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Petty Officer 2nd Class Mark Hughner: When entering MEPS, it's just a [inaudible] in the long run. All it is, is a process. A step in the chain of events to join the Navy. Once you get through it, at the end of the day, you're going to be in the Navy and start your career.

I'm Petty Officer Mark Hughner, 2nd Class, out of Navy recruiting district Michigan. I'm currently in charge of two recruiters, and approximately 22 future sailors. My core responsibility as a Navy recruiter is to ensure that an applicant qualifies for the United States Navy, and the United States Navy is a good fit for them. The Military Entrance Processing Station, which is MEPS, is where you're going to take your ASVAB, which is your Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery Test, and your medical physical, to ensure that you're medically qualified for the United States Navy.

It's going to start the night before, after the ASVAB. After that, you'll be shuttled to the hotel. And once you get to the hotel, you're going to have a small dinner, have a security brief, but after that you're going to wake up very early in the morning, be shuttled to MEPS, and that's where you're going to start your process.

The physical should take anywhere from three to four hours. After the physical's done, you're going to eat lunch. At that time, you're going to be called back in the Navy office, where you're going to go through all your paperwork the recruiter and yourself went over before you went to MEPS. Then you're going to sit down with a job classifier to see what jobs you qualify for, for your medical reasons and your ASVAB scores.

Specific things to bring to MEPS, make sure you wear closed-sole tennis shoes, dress conservative, you are going to a job interview. Also for females, bring a pair of gym shorts and a sports bra. Just in case you have tattoos, ask for them to do your tattoo pre-screening while you're at MEPS. And if you wear glasses, ensure you bring your glasses with you, and if you have contacts in, you need to take them out the night prior, or bring the case and solution with you.

There's a lot of hurry up and wait, you're standing in line, you're in the process. Bring a book, or a magazine. Just prepare yourself, you're not allowed to use cell phones there. After the really long day, everything's done and said for, once you swear into the United States Navy, then you're part of the Navy, your goal's accomplished. Once you're done at MEPS, the recruiter's going to take you back to your house, he's going to talk to your support system, they're going to set up a time for them to come in, and actually go over everything that you're responsible to the Navy for at that point. They're going to put you in a room, and it's all going to be red carpet, all the branches and flags, even though you're joining the United States Navy. You're going to have plaques, war heroes, high decorated, it's like a ceremony. Once it's all said and done with, you're part of the United States Navy.

Thank you for watching this Navy webcast. If you have any more questions, feel free to visit us on Navy.com, or find us on Facebook.

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Petty Officer 2nd Class Mark Hughner: When entering MEPS, it's just a [inaudible] in the long run. All it is, is a process. A step in the chain of events to join the Navy. Once you get through it, at the end of the day, you're going to be in the Navy and start your career.

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Mind the Gap (Year): A Break Before College Might Do Some Good - Podcast

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Mind the Gap (Year): A Break Before College Might Do Some Good - Podcast

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Postponing the start of college for one year is becoming more common. As WGBH's Kirk Carapezza reports, more schools are encouraging students to take a gap year - and even helping pay for them.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

The idea of a gap here, postponing the start of college, has become a bit more common in the U.S. and a handful of colleges and universities are now actually encouraging accepted students to take a year break before starting classes. While the experience is still out of reach for most students, more schools are expected to support and even help pay for gap years.

From WGBH in Boston, Kirk Carapezza has more.

KIRK CARAPEZZA, BYLINE: Starting next year, Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, will give incoming freshmen the opportunity to do a year of international or national service prior to beginning their studies. Alan Solomont heads the College of Citizenship and Public Service at Tufts. He says American is facing a crisis in its public institutions.

ALAN SOLOMONT: The most important question that we should be asking future generations is: What are you going to do to serve?

CARAPEZZA: Under the program, Tufts students will stay in touch with faculty throughout their service year. When the year ends, they'll talk about their experiences together. Solomont says it's important to give financial support to those students who want to take a gap year but can't afford one.

SOLOMONT: We are going to make it available to students of all economic backgrounds.

