Veterans start over as colleges ignore experience

[Mitch]

When I retired in 1987 – I decided to go back to school and get a Bachelors Degree. The closest State School to me was the University of North Texas (UNT) in Denton, Texas. I attempted to parley as much of my military experience as I could – but they were surprisingly indifferent to most of the things I had done in the Military. The folks at UNT actually laughed at me when I tried to say that the AA had to be worth 60 credit hours. They said: “You took one course there – we will give you 3 hours for it.” They ultimately gave my 15 hours for DLI, 9 hours for three non General CLEP tests I took, and perhaps another 9 hours for actual college courses I had taken at one point or another.

Eventually, I signed up with UNT. I found myself taking remedial math (becausemy math skills were so week, I had not studied any since High School). The remedial math was a non credit class – just a refresher to get me up to speed so I could take College Algebra. I took freshman English, History, Math, Literature, more Math, more English, More History and even another Government class. Each one of these classes were taken with my butt in a chair in a class room sitting next to kids at least 20 years younger.

I spent the next two years, going to school – Ultimately, I took 93 hours in two years. I graduated with a BS in December 89. Had they given me more credit for my life experience, I certainly would have taken it. But there is a second dilemma here that you need to understand. When you go for a specific degree, you follow a degree plan pre-set by the school – if your “life experience” credits don’t match up with that plan – then those credits can only be used as an elective. That was the case with me – the plan I took (Engineering Technology) did not need any German Language – so all that went for Electives – which just about used up all my electives for the four year degree.

So what’s the point – I think I already proved that if I could have taken a quicker way, I would have (the AA degree). But when I finished my Bachelors, I actually experienced my continued education over time – one course would build on a previous one. I got to know Professors, they got to know me– I knew I had done all the work and I had learned something in each class I took. I learned enough to go out and get a job in my field of study and have remained employed in that field for the past 20 years.

Didn’t want to blow my own horn this way – but just letting you know that you have choices and you are the consumer when it comes to how you want to spend both your time and your money for your education – you can go to GMC and get a piece of paper, and little else. Or you can go to your nearest State or Private University, sit in a class room, and start adding new stuff to your brain, along with those invaluable “Life Experiences.”

[HOLLiS]

Some schools do not recognize some or all credits from another school.

A school also has a reputation for the quality of their graduates, some schools take it real seriously. How can they endorse someone who has not completed all of their core work there? The are additional aspects of a degree the Associates or bachelor degrees are sort of stamps of approval and not really a endorsement on academics. Masters and and Doctorates is a endorsement on academic abilities.

If a person looks around not all degrees are the same, some schools degrees open doors in the business, academic and other worlds, other schools degrees are more or less nothing more than wall paper. Reason again is accreditation.


The lower division degree has some many hours of liberal art core curriculum, sort of general studies so the graduate is somewhat well verse. Other words part of the classes are hoop hooping ability of the student.


I don't think SF allows a student to short cut training, Q or selection because of previous experience in another military service/civilian life/or??. (Not sure on this, so please be nice if I am wrong, it was for a example on accreditation.)

Some requirements for employment where is a degree is needed may only be there because of in some ways a degree to some people is a pedigreed paper. Some requirements for employment will allow for life experience instead of a degree as threshold requirements to apply for the job.

[Slantwire]

Originally Posted by HOLLiS

I don't think SF allows a student to short cut training, Q or selection because of previous experience in another military service/civilian life/or??. (Not sure on this, so please be nice if I am wrong, it was for a example on accreditation.)

Well, people can and do skip the language phase if they can produce a sufficient DLPT score in a targeted language.

On less certain ground: I had a captain in my SUT class who skipped SERE. But he was a Kiowa pilot (and therefore had already been to the Army Level-C version), so he wasn't exactly taking a shortcut. I don't know if Navy or AF SERE would have been accepted.

I remember some debate about whether a former sailor could get credit for CDQC. I never heard the final verdict, but it was discussed.

On much more certain ground (the other end of the spectrum): I did watch one guy get laughed at when he suggested that his stacked Ranger - Sapper tabs and Pathfinder badge should let him bypass SUT. Similar reaction to the EMT who wanted to skip ahead in the 18D MOS training.

I think in most cases, the best a student can do is take Nmap's course: try not to get bored, take the easy "GO." Perhaps demonstrate some initiative and teaching ability by helping classmates.