Guided rocket

[Andrew_ASC]

You can with ROTC. It’ll be an added stressor if you chose engineering. They aren’t fond of you failing many classes.

 

[Marcus Deletus]

I thought of studying while I am in the military. Do you think that would work? I thought I would study the last 2 year's of my 4 year service and then continue with the GI bill.

 

[jlabrasca]

I thought of studying while I am in the military. Do you think that would work? I thought I would study the last 2 year's of my 4 year service and then continue with the GI bill.

Marcus you are getting pretty far away from your original topic and this is probably not a very good place to be asking about your options for paying for college.

I teach at a college and if you were to ask me these questions, I would refer you to the folks in the guidance and/of financial aid offices.

It is a terrifyingly complicated question, and any useful answer someone might offer will depend upon so many details about your personal situation that you absolutely should not share with strangers on the internet.

Maybe start here?

https://www.consumerfinance.gov/paying-for-college/

But seriously, go find a professional who's job it is to help young people figure out how to get to college.

 

[boatgeek]

Thanks for the career advice! I was not sure what major is needed for such a job. I find it amusing that there are people on here attempting to make scramjet missiles and ICBMs. I personally would only want to work in defense systems. I do not want to live with the idea that my creation could be used to kill hundreds of thousands of people. Plus, I think defense would be a more challenging field, especially with the scram jet hype that has been building up the last few years. The gliders seem like a perfect idea since I plan on joining both the local rocketry and aeronautics (RC) club. It will likely take me some time to get my own project going though. I am in high school and am taking multiple advanced placement courses that demand a heavy work load, leaving me with little time and opportunity to get a job to fund these projects.

As you're looking at what you want to major in, I'd encourage you to go look at the jobs websites for Blue Origin, Boeing, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Raytheon, etc. Most of what's posted will be for people with a few years of experience (they typically hire new college grads through a separate application), but it will show you what skills various places are looking for. They are looking for lots of different kinds of engineers. Also, be aware that if you go to work for a "defense" contractor, you will almost certainly be working on offensive weapons. That may or may not be ICBMs, but they are more likely than not intended to kill people. That doesn't mean you shouldn't work there or that it's not an honorable job--just be aware going in. Likewise, if you're in tank maintenance in the Army, you're working on offensive (and defensive) systems.

Aerospace companies don't tend to hire interns until between junior and senior years of college. Until then, students don't tend to have enough classwork to be useful. In the meantime, do full time work (paid or volunteer) over the summer in something tangentially related to the field. Be a counselor at summer camps at the local science center, work in a machine shop even if you're just sweeping up, whatever. You want to have full time work on your resume when you apply for internships. If you do come from tank maintenance, having worked in a maintenance shop will probably be a big plus for a future engineering employment. Building and fixing things makes you a far better designer since you know what the guy in the field needs.

You're doing it right now--focusing on studies and having rockets as a second priority.

Here is my situation. I was lazy my first two years of highschool and my GPA was barely enough to get into any college. I started trying my junior year and got straight As for pretty much the entire year. I took honors physics, chemistry, precalculus and English. I am now taking AP chem, calc, and literature. I want to self study the AP physics courses but it's hard, especially AP physics 1 and 2 becuase they are very conceptual. I predict my GPA to be around 3.5 by the end of my senior year if I keep up the straight As throughout the AP classes.

I was the lead person hiring engineering interns at my old company. I would be a lot more interested in someone who had a rough time and turned it around than someone who hasn't struggled. Everyone finds a time when they can't skate by on talent anymore and they struggle. For me, it was winter quarter of freshman year, when I failed DiffEQ. As a hiring manager, I want my hires to have hit that wall and found their way through. From a purely selfish perspective, I don't want them to hit that wall and maybe not get through while they're working for me.

When you're in college, take more writing classes than you have to. If you go into the military, volunteer for effective communications classes. About 50% of an engineer's work is communicating what they've done to internal and external clients. An engineer who can communicate well is worth a lot. I don't think your communication skills are bad, particularly for a high school senior. It's always something useful to have though.

How to pay for college is way beyond my pay grade. Definitely get professional advice.

 

[Andrew_ASC]

He needs the bursar or financial aid officer at a college. They will likely set him up with a nice scholarship for four years grade dependent. Partly paying for mostly tuition. Living expenses will be the struggle to pay for. They have ROTC programs, work study options, co-ops, and internship references. Lastly you can always ask your parents about this decision. They helped me when times were tough. Working summer jobs helps. There were a few friends of mine in ROTC while in college. The school had a program with the Army. It was simple the army wanted to pay students to go to college but after graduation they became officers with a service agreement. A commitment sorta deal. Your armed services recruiter may have more info on ROTC options at the universities you chose. It’s best to go see the college in person and ask a bunch of questions after you get accepted. In Tennessee they have the hope scholarship fund a statewide fund for high schoolers above a 2.75gpa. That’s where my scholarship funds came from. In your state it may vary.

 

[BarbaraConstantine]

I really didn't think my English was that bad. I have been living in the US for around 17 years. I was always better with numbers than I was with words though. I even signed up for an advanced literature course to improve my grammar and writing, but they don't grade based on grammar or spelling, only essay structure like https://edubirdie.org/ .

Speaking about the essays of any type, you must pay attention to the details connected to life with such part. So if you are looking for the possibility to make sure with these guys, it is the best solution.