As it reaches the end of the year for high school students, all if not most seniors are contemplating what they want to do as a plan once they graduate. Most students decide to take the college route, while a tiny percentage decide to enlist in the military. Less than 1% of Americans have enlisted in the military, “there are about 1.3 million active-duty personnel, or less than one-half of 1 percent of the U.S. population.” (CFR). 

The military has a lot of benefits, most notably, providing tuition assistance to those who want to further their education. This being the Montgomery GI Bill and Post 9/11 GI Bill. A senior who recently enlisted in the United States Navy, Ethan Merril, says, “I joined the military for two reasons, to help me get an understanding of the aviation field and to give me the opportunity to see parts of the world that I would never see as a civilian.” This career may not be for everyone, but for those who join, it provides opportunities to see the world, has affordable health care and housing, and a list of other benefits.

Other than joining the military, some decide to go to college and other schools such as trade school. A senior, Lauren Hamel says, “I want to have a college experience and I have not looked into the military, it was never really on my mind.” Some choose to have a decent college experience rather than looking towards enlistment, or they may not like that lifestyle. There are experiences that people want to still have as they go to college rather than looking into the military, nevertheless, there are ways to make college and military life flexible with all of the benefits and opportunities that there are to offer for both college and military.