CARAPEZZA: Tufts isn't alone. More and more elite schools are packaging gap years. Princeton and UNC-Chapel Hill, for example, have started to offer fully subsidized service programs so that more low-income students can get similar experiences to their affluent peers.

MARA DOLAN: A lot of students need a gap year. They're not ready to begin college.

CARAPEZZA: Mara Dolan is a higher education consultant. She doesn't find it ironic that more schools are telling students to take a break and then overseeing their experience.

DOLAN: It's certainly consistent with the idea of what a college education provides, which is something more than a degree. It's developing the whole student so that they can become higher functioning individuals, when they go out in the world.

CARAPEZZA: Despite these efforts, though, gap years are unrealistic for most families. Buying plane tickets and passports and visas before spending a whole year overseas can be expensive for students and the vast majority of public colleges and universities.

ANTHONY CARNEVALE: Extending this down towards the bottom 2,000 colleges in America, the first barrier will be they simply can't afford to do it.

CARAPEZZA: That's Anthony Carnevale, the director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce He cautions that every year students stay out of school dramatically increases their chance of dropping out.

CARNEVALE: If we're talking about well-heeled kids who get to make a lot of mistakes - take a lot of risks in their college career - and will make it because they have the backing from their parents and the school, I think it's a very good idea. I would be worried about it for less advantaged kids.

CARAPEZZA: That's because research shows creating any kind of gap in formal education is most harmful to low-income, non traditional students. While gap years are becoming more common, they're still quite rare in the U.S. Fewer than two percent of students who get accepted to schools decide to take a year off before attending.

LYDIA COLLINS: Can I just have this trail mix, please?

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Yeah.

CARAPEZZA: Inside the student center at Tufts, freshman Lydia Collins grabs a snack between classes and then charges her campus debit card.

COLLINS: So not real life.

(LAUGHTER)

COLLINS: I'm always very thankful for the amount of vegetables and fruit that are always available here, because last year it was a lot of rice, beans and potatoes.

CARAPEZZA: After being accepted at Tufts, the 19-year-old from Evanston, Illinois, packed her bags and moved to Ecuador. She taught English and worked in a micro-finance organization and helped businesses get loans.

COLLINS: I wanted to understand foreign aid. And I also wanted to learn about myself and throw myself out of my comfort zone, before spending a lot of money at college.

CARAPEZZA: Tufts and other universities hope these new gap year programs will push other students to get out of their comfort zones and learn skills like leadership, self-awareness and empathy - skills that educators and economists agree the country desperately needs.

For NPR, I'm Kirk Carapezza in Boston.

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Mind The Gap (Year): A Break Before College Might Do Some Good

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Postponing the start of college for one year is becoming more common. As WGBH's Kirk Carapezza reports, more schools are encouraging students to take a gap year - and even helping pay for them. AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: The idea of a gap here, postponing the start of college, has become a bit more common in the U.S.

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Pros and Cons: Working or Going Back To College?

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Pros and Cons: Working or Going Back To College?

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The decision to go back to school at any level or age entails a lot of debate. After all, it is a life changing situation that requires investing significant time and resources. To get started on your own reflection consider some of these pros and cons to include in your analysis of determining what's best for you - working or going back to college.

Working Fulltime

Many seasoned professionals who do not have their bachelor's degree likely began working straight out of high school and found that income outweighed the study time. Brandman University's 2014 Southern California commencement speaker Gordon Winn understands this perspective wholeheartedly. There are clear benefits to staying the course and committing to an established career path. Let's take a look at some pros and cons that go into revisiting the options later in life.

Consistency

Pro - There's nothing inherently wrong with the phrase "if it ain't broke don't fix it." Those with long standing careers worked hard to get where they are, they are successful and have steady jobs that they hopefully enjoy. All that sounds pretty good and often they have the benefits of attaining some level of seniority and plenty of vacation time, giving them the freedom to take off for a few long weekends here and there. Consider where you are in this scenario and determine how important it is in your life.

Con - The word "consistent" has many different synonyms including expected, invariable, homogeneous, uniform and unchanging. Sometimes consistency can be a great thing and may provide a person a sense of security, but other times it may start to become a little boring. Think about what kind of mental stimulation your job gives you and decide if you are burnt out at work or happy with the expected routine.

