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It's been a dream of mine, all of my life, to join the Army.

I still want to go through normal education and get a degree in.. something. Probably at Oxford, actually.

Any advice? Is entry level more difficult/specialised if you've been through further education?

Cheers.

sA

I've got mates going to the forces, so that makes it easier on me making the same choice. However, I'm still only at the application level, having joined up yet. That and I'm an aussie, so you shouldn't even be talking to us convicts.

Good luck though, keep your head down.

Why not visit their website, or visit one of their recruitment centres?

I think they generally will want anyone who is doing a degree to skip to officer level - I think that you can get paid through university if you agree to sign up for a certain period of time after you have finished your degree, though all that information is on their website (first link provided).

Education is not that useful and in fact could be a problem. Officer training is linked to age and the older you are, the less likely you are to be accepted into somewhere like sandhurst. If you are oxford material then you should speak to a recruiter and figure out the path for officer training and how the timelines might mesh with a degree.

The army is big on taking educated officers on board. In fact, they'll help sponsor your degree in exchange for you pledging yourself to a minimum of three years service, and doing some basic training whilst your degree is ongoing. I believe they give you something like an extra thousand pounds a term. I looked at it briefly whilst examining my course.

Once you complete your degree, you'll be stuck on the officer training track. As things stand, over 80% of the Uk officer corps is comprised of graduates. If I recall correctly, you spend your first year as a 2nd Lieutenant, before automatic promotion to 1st Lieutenant.

I know its really hard to be a Royal Marines Officer, many of my friends enlisted as they got turned down for a commision when they attended their final interview board.

Id try out for them first though, start at the top eh?

The Royal Marines have an outstanding reputation and i think it looks far better on your CV then joining the regular army. You have to do your commando tests a bit faster than the other lads though, how fit are you?

Thanks for the help guys. I guess it's just something that I've always wanted to do - I've admired soldiers and been fascinated with the military since I was about 3. Not sure my Mum's too happy about me even thinking about joining up.

I have a couple of years until serious University-time, so I have time to think - always nice.

And I'd prefer of course to go into the Marines or something more interesting than regular army - I'm not huge but still got a good 5 inches of growth to go, but I'm a work-until-vomit/black out sorta person, rowing for 16 hours a week helps

sA

smiling Assassin wrote:Thanks for the help guys. I guess it's just something that I've always wanted to do - I've admired soldiers and been fascinated with the military since I was about 3. Not sure my Mum's too happy about me even thinking about joining up.

I have a couple of years until serious University-time, so I have time to think - always nice.

And I'd prefer of course to go into the Marines or something more interesting than regular army - I'm not huge but still got a good 5 inches of growth to go, but I'm a work-until-vomit/black out sorta person, rowing for 16 hours a week helps

sA

Don't worry mate, you don't have to be huge - Matty's a fething short-arse, and he's still a steel-eyed deliverer of death!

5 foot 8 is MASSIVE!

You dont have to be huge to be a commando, i think thats just the movies got peoples thinking a bit skewed, the biggest most muscular guys sometimes struggled with CV stuff, i think strong and lean is always the way to go.. its sometimes an advantage being small.

When the Taliban engage your patrol for example.. i was pretty glad i was small then!

SilverMK2 wrote:Why not visit their website, or visit one of their recruitment centres?

I think they generally will want anyone who is doing a degree to skip to officer level - I think that you can get paid through university if you agree to sign up for a certain period of time after you have finished your degree, though all that information is on their website (first link provided).

I'd say avoid the Propoganda (no offense to recruiters!), and actually talk to someone who's actually doing the job. it would have changed some choices i made if i had got information from all sides, not just one.

Being from the states and all the only thing that I can suggest is don't waste your time as infantry, especially if your choices are between Oxford or armed services. You're better off yourself and more useful to your country with an MOS. Set your goal and keep your eye on it, the recruiters in any country will try to shine you toward one thing or another but remember after you sign up they probably wont see your sorry arse again so their opinion of you doesn't matter past whatever you guys use as the first assesment. I guess what I'm trying to say is choose your career and don't let your self get slotted by the recruiters.

Cheers lads, that's given me a whole lot to think about.

sA

alarmingrick wrote:I'd say avoid the Propoganda (no offense to recruiters!), and actually talk to someone who's actually doing the job. it would have changed some choices i made if i had got information from all sides, not just one.

I gave the links as he seemed unsure as to what kind of entry requirements there were, options for signing up etc, rather than anything else. Thought it would be easier to link to the information directly rather than try to explain it.

SilverMK2 wrote:

alarmingrick wrote:I'd say avoid the Propoganda (no offense to recruiters!), and actually talk to someone who's actually doing the job. it would have changed some choices i made if i had got information from all sides, not just one.

I gave the links as he seemed unsure as to what kind of entry requirements there were, options for signing up etc, rather than anything else. Thought it would be easier to link to the information directly rather than try to explain it.

not Saying anything bad about what you said or did! i'm saying ask someone whos doing the job, instead of someone whos job is to get people to sign up.

Go to college first. You don't want to be a dogfaced grunt.

Stormrider wrote:Go to college first. You don't want to be a dogfaced grunt.

If you want to be an officer go to college. Can't vouch for you guys but I know we get a contract for a certain job, so providing you meet the entry requirements, you can get into some pretty high-speed career fields that'll benefit you down the road. If you're not ready for college and are unsure of what you want to do a few years in the service can help you mature and figure out what you want to do with your life. Just don't kid yourself thinking you'll be able to avoid the war, again speaking from the US side, but going isn't entirely a bad thing. Few things looks better on a resume than some military schools, a deployment, and experience as a first-line supervisor in a combat zone. I can only assume you Brits have something similar to the GI Bill so you can go get that degree after you get out.

I know I wasn't ready for college right after graduating high school and now I have some awesome technical training, a clear desire and drive to do something, the discipline to get it done, and some education assistance.

alarmingrick wrote:not Saying anything bad about what you said or did! i'm saying ask someone whos doing the job, instead of someone whos job is to get people to sign up.

Should have put a "" on the end to show that I was not having a go, just saying why I said what I did