Graduate Level Professor

[Sapper Woody]

So, as some of you know, I will be retiring from the military soon. I am getting medically retired. The retirement pay I will be receiving will be about half of what I would need to earn without diminishing my current quality of living, so I'll be joining the civilian workforce once again.

I will be attending college (GI Bill) and have a couple career path choices ahead of me. I love teaching. That's one of the things I absolutely love about being an NCO - teaching soldiers about my job. So, I had considered majoring in physics, and becoming a science/math teacher, in the hopes of working my way up the ladder into a university one day.

Another path I am contemplating is becoming a veterinarian. (A veteran veterinarian, if you will!) I love animals, have a head for medicine, and the presence of animals greatly diminishes my PTSD symptoms.

Of course, I am praying about all this and keeping my mind open to other possible paths, such as reentering the ministry (nod of the head to John of Japan).

But, since in the midst of counsel there is great wisdom, I wanted to see if there was anyone experienced in these two fields that could shed some light on their difficulties/joys, likes/dislikes, etc. Anyone have anything to weigh in?

 

[Don]

What level of teaching? K-6? Middle school? High school? Community College or University? Or perhaps Technology Center? (What some of us used to call Vo-Tech)

 

[exscentric]

Hum teaching or veting - maybe you should be a pastor since you like to work with animals and the donkeys in churches need teaching

 

[preachinjesus]

Coupling together an honorable service record, which you certainly have, with a quality education, you could craft quite the presentable CV.

STEM degrees (physics would be part of that) are great to get, and if you're willing to put in the time and work you can definitely make it worth while.

Taking a couple of careful steps before you head into the next decade of work could be quite beneficial. Academia is a difficult place right now, lots of competing interests. It isn't nearly as glamorous as some think. However, there are great benefits of being part of it. Weigh your options carefully.

 

[Salty]

Sapper, you may want to consider a high school that Junior ROTC, and of course you could always consider DODEA