7 Tips to Veteran Success in College

Serving in the U.S. military is an awesome sacrifice and a noble step for anyone to take. The training, discipline, and threat to physical safety involved makes military service both challenging and rewarding. So if you’re one of the many military veterans looking to go to college and get a degree, you are likely used to doing good work to achieve excellent results, and you’re ready to bring a wealth of experience to your campus.

That said, getting a college education represents a whole different kind of challenge to serving in the military. It is a new environment that requires new skills and unique pressures. You should be excited about it because college is one of the great times in life, and it opens up a world of possibilities, but it’s okay to be a little nervous, too.

Hopefully, that’s exactly why you’re reading this. So let’s get started on some important tips for military personnel looking for student success.

Looking to back up a step and get some guidance on how to get into college in the first place? Be sure to check out our guide with tips for applying to college as a veteran.

Making the Transition From the Field to the Classroom

1. Get comfortable with the uncomfortable.

If you are applying to college as a veteran, one of the first things you’ll notice is how much you need to know and how many choices must be made just so you can be a student. People around you will talk quickly and comfortably about choosing their classes, moving into their dorms, or finding places to eat, work out, and study. You might feel a little behind. 

Rest assured that this feeling is the same for every new student, even if those around you who aren’t veterans seem to have a better handle on things. While you have a lot of details to work out, there’s always someone there to help. 

Julie Carballo, director of veteran and military-affiliated student services at North Central College, has seen the struggle for academic success many times. She says it’s strange enough for military service members to enter civilian life at all, much less higher education institutions.  As she puts it, being a student veteran doesn’t necessarily make you feel like a “veteran student.” 

“One of the most common comments I hear from new student veterans is ‘I bet I'm the only one in my class that hasn't been in school for over four years,’” she said. “Understandably, this is challenging and requires the student veteran ‘get comfortable with the uncomfortable’ initially and know that it will pass.”

2. Get involved.

Walking around a college campus can look strange when coming out of the service. Many of the things military students are used to taking for granted don’t exist outside of ROTC facilities--no uniforms (depending on where you’re going to school, of course), no salutes, no drills. Instead of officers, you’re talking to professors. Instead of ranks, people tend to identify themselves by their year in school. And instead of one large organization where everyone is a member, there are numerous organizations all around you, from majors to athletic teams to groups with common interests and backgrounds.

This can feel overwhelming, but not if you look at it as an opportunity. There is more to college than just the education benefits. Going to college gives you a chance to reinvent yourself. You can think in a whole new way about where you want your life to go, how you want to spend your time, and who you want to meet.

U.S. Marine Officer Chris Walker writes in Veteran Life about how important it is to embrace activities and peers: “So many vets want to take a step back from responsibility after leaving active duty and starting school because they are tired. This does you and your community a disservice because you have a wealth of knowledge and experience that you can share.

“Student and community organizations are a great way to meet new friends, network, and build lasting relationships that could ultimately benefit your career. Getting involved will help develop those community leadership skills and look great on a resume.”

Carballo adds that it helps to think ahead. “Be proactive in utilizing resources and developing study and time management strategies,” she said. As soon as you figure out your course schedule and what you might want to do with your free time, start thinking about what your daily routine will be. Plan out your days and weeks, giving yourself time to get from one place to another and leaving plenty of hours for sleeping and relaxing. This will help you have a plan for each day–and make this different environment and experience start to feel more familiar and, eventually, comfortable.

Potential Challenges

3. Stay true to you. 

The importance of a chain of command and the demands of duty are core concepts to military service. The college environment is very different, but it can be hard to shake those ideas from your mind. That can create difficulties for student veterans.

You may think that in order to fit in, you’ll be expected to turn away from the principles you learned in the service. Or you may go the other direction, thinking everyone expects you to represent a higher standard and be an example to others.

The answer is more likely to be somewhere in between those extremes. You need to be yourself and let others do the same. If your values lead you to make different choices than others about your interests, views, opinions, and subjects of conversation, that’s great. Stand up for what you believe in and let everyone else have that same chance. Just remember to always be respectful.

Walker said that expectations of student veterans might be different than for other students, so it’s key to leave your ego at the door: “Recognize that this is a new arena and you are here to learn. You have probably dealt with a lot more responsibility than most of (your peers), and you’ll probably be made group leader of every project, but that doesn’t mean you know everything. Being a good leader means recognizing each group member’s strengths and values. Peer leadership is the hardest kind, and you can develop it here.” That said, if you’re not comfortable taking on a leadership role or you feel people are expecting too much of you, politely let them know that.