The Student Room Group

Joining the military whilst in uni

I’m currently in my first year at Warwick uni but I want to join the military (Navy Officer) and was thinking about leaving uni after my first year, joining the navy and continuing my degree part time. Any suggestions or tips? Thanks.
(edited 1 month ago)
Are there any medical issues that could stop you joining up? What's your plan if you aren't successful in applying to the Navy? If it's a career where you need a degree I would advise finishing your studies so you have a fallback plan.

Also, do you have enough examples of responsibility to demonstrate your leadership potential at interview? Would staying at uni and joining one of the uniformed organisations, helping with societies, doing sports or volunteering be of benefit?

A part-time degree is doable, but youve gog 30 weeks of basic training, then it very much depends on the professional training and your role as to how much time you'll have to dedicate to it.

Speaking as an ex-RAF Recruitment Officer.
Reply 2
I don’t have any medical issues and if I’m unsuccessful I’ll finish my degree as previously intended and likely try to find another job. The plan I’m thinking of is to continue doing my studies at the moment and apply for the Navy and if I’m successful then I’ll join the Navy, if not I’ll continue my studies.

In regard to the leadership experience, because of my age I don’t have much experience. I have shadowed the Leader of my Council though, as well as other work experiences with politicians. In sixth form for my project I taught a group of 20 students about the importance of democracy and took them on trips to the Welsh and UK Parliament.

I was thinking that if I am successful that I’ll take a gap year after my first year to do my training and once I’m finished I’ll continue my studies part time. I think this way could work very well as I’d have a new and improved work ethic post-training to be able to do my studies part time too.
Original post by TLEET
I don’t have any medical issues and if I’m unsuccessful I’ll finish my degree as previously intended and likely try to find another job. The plan I’m thinking of is to continue doing my studies at the moment and apply for the Navy and if I’m successful then I’ll join the Navy, if not I’ll continue my studies.
In regard to the leadership experience, because of my age I don’t have much experience. I have shadowed the Leader of my Council though, as well as other work experiences with politicians. In sixth form for my project I taught a group of 20 students about the importance of democracy and took them on trips to the Welsh and UK Parliament.
I was thinking that if I am successful that I’ll take a gap year after my first year to do my training and once I’m finished I’ll continue my studies part time. I think this way could work very well as I’d have a new and improved work ethic post-training to be able to do my studies part time too.

I'm not sure on the timescales for the Navy recruitment process. However, the actual stages of selection are just a few days in total. What if you fail the Aptitude Assesment and then have months to wait to go back to uni, or they say come back in 12 months time after the interview, which are genuine scenarios?

Age isn't a reason to not have had responsibility; they’ll want to know what opportunities you had and what you took. By 14 I'd done charity fundraising and cash-handling, prefect, mentoring for younger pupils and joined Air Cadets; with the latter I stayed on as an instructor, went to uni, joined UAS, was on committees for societies...

I don't understand your last paragraph; what do you mean by taking a gap year and continuing your studies part-time? If you join the Navy, you will leave uni, full stop. Not that there aren't options for study, as I've said, but you'll be fitting your studies around your job, especially if it isn't a degree that the Navy requires you to do for the role.
(edited 1 month ago)
You'll find fitting your degree around the Navy difficult if you intend to continue it, even part time. A couple extra years spent finishing your degree will benefit you both in making you more mature when you join, and also providing more options if it doesn't work out or you decide to leave
once you get into the navy you are not able to take a gap year. and as soon as you finish phase 1 training then it will be phase 2 and then onto deployments where it will be incredibly hard to finish your degree. At the end of the day what do you want to do? Also the navy will pay for you to get a degree if you do a certain amount of time with them https://www.enhancedlearningcredits.com/serving-personnel/claiming-publicly-personnel
Might be worth a look and consider what you want to do

Quick Reply