How awful of an idea am I coming up with? >senior year >literally

Meet with your local recruiter.

>>17414952

>join military without degree
>work on interesting research

Not gonna happen as far as I know.

>>17414952

Go to university and enroll in ROTC.

What do you mean by interesting research? You won't be doing anything of the sort as an enlisted man.

You'd begin by meeting with a recruiter though. Personally though if you're as smart as you say and money isn't an issue I'd recommend going to college and joining its ROTC battalion so you can become an officer.

>>17414961
he's just going to say, "Yeah man! Join us!" because of the obvious bias.
>>17414963
well I was thinking I'd major in nuclear engineering, but joining so that I get those stupid college benefits.

Would I have to rank up a lot to have a shot at it ?
>>17414970
Like new aircraft/top secret stuff. Just wanna feel like I'm doing something. I will join ROTC. I feel like the leadership would be beneficial too

>>17414970
100% this.

They don't give a shit what some 18 year old kid did in high school. You enroll as an 18 year old HS grad, you're thrown in with the other dogs who are vastly more stupid than you are.

You don't get to "impress" your superiors int he military and get promotions based on merit, like you do in the work world. It's all politics, family names and who knows who in terms of who gets the "good" jobs in the military. If you want any sort of shot at doing what you want to do in the service, you need to go to college and then enter as an officer.

The research isn't done inside the military, it's done by contractor companies.

Apply to a service academy

>>17414977

>well I was thinking I'd major in nuclear engineering, but joining so that I get those stupid college benefits.

You can try to join Navy Nuke if your ASVAB and such are good enough. After that, you can get an engineering or physics degree and work on nuclear reactors and make good money. You probably won't be doing anything interesting though, but this is an example of your military experience helping with your career.

>Like new aircraft/top secret stuff. Just wanna feel like I'm doing something.

Don't need military to do that. Need aerospace engineering degree.

I am: >>17414963

If you want to do research, then you get your bachelor's degree and then go to grad school, not the military straight out of high school

>>17414989
such as?
>>17414991
are those frowned upon if i choose not to go into the military afterwards?

>>17414998
You literally have to go to the military afterwards. That's the deal. You get a free education (one of the best in the world) in exchange for x years of service.

>>17415002
sorry, misunderstood. Does that free bit even apply to master/phd programs?