Navy or Uni??

[beky123]

Hi everyone :-D

I have just joined this and would love some advice..

I was at my local navy careers office today..I would like to apply for officer pilot..however the CO that was talking to me today has said there will be no openings for pilots til January..apparently the selection is extremely tough and there is already a list of people who have passed app tests etc etc..however he did say observer could be an option?
They told me all about the benefits of the navy and how great it is and it sounds like something I could see myself doing...

Then today I get home to discover I have 3 unconditional offers for uni...do I turn these down in the hope I get into the navy??

HELP!!!!

Any advice at all would be really appreciated

 

[Guzzler]

Go to university.

 

[Dr_Acula]

Lets see -

If you don't bother with Uni and try for the Navy, you could fail to get into the navy and be left with nothing.

If you go to Uni (it sounds like you're pretty bright getting 3 unconditional offers!), you will get a degree and have 3 more years for you to consider what you really want to do, or if anything better comes up!


As a side note, if you had already been accepted into the Navy and were considering Uni, I'd say do the Navy. But, as you've not yet started the application, it's too big a gamble.

Good luck!

 

[soleil]

Reading which subject at which Unis?

 

[NZ_Bootneck]

Reading which subject at which Unis?

Probably not a Batchelor of Decision Making.
WTF would you come onto an online unofficial site and ask for the opinions of people you don't know, or their authority for their opinions ie Serving Careers Advisor or Maccas Employee of the Month who has yet to even push open the door of an AFCO?
This will probably be one of the biggest decisions you'll ever make think about it yourself.

 

[NotmeChief]

Do both, Uni then RN

 

[ChrisJW]

Beki123, I am Uni at the moment and hopefully will go to Dartmouth in September, Uni I have found is a waste of time because there is only one thing I want to do and that is to join up, I find I am not focussed or interested anymore in what I chose to study and all the while you're there you will want to be training. If all doesn't go well with the Navy nothing is then stopping you going to Uni. That’s my advice! Best of luck.

 

[Ratcatcher]

I really don't think you will get an answer on here, I appreciate you wanting to ask for advice, but no-one knows you or what you're like. I'm currently just finishing my second year of Uni and am half way through the joining process. For me although obviously I really want to get on and join the Navy I think being at Uni whilst going through the application process means I'm not getting frustrated (as many others appear to be) with the time it takes and or waiting times as I have my degree to focus on. I imagine which ever you choose will work out fine as long as you put a lot into it and ultimately it probably won't make a lot of difference. I do suggest going to speak to your AFCO about waiting times and ask yourself what will you do with yourself during that period.

 

[Guzzler]

Come to think of it, join the Navy.

 

[supermario]

In honesty as a recruiter, Both have positive's. if you want to be a future fast jet pilot then you need to be applying as soon as possible to get on the waiting list and get yourself in as early as possible. You have rightly been informed that we are not taking any this year and only a small amount in 2012. There will always be a requirement for Pilots (Fixed wing and Rotary). If Pilot is really your desire, then be aware that the optimum age for a Fixed wing pilot to join is 18-21, any later and they miss the optimum age for flying, hence the reason the RN runs in-service degree schemes for pilots.

Going to uni will give you more life experiences for when you undertake selection for the RN, giving you a better chance of passing things like AIB (Admirality interview board) etc. If you go to uni you get a degree in a subject you want and hopefully will also be more employable outside the military later in life. Whilst at uni you could try to join a University royal naval unit (if they have one) or even try for a sponsorship form the RN for your place at uni (Very few sponsorship around at the moment).

At the end of the day only you can make the decision, but please look at the options and chat your decision through with family, friends and even your naval careers advisor.

Good luck

SM

 

[AndyStano]

I would definately reccomend Uni & RN, i have just finished my second year of my degree, and have also recently passed my RT, hoping to join the navy as a medical assistant as soon as i finish my degree, but with waiting lists and the like now you could probably finish Uni whilst waiting to join up, then if you decide to leave the navy in say 10 years or so, you have as a degree plus 10 years military experiance which should make you very employable

 

[ellebee]

I went to Uni, now joining the Navy. I absolutely loved Uni, had a great time, met some amazing people and had 3 years living away from home, initially with people I didn't know from Adam. I'd say accept the offer of Uni and if all goes well with you Officer Application, you can always leave at the end of first year and carry those credits you have earnt onto a similar degree through the Navy. Why not go back to your AFCO and tell them what you are thinking of doing at Uni and ask them what their honest opinion is? I find that the CA's are absolutely brilliant and have been nothing but helpful when I've popped in or rung them with a question. The more research you do into both sides, the better educated your decision will be and the more you will find it is the right one.

 

[Janus]

You're in the same position as me........want to join as a pilot but been told everything is on hold until next January.

Also had the same dillema as you as to go to Uni or wait until things started moving again. I've spoken to alot of people about my options - AFCO won't commit (and I can understand why) to an opinion whilst the school thinks I should go to Uni in September and if everything works out for the navy then drop the uni course. Problem I have with this option is that a)why rack up £4000 worth of debt for something I'm not seeing through and b) you can imagine the question at the AIB as to why I'm prepared to drop out of Uni ....demonstrating lack of commitment and staying power. Course if I dont' go to Uni in Sept then it buggers up their stats!

