almost into the prophecies of the crazed psychopath Manson and his Helter Skelter. But one thing is that not all the military is government puppet or violent brutes (not my opinion of the military in general, though I have met members that fit those descriptions), and the guard's usual job is lending humanitarian aid, keeping peace or even building bridges or sewer systems for places that can't afford to do it themselves.

I don't know, really, why I'm putting this up here. It's a big thing to do and I have to work at it before I ever even talk to a recruiter because I'm so out of shape. The only person that I can talk to about it in the real world right now is my dad because my mom's freaking out about this ISIS/ISIL/IS scare, especially since that reporter was just beheaded. I'm going to wait until, well, I need to pick a day so it's not just sprung on her, so my birthday to tell her. It's something I've decided to do, but it doesn't feel like it. I'm normally terrible at deciding to do something and this was surprisingly easy. Doesn't mean it will work. I need to work on the weight and even then the hearing bit could prevent me.

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Don't be an idiot. Find out about the hearing thing before you do anything. Besides the get into shape part. Get into shape. That's a good idea.

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Work to get rid of those debts before they pile up.

Getting into shape will help. And real war isn't a game of COD - don't go out into the open all guns blazing. You don't respawn out there. Instead, use snipers, airstrikes and drones because a bandit with an AK can't shoot what it can't see.

Just don't die out there.

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soldiers in the government eyes are pawns, and in democrats eyes "insignificant pawns",

"health disorder?" thats what the recruiter will ask confused as to why you are bringing it up.

"danger to yourself andothers in battle because of a hearing problem?" thats the next surprised question you'll hear.

"we need people like you because you don't get shell shock as easily as other soldiers" they will say.

better plan? yes I have one, Join the merchant marines, it's practically an episode of onepiece every day and you get to see the world. Besides that instead of putting yourself in danger you will be making friends with the roughest toughest baddasses the earth has rejected. -talk about safety, so long as you stay on thier good side.

another plus - high commisions and you aren't a government worker.

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Ok. I wanted to read the full thing but i had to stop. I have a really low tolerance for, well, for bullshit to be perfectly honest since that's what it is.
With regards to everyone who stated their opinions before me - shut the fuck up and don't put even more crap into his ears! (meaby besides Remon since he has a point)

First of all if you know you're not fit for military - don't fucking enlist! No matter the physical but mentaly I can already tell that you have no idea of how much of a deep swamp-like shit you want yourself to step in, WILLINGLY!
If you have a potential and more essentialy time (examplary to learn and / or work) - don't waste it on things that will close for you more doors than they can possibly open (especially if you're not fit for it).

(ok I've somehow read the rest of the post)

Dude, the only advice I can give you is to really get in shape but not as you intend it. Look at things with a little bit more of a raw reality and with little less of ideals, philosopies and politics mixed in (those make the life expectations and ideas go bad).

All I can say is think, rethink, and even then think again. Consider everything from all possible standpoints you can think of.

Also, to reiterate what some people said before me: take care of your hearing problem first and get in shape. You can never go wrong being in good health.

Ah, Resilence. You were the main one I was thinking of when I wrote, "I'm sure I'll actually get a large amount of flack with the political sentiments around this area." First off, I don't know if I'm not fit for the military. The problem is that I haven't done anything. In essence, at the moment, I am completely worthless. And in debt. The structure and order of the military won't help change me, it will force me to change. That being said, there's a good chance I won't make it in anyway.

I wouldn't say to someone before I went in anything that wasn't already in my medical record. I've had many surgeries and I have dramatic hearing loss in my right ear. If that's enough that they don't want me, so be it. If they'll still take me with that, I'll be thrown into a whole new style of living when I've only ever been in one before. I'll have to face and conquer almost all of my fears and phobias and learn how to learn and adapt much better and faster than I do now.

At the moment, there's no way I'm cut out for it because I haven't done anything. I've done nothing. I haven't stuck to anything, I haven't seen anything through and I've barely started anything. If I join any branch of the military, I have a contract that binds me to that way of life for 6 years, at least x (I think it's 4) active.

I would say I don't care what you say, but I wouldn't be responding to yours personally if I didn't. The thing is, though, is I expected you and maybe two or three others to say something pretty much what you just said. And it makes that drive, a drive I've rarely felt before, just stick in and feel even more secure.

I'm not looking ideally at the military, it's going to be hard. I'm going to have to work harder than I ever had at anything before in there. Just the year leading up, actually working on getting into shape is more than what I normally do. But if I can't do something as so simple as those two things, if I can't make myself useful than I won't amount to anything in this life. No, the military isn't for everyone and no I'm really not ready for it at the moment. Mentally most of all, as well as physically. I have a year to get myself ready and even if I'm not ready, it's something I'm going to do.

Now, I expect for you to come back with something that will seem very trollish, trying to raise my ire and convince me that I'm an idiot. But, really, if you do I won't listen. I think I put this up so that I could air out some of my concerns and as a way for me to step back and look at what exactly I'm planning on doing. It worked. And I'm really convinced that it's what I'm going to, at least try to, do.



Thanks to you, and everyone who's given similar advice. My hearing problem is one that can't be fixed. My middle ear on the right side was completely destroyed when I was young and rebuilt by doctors. There might be surgeries to improve it or I could wear hearing aids or something (it would have to be the kind where they drill into the bone as the problem is that my ear drum and middle ear doesn't work as well as a natural one, so they would instead of channeling the sound into the ear canal, channel it into the bone), but the fact of the matter is that my hearing just isn't as good on that side and never will be.

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It's your choice to do anything you want... and it's lifes choice to deny your ways of thinking.
"If it was some other country I would suggest going for navy academy if you think that you're smart enough. Infantry of any kind is not a choice but rather a desperate last move, unless you're made for it." is what I was going to say.