Investment Portfolio

Pro - One of the first things that comes to mind when going back and forth on the situation is the price tag. Without school tuition, you can invest any variable profits into other experiences or capital like family trips, a new car, the stock market and more. You are not tied down to loan repayment and escape running the risk of being included as part of the $1.1 trillion bucket of outstanding student debt that plagues the American economy.

Con - On the flip side the standing argument that there is no better way to invest in your future than to gain a quality education. The consistency and job security may be there now, but just like those investments on Wall Street, there can be fluctuations in workforce trends. Revisiting the story of alumnus Gordon Winn, he experienced this first hand when he was laid off during the great recession and employers wanted to see candidates with bachelor's degrees. Your education is a resume booster and often provides more security than you may think.

Professional Expertise

Pro - Establishing a recognized history and accumulating substantial experience within a company can have highly regarded benefits. Although you may not have a degree, you have likely gained respect as an expert in the field and have stacked up some valuable relational power. You understand the complex dynamics of the workplace and have built equity with top level leadership that those starting out or switching jobs don't have.

Con - Similar to the stock market model, qualifications for jobs may change. A company that fosters a culture of support and creates a positive learning community for its employees may provide internal training options to facilitate professional development, but not all organizations are so proactive. Expertise may mean a lot, but it also has the potential of only taking you part of the way to where you want to be. Having a degree can open a lot of doors when it comes to advancement while enhancing your resume for potential future endeavors.

Going Back To College

Now that we have taken some time to touch on some pros and cons for working fulltime and not returning to school, let's explore some for the opposite end of the spectrum. This comes from the perspectives of those who indeed have well established careers but are thinking of switching from being a full time professional to a full time student.

Salary Potential

Pro - One of the primary reasons people decide to return to school is to accumulate more earnings in the future. That's why many people call education an "investment" and evaluate the return they will receive from undergoing the journey. Collegetransfer.net encourages student to do the math, "If it costs $100K to finish your degree over two or more years and you could earn $1M over the next twenty years with the college degree behind you, that would result in having $50K to your W2 per year on average."

Con - The financial long-term benefits are written everywhere, but when you are in that decision making mode it's easy to estimate the short-term drawbacks. Going back to college means regular tuition payments that your bank account is not used to. Schools with strong student support services have representatives that can help you understand the costs associated with education, but you'll want to carefully analyze how those play into your personal financial planning process and overall goals.

Direct Application

Pro - When going back to school, selecting a degree that aligns with your personal and professional goals is important. According to YouCanDealWithIt.com, a resource that provides practical easy-to-understand advice on common financial situations, "Nontraditional students often choose a major related to their career (54% vs 31% for traditional students), especially if they are seeking career advancement." Think about this relationship because when leveraged effectively can greatly increase your knowledge, skills and abilities that employers demand of their candidates.

Con - Revisiting the short-term impacts of schooling, although full-time students are able to focus more intently on their studies, they don't have the luxury of turning around and applying what they learned to a work setting. One sign of a great school is that it has practice-based curriculum that integrates real-world examples and exercises to help students experience how they can use their education in the office. If you take the route of only taking classes, you may want to consider finding some way to stimulate your studies with practical exercises outside of the classroom.

Networking Opportunities

Pro - Working, especially in a job that requires consistent community outreach, lends itself to networking on a daily basis, but can also be limiting at times. Collaborating with your peers in classes can help you expand your network and connect with professionals inside and outside of your industry. Not only can you foster strong relationships but many of them may even open up new opportunities to re-energize or jump start your future career after graduation. Also think about the importance of connecting with your alumni community which can provide even more networking options

Con - There have been many technological changes in the way students communicate and interact with one another in the past twenty years. Depending on your comfort level with the latest online networking tools, maintaining those connections may take some additional efforts in the online environment. You may want to familiarize yourself with the university's LinkedIn, Facebook, Google Plus pages and more to help you navigate through the nuances of relationship management in the digital age.

What Now?

