DanHalen
Well-known member
I'm always curious about other peoples background especially if they're ex-military.
What branch were you in?
Did you go to engineering school before or after the military?
Did the military help you with your studies?
How did you come to the conclusion you wanted to be an engineer?
After I got out of the Navy I went back to school on the GI Bill. The transition from the military to the civilian world was difficult for me. It took about 5 years to readjust to where I could sleep well at night (depression, anxiety, and PTSD). When I was in college I saw many kids who were there because their parents wanted them to be there. They were whiny brats that wanted to stay out all night and that use to piss me off. These little $hits have everything given to them and I'm having to bust my @$$ to get what I have.
My professors seemed to enjoy group projects and I hated those very much. I was always paired up against my will with some phucktard that wanted to wait until the night before an assignment was due to work on the group project. Most group projects wouldn't be due for several weeks but I'm the type that will have it done by the weekend and have a week or two to groom the project/report. That doesn't sit well with some of the procrastinators and slackers. The military in me pushes me to get it done ASAFP! No matter how hard I try to relax, procrastinate, and take it slow I can't.
When I got out of the Navy I worked as a treatment plant operator and had the pleasure/misfortune (depending on how you look at it) dealing with a civil engineer. He was a graduate of a big state university, quick to tell you how much smarter he is than you, and an arrogant prick. He had zero people skills, at least 112 years old, and should have retired back in the 70's. My plant was failing permit requirements miserably due to dilapidated equipment. He was hired to help determine what the reason was that we were failing our permit requirements (that was the town's decision not mine). His solution was to wash down the weirs on our clarifier in the middle of January where temperatures was -10 degrees F with 3 feet of snow on the ground. The yard hydrant had a block of ice the size of a Volkswagen - yeah like I'm going to be able to wash anything down with that. The weirs were clean anyway and he was obviously grasping for some kind of answer. I reported my findings to my supervisor and it wasn't long after that the engineer was let go. I knew that guy had to be making at least 4x more than me and I knew that I could do his job better than he could. That's why I decided to go back to school.
Without the training and discipline I got in the military I'm not sure that I would have made it through school. It's tough and almost everyone I went to school with said it was difficult, so I know it just wasn't me. I didn't particularly enjoy college all that much and felt like I had to whore myself out to those little gods known as professors to get decent grades. I was able to get out of some of the liberal studies classes (thank God!) but still had a few. If you didn't give a liberal slant toward your papers then your grade would take a huge hit. I try to look at things as facts, black and white, and base my opinion from that. I learned quickly that doesn't sit well with some professors. It's behind me now and thank goodness it's over.
I'm grateful to have been able to serve and don't regret the decision to leave. My command pushed hard to get me to reenlist but I'd had enough and was tired of the 16+ hour workdays 7 days a week for months on end while at sea nearly 10 months out of the year. It wasn't for me but it's helped me in many ways and hurt in others. I have deep emotional issues that will never heal and also service connected disability. My neighbor has a son that is 17 and wants to join the Army. He's always asking me about the military and should he/shouldn't he join. My answer is this, "I have memories that I wouldn't take for a millions dollars and wouldn't give you a nickel to relive one minute."
What branch were you in?
Did you go to engineering school before or after the military?
Did the military help you with your studies?
How did you come to the conclusion you wanted to be an engineer?
After I got out of the Navy I went back to school on the GI Bill. The transition from the military to the civilian world was difficult for me. It took about 5 years to readjust to where I could sleep well at night (depression, anxiety, and PTSD). When I was in college I saw many kids who were there because their parents wanted them to be there. They were whiny brats that wanted to stay out all night and that use to piss me off. These little $hits have everything given to them and I'm having to bust my @$$ to get what I have.
My professors seemed to enjoy group projects and I hated those very much. I was always paired up against my will with some phucktard that wanted to wait until the night before an assignment was due to work on the group project. Most group projects wouldn't be due for several weeks but I'm the type that will have it done by the weekend and have a week or two to groom the project/report. That doesn't sit well with some of the procrastinators and slackers. The military in me pushes me to get it done ASAFP! No matter how hard I try to relax, procrastinate, and take it slow I can't.
When I got out of the Navy I worked as a treatment plant operator and had the pleasure/misfortune (depending on how you look at it) dealing with a civil engineer. He was a graduate of a big state university, quick to tell you how much smarter he is than you, and an arrogant prick. He had zero people skills, at least 112 years old, and should have retired back in the 70's. My plant was failing permit requirements miserably due to dilapidated equipment. He was hired to help determine what the reason was that we were failing our permit requirements (that was the town's decision not mine). His solution was to wash down the weirs on our clarifier in the middle of January where temperatures was -10 degrees F with 3 feet of snow on the ground. The yard hydrant had a block of ice the size of a Volkswagen - yeah like I'm going to be able to wash anything down with that. The weirs were clean anyway and he was obviously grasping for some kind of answer. I reported my findings to my supervisor and it wasn't long after that the engineer was let go. I knew that guy had to be making at least 4x more than me and I knew that I could do his job better than he could. That's why I decided to go back to school.
Without the training and discipline I got in the military I'm not sure that I would have made it through school. It's tough and almost everyone I went to school with said it was difficult, so I know it just wasn't me. I didn't particularly enjoy college all that much and felt like I had to whore myself out to those little gods known as professors to get decent grades. I was able to get out of some of the liberal studies classes (thank God!) but still had a few. If you didn't give a liberal slant toward your papers then your grade would take a huge hit. I try to look at things as facts, black and white, and base my opinion from that. I learned quickly that doesn't sit well with some professors. It's behind me now and thank goodness it's over.
I'm grateful to have been able to serve and don't regret the decision to leave. My command pushed hard to get me to reenlist but I'd had enough and was tired of the 16+ hour workdays 7 days a week for months on end while at sea nearly 10 months out of the year. It wasn't for me but it's helped me in many ways and hurt in others. I have deep emotional issues that will never heal and also service connected disability. My neighbor has a son that is 17 and wants to join the Army. He's always asking me about the military and should he/shouldn't he join. My answer is this, "I have memories that I wouldn't take for a millions dollars and wouldn't give you a nickel to relive one minute."