Probably problem is already solved unless it was tympanoplasty.

2–6. Ears
a. External ear. Current atresia (744.02) or severe microtia (744.23), congenital or acquired stenosis (380.5), chronic
otitis externa (380.2), or severe external ear deformity (744.3) that prevents or interferes with the proper wearing of
hearing protection does not meet the standard.
b. Mastoids. Current or history of mastoiditis (383.9), residual with fistula (383.81), chronic drainage or conditions
requiring frequent cleaning of the mastoid bone do not meet the standard. Marked external deformity that prevents or
interferes with wearing a protective mask or helmet (383.3) does not meet the standard.
c. Ménière’s syndrome. Current or history of Ménière’s syndrome or other chronic diseases of the vestibular system
(386) does not meet the standard.
d. Middle and inner ear. Current or history of chronic otitis media (382), cholesteatoma (385.3), or history of any
inner (P20) or middle (P19) ear surgery (including cochlear implantation) does not meet the standard. Myringotomy or
successful tympanoplasty is not disqualifying.
e. Tympanic membrane. Current perforation of the tympanic membrane (384.2) or history of surgery to correct
perforation during the preceding 120 days (P19) does not meet the standard.

< Army Directorate >

besides, if you want a financial opinion that doesn't deal with military or other such installations,

pell grants can cover alot, Empire State College (New York state) full time will probably only make you pay around $1000 a semester the rest is covered by automatic grants and pell grants (apply using fafsa).

thats what I was going to do, the full degree was only gonna cost 28k

thats mega cheap compared to the 100K you'll spend elsewhere. I abandoned it because I don't have time and switched to a masters program that will cost more probably 40k

my advice is to consider a school with low prices that gives alot of financial aid.

I know what it's like to be poor, even now I have no money of my own, spent it on flight tickets back to the USA and visa fees, I'm now living off my GF's money (yeah thats one thing I never tell people, she never keeps a tab on me, she spends money on me and never asks for it back. for most of this year I've been living off her and yes I spent alot more than I made.)

thats another option, it's alot better than military service, get yourself a rich girlfriend.

seriously though if you really are only considering military applications choose the merchant marines, and if thats not good enough choose the airforce or army, not the national reserve or guard, and definitely not the marines.

why the airforce? simple in all the confrontations in the buttfuckistans they don't have the arsenal or the wit necessary to take down planes, that and as the same for the army, the president can wage war without congressional approval but he can only control the marines and national guard and such, in order to use the army and airforce he needs congressional approval, which he wont get because the congressmen and women are too concerned about thier public image because they might want to run for a higher office.

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Well, now my spirits are crushed. Yeah, I'm universally inapplicable to all armed services for a condition that I haven't had since I was in single digits.

According to the local government, we make too much money for things like Pell Grants. But a family with a history of medical problems and helping to support both me and my brother (who is older than me), we're still broke. I'm in the cheapest school in the state and it's one of the cheapest states in the country for education (one of the worst, too. I think it advanced to 5th worst a few years back) and I'm still going to rack up about 5k in debt this year alone.

But, that's all my problem. Now I have to look to the future and getting a job to pay off school with no car and no sidewalk. Seriously, this area there's no laws that say you HAVE to have sidewalks, so most places don't pay to put them in. Well, time to get to busy.

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I should actually add on that I'm thankful. I have food every day. I actually am ABLE to go to school. I'm going to be neck deep in debt by the time I get out, but I'm actually able to and a lot of people aren't. I don't worry about where I'm going to sleep or if I have clothes or if I'll be warm in the winter. Don't get me wrong, I am eternally grateful for that and consider myself to be very lucky. I still worry just as much about the future, though. I worry because I know that on the road I'm going down, those are the things I'll have to worry about, all the things I take for granted will be lost to me if I don't work towards it. I'm very immature and fear the impending issue that I have to face soon, the real world.

Sorry, I just... I read my last post and several of my posts and felt I came off as whiny and privileged, which I am. No, I'm not rich but my family is middle class. Lower or pure middle, I don't bloody well know, but there are places in the world where there is no middle class, there's hungry or not hungry. I know how nice I have it and how it could be much worse.

Sorry, I should just shut up and let this thread die. Is there a delete button for a thread?

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I pretty much don't have a familly but I never complained about it, actually, more the other way around. Circumstances are everything, depends where the bar was originally positioned if you should consider yourself lucky or not. It's a human way to be never satisfied, and as long as you fulfill one of your needs - the other one takes it's place. Everything depends on how you deal with them and if you can manage the pace life sets you in.
Human and his needs relation is simillar to eating the watermelon in Minecraft - you'll probably never starve to death but you'll be always hungry.
I wouldn't worry or even think about things I can take for granted. It's the things you need at the moment that should be in the center of your focus.

To me there's no real and any other world, there's just my world, when I'm satisfied with what I have the only thing I'm thinking about is how to sustain the current flow of things and if the effort is worth the prize. It's pretty simple thing.

Just one question - are you feeling better about putting your thoughts to words?

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Who me? I'm not sure what you mean by that, but a bit, I guess. The problem is I don't have time to right now. I know that the school I'm going to right now is rather, well, easy going. It's a community college and I'm in my first couple of years yet, so these are the easy years, but I've never been good at school, so I'm having trouble with it, especially since this year I took classes that I thought would actually be a challenge for me. They are. And there's a lot more reading than I've ever had to do before.

I haven't been around much recently, but I still look in every now and then if I have time. I'll probably be more active again soon depending on classes.

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Lemme know if you need helps in schoolwork. I'll try my best to help you with stuff.

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