Firsthand Experiences

Education Officer

In her 20+ years in military education training, Master Sergeant Vanessa Riley-Moore has seen and heard it all: disciplined and undisciplined degree seekers, soldiers trying to squeeze in a degree before they retire, enlisted men and women looking to become officers. Really, name the goal or problem and as long as it is education-related she’s had a client with it. But even with each client’s unique needs and situation, Sergeant Riley-Moore says there is a common thread-at least among those who are successful in their quest for a degree.

“Make sure going to college is what you really want to do. Whatever degree program you select, make sure you’re really interested in it. Otherwise you’ll get sick of it and drop out. You don’t want to see that happen, and neither do I.”

Knowing what you want sounds like common sense. After all, do you really want to invest a large amount of your time as well as some money (the military doesn’t pay for everything) in something you’re not interested in? But experience has shown Sergeant Riley-Moore it is anything but. “Many people I see have no idea what they want or, if they know what they want, they don’t know why they want it. The why is just as important because it could make one degree program more suitable for you and your goals than another.”

“If you haven’t put in the time to figure out the what and the why, chances are you will bump around from degree program to degree program, wasting time, credits and money.”

If you’re not yet sure of your what and why, fear not; you’ll find plenty of resources both online and at your base education training facility to help you figure it out. Skills and personality inventory tests determine careers you might like. On your own, talk with commanding officers about military career goals and advancement opportunities.

It may be difficult to imagine your life 10 or 20 years down the road, but Sergeant Riley-Moore says that is what you have to do. “You want this degree to set you up for life, so make sure to consider the fact that what you study is what you could spend much of the rest of your professional life doing.”

Once you know what you want and why you want it (e.g., to become more marketable in the civilian sector, to get out of the enlisted trenches, to change departments), many other things fall into place. “When you know what you’re looking for, it is easier to find,” Sergeant Riley-Moore says. “There are so many different degree programs out there it can be overwhelming, but you eliminate a majority of them when you know the specifics of what you want.”

And knowing what you want to do makes it easier to deal with unexpected bumps in the application and enrollment process as well as sustain motivation throughout the course of your degree. “When you’re not sure whether this is what you want to do, any problems that arise—from an old school not sending transcripts to the new school to financial matters—are much more likely to dampen your spirit than when you are sure about what you’re doing.”

“A degree can do so much for you in and out of the military, but you want it to be working for you and not setting you up for a lifetime of something you don’t like or aren’t interested in.”