Back to School
From dealing with civilian teenage students to learning good study habits, we’ll show you how to get the most out of your GI Bill and enjoy the college experience.
By Matthew Pavelek

Making the transition from active duty military service to full-time college student can be challenging for many veterans, most of whom are a little older, and certainly more experienced, than many of their fellow freshman.

Michael Dakduk, president of the Student Veterans of America, said more military students than ever are taking advantage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits they’ve earned by going to college after they leave the service.

“Oftentimes these student veterans have multiple combat deployments, are married, and may have children,” Dakduk said. “They now find themselves sitting next to 18- and 19-year-old traditional students in a college setting. The acclimation process is certainly far more complex given the wide array of experiences and the new setting a student veteran may find him or herself in.”

The G.I. Jobs team talked to student veterans – folks just like you who wore the uniform and went through that transition – so you can learn from their experience.

We also talked to education professionals at some of the most Military Friendly Schools® across the country to identify the resources that can help you succeed when you get to school.

One Step at a Time
Bob Kaminski is a Marine Corps vet who also served with the National Guard. He deployed to Afghanistan in 2006 as an infantryman and was medically retired in 2009. Kaminski, 31, works full-time for the Transportation Safety Administration arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as a transportation security inspector and is pursuing an online degree in criminal justice from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. Kaminski said he was concerned he might not be ready to jump into a degree program full time, so he decided to take one or two classes each semester to avoid placing too great of a burden on himself.

“The biggest challenge is when I first got started I was just getting back into the school mentality,” Kaminski said. “Kicking in doors in Iraq is exciting and stressful in its own way, but getting into school is daunting because you don’t know what to expect. I still take it one step at a time. They suggested that I start out as a part-time student to see what I can handle and then step it up if I could do more.”

Not all military students will share Kaminski’s work obligations and many will have the time and opportunity to jump right in with a full course load of 15 credits or more. Kaminski stressed the importance of effective time management, regardless of the number of credits attempted.

“Take managing your time seriously,” he advised. “Understand how to devote the proper amount of time to your studies. Also, find out what resources are available to you at your school and take advantage of everything that’s there to help you get the help you need. If you need help, get it early.”

Proper Preparation
In the military you were taught the value of proper preparation and planning before any mission. Your education is no different. Faith Ann DesLauriers, director of University Veterans’ Affairs at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, said many veterans fail to accurately assess their readiness to enter the classroom.

“For the traditional age students out of high school, being academically prepared for college level courses and adjusting to being away from home and their support systems seem to be the major challenges,” DesLauriers said. “For veterans, academic preparation is also a challenge as many have been away from the classroom for years. In contrast to traditional-aged students, veterans find it difficult adjusting back to civilian life, especially integrating into classrooms with traditional-aged students with whom they feel they have little in common.”

Nathaniel Donnelly, veteran’s coordinator at San Diego State University’s (SDSU) Joan and Art Barron Veterans Center, said the center works to address these issues and offers a wealth of services and information geared to student veterans.

“Resources include priority registration, a general studies class for military veterans, a VetSuccess representative, as well as general administrative support to provide assistance to student veterans,” Donnelly said.          

Strength in Numbers
SDSU also offers a Student Veteran Organization dedicated to facilitating academic success by mentoring veterans and providing any necessary support. It also promotes camaraderie through social events and encourages personal growth.

Don Accomando, director of Military Programs at Duquesne University, said this type of networking with other veterans students is crucial for new students coming on to campus.

“They really need to have that support network,” Accomando said. “There isn’t a shirt or banner that says ‘I was in the military,’ so sometimes it’s difficult for military students to find the other students on campus they can relate to.”

Accomando is currently working with university officials to develop a specific battle buddy or wingman program that would pair each new military student with a fellow veteran student who’s been around for a year or two.          

Leading the Charge
Cleveland State University’s Veteran Student Success Program (VSSP) is one of the best and most encompassing programs in the country devoted to serving military students. Robert Shields, coordinator of the VSSP, said the program serves as a central information point for all veterans.

“It assists the admissions office with the application process and orientation programs to quickly engage veterans entering the university,” Shields said. “It works with the tutoring service to provide vet-on-vet tutoring, particularly during the first year of college. This allows tutoring while also serving as another means for adjusting to the university culture through discussion with a veteran who has been in school for over a year.”

In addition, the VSSP assists veterans through every step of the college process – from enrolling while still overseas to assisting in the application, transcript and advising processes. There is a full-time staff of six people, as well as a representative from the VA, who can answer any question or issue that arises concerning education benefits.

CSU also has a chapter of the Student Veterans of America that carries out service projects and provides a social venue for veteran students. The VSSP also provides a dayroom for veterans, which features computers, printers and other amenities veterans can use to study, have discussions and eat lunch or dinner.

Prime Example
Two years ago, Jay Haugen returned from a deployment in Afghanistan. He’d already worked through three deployments to Iraq in 2004, 2007 and 2008. Haugen, 31, left the Air Force with plans to use the skills and leadership he learned in the military to land a great job in corporate America. But he knew he needed to learn the best way to leverage that experience and marry it with the right education to set him apart from his peers in a competitive job market.