These are just a few different factors to consider when making your own pro and con list of working or going back to college. Take the time to write down all of the positives and negatives then weigh each factor by level of importance. As an alternative to the either/or scenarios presented in this article, you may even want to consider some sort of hybrid of accomplishing both work and education at the same time.

For example, Brandman University, a private nonprofit school, offers over 50 undergraduate and graduate programs in different modern day learning formats. Its on-campus classes offer a "blended" experience that combines face-to-face instruction with online collaborative assignments that give working professionals the flexibility to fit course work into their busy schedules. If you decide to go back to school, find modality that is right for you, and no matter what path you choose best of luck creating the future you envision.

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Pros And Cons Working Or Going Back To College

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The decision to go back to school at any level or age entails a lot of debate. After all, it is a life changing situation that requires investing significant time and resources. To get started on your own reflection consider some of these pros and cons to include in your analysis of determining what's best for you - working or going back to college.

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When a Community College Degree is Better than a Bachelor's

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When a Community College Degree is Better than a Bachelor's

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When A Community College Degree Is Better Than A Bachelor's | Money | TIME

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A four-year degree is usually better. But not always. Read more: http://time. com/money/4131510/community-college-job-prospects/?iid=sr-link4 Subscribe to TIME ►► http://po.st/SubscribeTIME Get closer to the world of entertainment and celebrity news as TIME gives you access and insight on the people who make what you watch, read and share.

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Young Money: Trade School Vs. College | CNBC

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Enlisting in the military is an option for those students who are least 18 years of age. High school seniors who are interested in joining the military should follow the five steps of enlisting in the military.

Joining the military offers the students another option instead of going to a four year school.  Students will learn discipline, a job, as well as protecting our great nation.  In addition, instead of having to pay for school, recruits will be earning money as they work and train.

It's also important to note that when a recruit enlists, that means they will do four years of active duty and two years of inactive duty. There are other terms of two, three, and six year active duty or reserve enlistments.

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Technical schools are also known as trade or vocational schools.  These types of schools offer training and instruction in highly skilled jobs and professions.

Trade schools allow for hands on training with an emphasis on the practical. The studies that you have and the training you receive will be specific to the trade that you choose.  You will earn a specific degree or certification (or multiple) from technical school that will allow you to start working that trade immediately.

Not to worry though, if you commence your studies at a trade school, there are some degree-transfer programs that allow you to transfer certain credits toward a Bachelor's Degree.

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After high school, another option instead of going to college is getting a job.  Students could find a full time (or part-time) positions in order to make and save money.  Some students work right out of high school to save up enough money to attend a trade school or college.  On the other hand, others like to try out different jobs to see what interests them.  If you find a job that interests you, you could always start working there and move up the ranks through hard work, determination, and motivation.

If you have already acquired a job prior to graduation, you can continue working this job or have your previous experience count as an apprenticeship, depending upon the job and the company. Working allows you the freedom to become more independent and autonomous. You can save up to buy your first house and/or your first car.

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A gap year is an amount of time that students take from school in order to explore their interests.  It's essential when thinking about taking a gap year, you still apply to colleges if that is ultimately something that you want to do.  You can defer admissions and potentially defer scholarships and/or financial aid.

Gap years allow students to not only explore their interests but also become more mature.  It helps to clarify the direction they are taking in life as well as confirming or changing future career plans.

Wondering if you have the money to do a gap year? Many times students will find many domestic and international programs that charge very little. However, it's essential that students find free housing and food; however, be prepared to work for it. The jobs and tasks will be strenuous but it will help you to learn more about yourself and what you want out of life.

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Community college is great for those students who are unsure of what they want to do and/or cannot afford to go directly to a four year institution. It allows students to take classes at a lower cost than big universities while still working towards an Associate's Degree. For those interested in continuing on to a four year university, a community college also allows that student to take their general education courses and after two years, be able to transfer to a college or university.

In addition, community colleges also often certain degrees and certifications similar to a trade school.  For example, nurses can go through a nursing program at a trade school and be able to work as a nurse upon graduation.  Furthermore, class sizes will be smaller and students will have a better rapport with their professors. They will be more than just a number.

