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RAF v university

General discussions on joining & training in the Royal Air Force.
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Percypig
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RAF v university

Post by Percypig »

Hello all.


I have just finished my first year at university studying business management. I want to enter into the RAF as a personnel support officer.


I visited my local AFCO yesterday and after a thorough discussion with the officer there he said based upon our meeting he would be very happy to put me through to OASC now even before the end of my degree, and that I could be very successful in my application due to my roles of responsibility and work ethic.


My question is, would it be worth my while completing my degree before applying to the RAF or going for it now? I know that there are opportunities for forces personnel to continue education during employment, but are these few and far between or as easy to come by as the advertising makes out?

When I mentioned University Air Squadrons he did not seem to place much value on it other than to say they would be able to provide a good reference for OASC, performance dependent.


I would be grateful for some more points of view, especially from anyone who has been in similar junctions in their lives!


Thanks
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Hyperlithe
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Re: RAF v university

Post by Hyperlithe »

Personally speaking, I would say complete your degree. If you're good enough now you'll be good enough then, and you'll have a little more life experience. We do get learning credits, but in the first few years it isn't much, and you probably won't have the time anyway. (Certainly not during training!)
I've been in getting on for 9 years now and not had a chance to use any of mine yet...
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Percypig
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Re: RAF v university

Post by Percypig »

Hyperlithe wrote:Personally speaking, I would say complete your degree. If you're good enough now you'll be good enough then, and you'll have a little more life experience. We do get learning credits, but in the first few years it isn't much, and you probably won't have the time anyway. (Certainly not during training!)
I've been in getting on for 9 years now and not had a chance to use any of mine yet...
How many credits do you acquire a year? And what sort of courses can you use the, against?
I will continue my studies at university and take it all from there. Studying whilst working and bringing up the family sounds like a lot of work!
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Hyperlithe
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Re: RAF v university

Post by Hyperlithe »

I can't remember off the top of my head (having never had any!) but I think in the first 4 years it's about £300 a year of Basic Learning Credit, and then after that you get Enhanced Learning Credit as well, which is higher, but you have to use both of them for courses that you can show will be of benefit to the RAF. If the course you want to do is less than your learning credit then you lose the rest for that year, and if it's more, then you pay the difference yourself. Also, they only last the year, you can't carry them over.

That make sense?
You can have peace.
Or you can have freedom.
Don't ever count on having both at once.
***********************************
The life that I have
Is all that I have
And the life that I have
Is yours
Percypig
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Re: RAF v university

Post by Percypig »

Yeah that makes sense.

On the RAF careers website, one of the "day in the life of" interviewees says she has alsorts including gardening qualifications! Maybe she got those privately and was just super proud of them.
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