U. S military

Join the air force if you're intelligent, its not just about flying planes and aircraft

There are a lot of trades and skills that can carry over into the civilian marketplace and make a lot of money.

Of course, it all depends what your college situation looks like.

>>1020792
Parents aren't paying for college and being stuck at a desk makes me completely miserable.

>>1020794

Military will pay for your degree (at least they do in Australia, not sure about your country but you can always check it out)

If you want better advice you should tell us more about your interests and long-term goals. The military, like many things, can be completely shit or the adventure of a lifetime depending on how it fits with you.

>>1020810
I plan to eventually finish college, but I would like to go out and live a little first. I don't have many friends and I've never really done anything exciting. I excell academically but the thought of debt and four more years of school life depresses me. I would like to travel and have some new experiences.

>>1020820
Well, /k/ is often a little hostile to people who are thinking of joining up without a clue of what they want to do, but you might be able to lurk and get some tips from vets. (Asking "should I join the muhreens" is sort of their version of "I have 2000 dollars to invest, how do I invest it to make a million dollars before next month")

Recruiters will always paint a rosy picture of service for obvious reasons.

>>1020820

Military service can potentially give you the opportunity to get a degree, make new friends and travel (though they might not necessarily be places you want to go) so you could probably do a lot worse in this economy.

However, make sure you check out what their minimum terms of service are (over here it's something like 6 years, or used to be, which put off quite a few people I know who were interested in signing up) and weigh it up against the other opportunities you have at present. You say you excel academically. If you're good enough to get a scholarship it might be better to do college as a civilian. However, even then the military might still be a better choice as their academies probably receive a lot more funding than many colleges. I know a guy who graduated in History and it cost him $200,000. Anything you can do to avoid getting into that situation can only be a plus.

>>1020830

This. I wouldn't listen to a goddamn thing a recruiter says. They have every incentive in the world to lie their asses off.

There's also the question of how physically and mentally tough you are, and how well you would get along being in close quarters with a bunch of guys, some of whom will probably be huge assholes.

>>1020836
>>1020830

Just further to that, you should try to get in contact with as many low-ranking soldiers as you can and get their take on what the experience is like. Myself and other civilianfags on /biz/ can only give you an analytic perspective.

>>1020836
>>1020838
I can only speak from secondhand knowledge, but the worst thing I've heard about recruiters is not that they'll outright lie, but that they'll distort the control you'll have over your service (ie, promising a post in a tropical paradise with easy women, promising lots of exotic adventure but downplaying the years of grinding paperwork in some shit bureaucratic assignment, etc).

I don't know if it's still the case with all the unrest in the world, but alot of vets from the sandbox wars are pretty salty about peacetime service.

>>1020836
I was leaning towards air force or navy in order to learn a technical skill. I'm pretty beta and socially anxious so I don't know how well I would fare out.

only join as an OFFICER. I have heard this from many people. You wont get treated as bad, and you get much better pension and benefits. That is the only way to go otherwise your are cannon fodder. If you do not join as an officer, the only acceptable branch is air force.

>>1020788
I believe you are locked in an unbreakable contract for a period of at least 6 years in most branches you would sign up for. I think the only way to get out would be to either fail the boot camp or get charged with something like dishonorable discharge.

It's a long term commitment where if you are unhappy, it will be for a very, very long time. I've read from different sources previously that it may take several years for you to even enter the specialty school for your chosen profession in the services.

I took the ASVAB test, had decent results, but in the end I chose not to enroll because I felt like it was for the wrong reason why I was looking into a military branch. I needed somewhere else to live immediately after high school because of the turbulent immediate family life. Luckily, my aunt and uncle allowed me to move in with them, I paid rent, learned a skilled trade of plumbing, and gave them a $4,000 gift as a way of saying thank you before I moved out.

Just remember, if you sign up, you are locked in for a very long time.

>>1020850
Don't worry, the military is pretty much custom made for social misfits and retards.

>>1020843
>they'll distort the control you'll have over your service (ie, promising a post in a tropical paradise with easy women, promising lots of exotic adventure but downplaying the years of grinding paperwork in some shit bureaucratic assignment, etc)

That's pretty much what I meant by lying. Still, grinding paperwork in a bureaucratic setting are what many, many civilian graduates are having to endure so it might be much of a muchness.

>>1020850
>socially anxious

This is pretty much the entire reason I would never join.

>>1020852

True that.

>>1020857
>many civilian graduates are having to endure
They don't get put in prison if they quit!

I'm not even suggesting it's a reason not to join, just that one should go in with eyes open. OTOH the job security is fantastic.

>>1020850
now that you mention that I really don't think the military is for you. you are going to get yelled at and insulted regularly. I'm not trying to be mean as I have similar traits. If you join and it doesnt work out you will get discharged and it could hurt your record for the rest of your life. There are plenty of ways to learn a trade/skill in civilian life, and if you change your mind it is very easy to leave. Join a trade union or become an electrician. Its way cheaper than going to school

>>1020859
>>1020860

Good points

>>1020860
I was actually considering a two year degree or a trade. I have two years free at a community college(currently attending). However, my state community college system is flawed and half my credits won't transfer to University. Going there right now feels pointless, however I could still get a two year degree or learn a trade for free.

>>1020866

Look at what trades are available and if there's anything that you could see yourself doing long-term I'd take it over military service any day.

>>1020860
Sometimes getting bashed up in a really macho environment actually helps those traits. It takes some resilience to stay standing when you're constantly berated and pushed to your limits, but at the end of the day, your DI can't beat you to a pulp or kill you.

I don't think there's any particularly bad consequences for flunking basic.

The whole premise of the military is to break you down and build a soldier out of the wreckage.

>again, this is not coming from a vet, ask someone whose career path you'd like to emulate. The military changes a lot, so don't expect your dad or grandfather's experience to reflect what you will deal with.

I will say that I did take up a trade and apprenticed with someone who is big into hazing new guys and is an all around macho asshole. I don't think his way is right, but it did man me up a bit, and I am no longer a depressed or paralyzed by fear of social failure or embarrassment.

>>1020866
If you don't mind working with your hands trades are a great way to go with minimal expense. Four year degrees are such a gamble now; even STEM degrees are no guarantee. The main point is avoid the military. You are trading in your freedom for a little security