Community colleges are also a great way to stay out of financial debt.  For those who struggled with grades and/or SAT/ACT scores, community college is a great starting point to start over.  Then, if a Bachelor's Degree is in your future, you can transfer those credits and schools.

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It's essential to choose a Technical School that's right for you.  Here are some criterion for helping you make that decision.

Placement Rate: How many graduates are actually placed in their career field? Make sure that the school has a high placement rate as this will inform you that the school has a curriculum that's aligned to what employers are seeking.

Student Completion Rate/Graduation Rate: How many students successfully complete their course of studies. Retention rate is important because it tells you information about how concerned the school is with students' education and graduation.

Facilities: Are the facilities up-to-date? It's important for the school to have the latest equipment and technology so you are being trained on what you will be using upon graduation. This will help you when you enter the workforce to be competent with the tools needed to do the job correctly.

Services: Is there a school counselor you can go to with questions and concerns? Will they help you find job placement upon graduation? Will you be able to have an apprenticeship or intern during your time at school?

Tuition/Fees: How much will it cost to attend the program? What other fees are not included in tuition?  Is financial aid available?

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1.  Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) -
Taking this exam will show the branch of military in which you are interested, which career and job fields you are best suited.  Check with you counselor to see if the ASVAB is given at your school.

2. Pass the Physical Examination
Once you meet with a recruiter, you will need to get a physical exam at your doctor's office.  The physical includes height, wearing, hearing, vision, urine, blood, drug, and alcohol testing.

3. Meet with Counselor to Determine a Career
When you meet with the enlistment counselor, you discuss and find the right job specialty for you.  In order to do this, needs of the service, job availability, ASVAB score, physical requirements, and recruit preferences will be reviewed.  It's also at this time that you will sign you enlistment agreement as well as be fingerprinted to get necessary clearances.

4. Take the Oath of Enlistment
In this oath, the recruit will be promising and swearing to defend the U.S. Constitution and obey the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).

5. The MEPS and Direct Ship or Delayed Entry Program (DEP)
Recruit will go to a Military Enlistment Processing Station (MEPS) in order to finish enlistment. It's at this time that an applicant's physical qualifications, aptitude, and moral standards are assessed according to the branch the recruit wants to join. After this is completed, recruit will either report directly to Basic Training or delayed entry where basic training will be completed at a later date (within a year).

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Taking a year on, not off (gap year Ted Talk)

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Taking a year on, not off (gap year Ted Talk)

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Taking a year on, not off: Jean Fan at TEDxBergen

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Host Julie Lythcott-Haims and Getting In expert Parke Muth answer more listener questions. Parke is a private college counselor and a former admission officer at the University of Virginia.

This week's questions include one from a dad who wonders how attending a vocational high school might affect college admission. A mom whose daughter is interested in the New College of Florida-a school that does not give grades-wonders how the post-college working world views graduates who don't have traditional GPAs. And a community college professor in Idaho asks for strategies to help her nontraditional students transfer to four-year schools.

There are lots of ways to send us questions and comments:

Follow us on Twitter: @GettingInPod

Send us an email or voice memo to gettingin@slate.com

Or, call our hotline and leave a message at (929) 999-4353

Getting In is sponsored by Audible.com. Get a free audiobook of your choice at www.audible.com/college and use the promo code COLLEGE.

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A Traditional Four-Year College Isn't the Best Fit for Everyone

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Host Julie Lythcott-Haims and Getting In expert Parke Muth answer more listener questions. Parke is a private college counselor and a former admission officer at the University of Virginia. This week's questions include one from a dad who wonders how attending a vocational high school might affect college admission.

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Enlisting in the Military. (n.d.). Retrieved November 26, 2017, from https://todaysmilitary.com/joining/enlisting-in-the-military

Kern, R.  (2010, May 19).

7 Questions to Ask When Considering a Gap Year.  Retrieved from https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/right-school/timeline/articles/2010/05/19/7-questions-to-ask-when-considering-a-gap-year

Vocational & Trade Schools: A Growing Trend. (n.d.). Retrieved November 26, 2017, from http://www.gocollege.com/options/vocational-trade-schools/