“I chose to go to business school rather than immediately starting a new career because I needed to learn how business people behave,” said Haugen, who is in the second year of the Master of Business Administration program at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. “I had to work hard to adapt to the culture at business school. At one point, I actually Googled ‘business casual’ because I didn’t know what it meant.”

Although Haugen already earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin in 2002 and is succeeding in one of the most competitive MBA programs in the country, he, like so many other transitioning veterans, still had to work hard to acclimate to college life after the military.

“I needed to moderate the way I talked to people, I had to get used to people showing up late for things, I had to purchase a whole new wardrobe of clothes, and had to get a new style of haircut for the first time in 10 years,” Haugen said. “It took time and effort to adapt, but I now pass convincingly for a civilian.” 

• Visit militaryfriendlyschools.com to find the schools that offer the program and resources that meet your needs.
• Make a list of 4-6 of the schools that best fit your needs.
• Visit the schools’ websites and talk to an admissions counselor to answer any questions you may have. Schedule a campus tour for two or three finalists.
• Research the school’s transfer policy to see how any military credits it will accept for your military training and experience. Ask a school representative to review your transcripts to avoid misunderstandings later.
• Be sure to submit an application ahead of the submission deadline for the semester you want to start. Make sure you have all your military documents available so you don’t hold up any VA benefits you’ve earned.
• Apply for financial aid using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.ed.gov and enter your school’s institution code.
• Contact the school’s financial aid office to learn about any scholarships or other options in addition to VA benefits.
• Meet with the VA counselor to make sure your education benefits paperwork is complete and you get the maximum benefits you’ve earned.
• Visit the student veteran’s center to apply for any resources it providesand look into the VA work study program.
• Determine if there is a specific veteran student orientation and plan to attend. You should attend the general orientation in either case to become more acquainted with the school.
• Determine if any veterans-only courses are available and register for them when you plan your schedule for the semester.
• Join your school’s student veteran’s organization. If there isn’t one, start one!
• Seek out other veteran students to show you the ropes and answer any remaining questions.
• Seek out other veteran freshmen so you can share your wisdom with them.
  

1. Take what you can handle. Maybe take a few credits at a time and see what you can handle.
2. Take managing your time seriously. Understand how to devote the proper amount of time to your studies.
3. Find out what resources are available to you at your school and take advantage of everything that’s there to help you. If you need help, get it early.
   

Jay Haugen’s advice

1. You are not in the military any more. Universities are very different from the military, and you should embrace the change rather than fight it. Pay attention to how often your peers talk about their old job – are you talking about the military more often than them?
2. Take advantage of the military brand. Most people have a generally high opinion of veterans. Embrace their positive projections (you are disciplined, punctual, confident) and avoid the negative images (you are autocratic, closed-minded, gruff).
3. Don’t underestimate your peers. I made the mistake of thinking my life experiences were more valuable than those of some of my classmates. It turns out that I go to school with some really smart people who have done some really neat things and I can learn a lot from them.
   

Advice from Military Friendly Schools Administrators
Annie Dolan, assistant director of Masters Admissions for the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University, offered these tips for military students interested in business school:

1. Take your time and do your research to make sure you find the right program and school for you – fit is very important. Think about how you might thrive in an academic setting. Ask yourself these questions:
   • Do you like a large class, or a small class?
   • How much interaction do you need/want with faculty?
   • What kind of diversity are you looking for?
   • What is the culture of the school community?
     
     
   Also, think about the types of career counseling options that are available for you, as well as what companies are recruiting.
   
   
2. Education is an investment, so don’t rule out a school simply based on the cost. The faculty, career opportunities and alumni network might be worth the extra tuition dollars.
3. Find a mentor. This could be another military student who is already in the program, or a faculty or staff member on campus. They can help you navigate the ropes, as well as offer you support and advice as you make the transition.
   
   

Robert Rosenbalm, associate dean of Distance Learning Outreach for Dallas County Community Colleges, offered these tips for new military students:

1. Look for an accredited school that is also a member of the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) to ensure you can transfer your credits to other schools.
2. Ask for help. You’re not in this alone.
3. Connect with your school’s veterans support club, but never underestimate the compassion and desire to help veterans and service members from those who have not served. We all owe you and we want you to be successful.
   
   

Susan Meyer, director of the MSBA and MAcc Programs at Colorado State University, offered three tips:

1. Find an institution that is interested in you and works with you as an asset, not another admission. You will know this by the speed and completeness of the school’s responses to your questions and staff members’ encouragement in pursuing your academic goals. Be appreciative if they say “this may be for you because …” and then ask for advice for other directions to meet your goals.
2. Stay close to your academic advisor and professors. It is not a sign of weakness to ask for help. Rather, it’s seen as a proactive approach to wanting to do well. These people want to get to know you and your specifics related to school. You are not expected to be always able to solve the problem without outside assistance. Ask for help BEFORE you are in trouble academically and cannot overcome what has already been done. Most professors are very willing to work with students.
3. Don’t give up or take a different path than your academic or career goal. Ask for help, guidance and assistance; look for alternatives. If one school cannot help, find another. Be sure to attend a school that is regionally accredited so your employment options after graduation are not limited.