college/qualifications

[mitch_boxing]

Hi,

I was wondering how some of you stay motivated to do college or university when you know that what your going to do after college isnt even relevant to the career as a marine. For example, some people go to university and try for degrees in physical education or sports science but these degrees arent even going to relate to your future career because your going to be a royal marine. I would love to get some backup in the way of qualifications, at the moment im doing really well on a sports science course but if I wanted any qualifications for backup when im in the marines, I would need to do another 2 years after 1 more year of the course im on now, and go for my personal trainer and fitness instructor award.

So my main question here is how do you people stay focused and motivated on something that wont really have any effect on your life, unless you left the marines and needed to start a new career, for me this would be personal training/fitness instructor. I am very enthusiastic about the marines and I feel like I should be down there in CTCRM now . I suppose im gonna have to stick with it and wait until I got some backup. So boring though haha.

Thanks,

Mitch

[JCAP3]

Bugger me, i barely had an ounce of motivation to continue with college and study with my head in a book. Like you I did sports science and did very well in it but thats all that kept me going and not thinking to hell with it and joining as a recruit. Lucky for me though there was a gym in my college and I met with a few people who were also joining up so we spent most of the day training.

[ben1]

i studied sports science and dropped it because i realised i didnt want to do that, fair play to you mate sticking to gte your qualifications, i dont know how old you are but you also seem pretty young and seem to have plenty of time to do the things you want to do in your life so best opf luck with it, if i could of changed things maybe i would have carried on with my schooling for a bit because i have no real qualifications but i was never one for school i wanted to have a laugh to much and didnt want to take learning too seriously and look back at my life thinking yes i'm earning lots of money but i didnt have a laugh as a kid so i've grown up a bit bored! your time will come though mate so just do what you think is best for you to do!
Ben

[MrC]

So my main question here is how do you people stay focused and motivated on something that wont really have any effect on your life

But it will have a direct effect on my life. Just because you don't work in the field you studied, doesn't mean you're not putting a degree (or other qualification) to good use. A lot of potential officers will tell you in the interviews, you are recommended to finish university as it helps gain valuble life skills which will be utilised in the Marines as an officer (eg. meeting deadlines, writing reports, presentations and speaking to groups etc).

Not only that, but even after 22 years service, i'll still be 44, which leaves another 20+ years of a career in civvy street. Many companies offer a direct graduate scheme which you can enter managerial level with a degree in any discipline, which instantly puts you ahead of a lot of people. So even if the Royal Marines doesn't work out for me for whatever reason, i'll still have the qualifications to work at a career with good pay/benefits.

[xcj]

Im doing sports science aswell... "sport and mickey mouse science" as some people trying to wind me up call it.


I don't know where i'm going with it if im honest, its ok but do i really want to have a career in it?

I wouldn't do it again if i was starting over again.

[nufc_rulz]

I just finished a 2 year btec in public services and it was quality i finished with a dd which is worth 240 ucas points. But im only going for recruit. Dont ask me why its just what i want to do and we will see what happens later on in life.

[TAFFY]

Graduated with a 2:2 hins degree in Sports Science with Psychology in '05 & in all honesty it hasn't benefited me at all career wise. Spent years looking for jobs which my degree might help me with but with no success. Just passed selection for the fire brigade, I'm not saying having a degree didn't help but it wasn't a requirement. In hindsight would definitely have picked a different degree, 1 where you can actually get a job after all those years of expense & study. As you can tell I'm quite bitter about it, especially when you realise you are currently doing a job with other people who didn't make the effort academically & especially when you realise people who you know are in a better position than you career wise & they didn't even stay in school.

[ali_hire]

I can definately see your point of view and I personally think that higher education is well overrated. I know too many people who have studied for 3-4 years, got themselves a big student debt and then have struggled to find work (or at least the sort of work they were studying for).

In my current line of work I come into contact with a fair few 'well-off' people (some of them are stinking rich!) and having spoken to them, most of them never went even went to college.

[mitch_boxing]

I think sports science can be a useful starting point for anyone wanting to go onto fitness inst and/or personal training. However sports science degree seems like a waste of time in the real world unless you do a masters in psychology or biomechanics. Best to try leisure management degree but make sure you get the fitness inst and personal trainer award first so at least you got some backup just incase degree dont work out as youd like.

Cheers for replys

Mitch

[ben1]

I personally think that it doesnt matter to much about getting qualifications, if you've got two people applying for a job, one-somebody who has just graduated and got his degree or two-somebody who has no qualifications but a lot of experience I think that it could swing in favour of any of the people dependant on what the employer wants, I think apprenticeships are probably the best thing to go for at the minute if your staying in education for the simple fact that you get the training, and the qualifications at the end, therefore you are getting the best of both the men in the interview so-to-speak! if that doesnt make any sense then please feel free to just ignore it!