Passed my AST - now a problem

[metworldmike]

hi
well done on passing your test!!! i didnt have to do one because im going for a technical trade. If it was me i would take the air force job, if you hate college. I did A-levels and hated them from the start and wished i thought about the forces before. As the Corporal said its your life and up to you!!
For me personally there are loads of reasons why i want to join up now, ace qualifications meeting new people, every one in the air force that i ve met have been really cool. Just think of the positives and negatives of joining now. Well done again on passing for your trade!!

mike

[Boney_Gildroy]

Personally, id go into the RAF in January. Reason being you could gain the qualification your doing now (equivilent or better) in the RAF, also if for some reason you come out of the RAF you can always go back to a college and finish off what you started.

But on the flip side if your worried about coming out the RAF when in training you will only have your GCSE's. And if you do stay and finish your BTEC its something to fall back on, plus you can apply for the RAF at a later date ( no matter how long the wait )

It would be a risk to join now, but what hell of a risk with very very good conciquences!

Good scores by the way, you beat me!

[Andr3w]

* I am posting here as it is more of a problem than an RAF enquiry *

Hey guys, as I have posted before I have my RAF selection test today.... WHICH I PASSED , the top mark you needed to get the "hardest" ground trade was 68... I got 67 :p ... to do my trade which is communication and information systems specialist you needed 58... I aced it !!
(By the way it’s not a percentage or out of 100 or anything, just an over all mark)

Anyways to the problem.
I spoke to a Corporal who gave me my grades etc and we discussed what happens next, basically my trade is currently available and recruiting!
He said he would be able to get me an interview next week and if all goes well I would be starting my career in the RAF by December January !

The only thing is, i'm still at college doing a btec in software development that doesn’t finish till may/June next year, and I don’t get a qualification until I do the full 2 years.

I told him this and he said that it is completely my decision what I do, but if I put everything on hold until then, and come back that it proberly wont be available to me anymore and I could end up waiting 6-12-18-36months to get in which really is far too long


So what do I do? I really want to join the RAF and abosolutly hate my course at college but I have put alot of work in so far (getting merits and above).
Some people have said to me I won’t have any qualifications but GCSE's if I drop out, but when i’m in the RAF I will gain loads of qualifications including Cisco’s.

If I do decide to go in now I will still stay at college up until the day I go in just in case they turn around and say there is a problem with my medical etc.

Would you go in in January or finish college then possibly have to wait a year or more to go in?

[nirv101]

I did the same BTEC too and hated it so I switched to do A levels

But anyway do what I did if its all coursework just ask for the assignments and assesments etc that you need and complete them. You dont need to stay the full 2 years thats **** because the college gets more money the longer you stay.

You can still get the 1,2,3 A level equivilents if you ask for the extra work because to be honest btecs are nothing compared to A levels

From personal experience you can get it all finished if you put in the work then hand it in and join the RAF waiting for your certificates to come through


wish i'd joined but parents wont sign the forms so I have to wait. Do what you want to do, who wants a £50,000 job when you'll be bored out of ya tree

good luck

[Fawcett]

I'd say follow your heart matey, and im guessing that would be to join the RAF in January, i finished my first year of A-Levels in the summer holidays and had the same choice as you, either jack it in and join the forces or stay at school (holiday camp) for another year going out with mates and drinking. Some teachers decided to give me lectures about my potential and how i should be stopping at school, but i had been applying for the army for two years in the hope of getting a vacancy on a particular trade. This is a decision i am glad i made as i managed to get the trade i had wanted and had the full backing of my parents (which i know can be a bit of a problem area!)
I start on January 22nd 2007 as a Avionics Electrical Technician in the REME.
Anyway, good luck in which direction you choose to go in, and i'm sure you'll make the right choice