Having had a think about it, I've decided to accept two of my conditional offers and have decided to defer a year - plan being to either get a full time job or work more hours at the place I'm in now, and then I will either have a nice wad of cash to either blow if I get into the navy or to make my life easier at uni. I haven't told the unis that I'm planning to defer (just asked them when is the last date that I can) as if the defence review now being done makes the prospect of joining an even more distant dream then I might just decide to go to Uni now.

Of course I've had to think about the increase in tutition fees but luckily I live in a more enlightend part of the UK so they won't affect me...

 

[Tomahawk]

You're in the same position as me........want to join as a pilot but been told everything is on hold until next January.

Also had the same dillema as you as to go to Uni or wait until things started moving again. I've spoken to alot of people about my options - AFCO won't commit (and I can understand why) to an opinion whilst the school thinks I should go to Uni in September and if everything works out for the navy then drop the uni course. Problem I have with this option is that a)why rack up £4000 worth of debt for something I'm not seeing through and b) you can imagine the question at the AIB as to why I'm prepared to drop out of Uni ....demonstrating lack of commitment and staying power. Course if I dont' go to Uni in Sept then it buggers up their stats!

Having had a think about it, I've decided to accept two of my conditional offers and have decided to defer a year - plan being to either get a full time job or work more hours at the place I'm in now, and then I will either have a nice wad of cash to either blow if I get into the navy or to make my life easier at uni. I haven't told the unis that I'm planning to defer (just asked them when is the last date that I can) as if the defence review now being done makes the prospect of joining an even more distant dream then I might just decide to go to Uni now.

Of course I've had to think about the increase in tutition fees but luckily I live in a more enlightend part of the UK so they won't affect me...

I'm confused as to why the increased tuition fee's won't affect you. Do you mean the 2 uni's offer's your going to accept aren't putting their fee's up? In which case what Uni's are they? And what course are you going to do? And make sure the Uni's actually hold a place for you next year.

 

[Guzzler]

You're in the same position as me........want to join as a pilot but been told everything is on hold until next January.

Also had the same dillema as you as to go to Uni or wait until things started moving again. I've spoken to alot of people about my options - AFCO won't commit (and I can understand why) to an opinion whilst the school thinks I should go to Uni in September and if everything works out for the navy then drop the uni course. Problem I have with this option is that a)why rack up £4000 worth of debt for something I'm not seeing through and b) you can imagine the question at the AIB as to why I'm prepared to drop out of Uni ....demonstrating lack of commitment and staying power. Course if I dont' go to Uni in Sept then it buggers up their stats!

Having had a think about it, I've decided to accept two of my conditional offers and have decided to defer a year - plan being to either get a full time job or work more hours at the place I'm in now, and then I will either have a nice wad of cash to either blow if I get into the navy or to make my life easier at uni. I haven't told the unis that I'm planning to defer (just asked them when is the last date that I can) as if the defence review now being done makes the prospect of joining an even more distant dream then I might just decide to go to Uni now.

Of course I've had to think about the increase in tutition fees but luckily I live in a more enlightend part of the UK so they won't affect me...

You've got an unfair advantage though Janus.

 

[Janus]

The increased fees won't affect me as the Welsh Assembly have said they will pay the difference between what the fees are now and what the Uni (which ever one will let me in lol) charges. Will do Physics if I end up going.

(I do know that it will be unfair on other students from other parts of Britain - refuse to say the UK as we're not a united Kingdom any more but that's down to the politicans.)

Have spoken to the Unis and they're happy to defer the place for me - all I need do is to let them know.

 

[Guzzler]

No, I meant the two-headed thing.

 

[scouse]

Sound advice from Ellebee and Andy Re UNI. My two Sons had the time of the lives, whilst drinking, wenching, skylarking around to a Degree... Desmond 2.2 :-D Whilst not de crying, the CAs and AFCO, The chances, of making a fixed wing pilot in the FAA. Is to be brutal and honest zilch inmho ( You would stand a better chance of finding Lord Lucan!!!!!) Vacancies will still arise for Rotary wing pilots and observers, in the future..... best of luck with your career

 

[LaserRadial]

As everyone else has said there are pros and cons, I joined (and still am a middy) and from my perspective there is no great benefit in going to uni, getting a degree is NOT going to help you fly an aircraft/drive a warship better then a non-grad. Also by going through BRNC you come out the other side with a foundation degree, which can then be topped up by the open university to an honours degree. Of course there are other issues such as pay, Slt get on average around 300 quid more every month but then the flip side of that is most of them are paying off their loans from uni. Youll find plenty of subbies with a chip on their shoulder (and a stripe) because theve been to uni and therfore must know everything but to be honest it wont make much difference, especially in the early stages. However be ready for being the butt of all wardroom jokes for 2 years if you do want to Good luck with whichever option you go for!

 

[scouse]

A bit above your Paystation!! Snotty, with your knowledge, of the University of Life. My Snotty Buccaneer pilot, would have PHSL at your advice:sleepy2: