Thought Example #1
Has this thought entered your mind?
"I’m not sure what I want to do yet, so my plan is to use my GI Bill to "figure out" transition."
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Background
John is an E-4 in the Army, and not sure what he wants to do post-military.
In addition, he just finished his third deployment three months ago, which has significantly compressed his time needed to prepare to leave the military.
Since everything is so rushed, he has not had the time to figure out what he wants to do post-military—he hasn’t had the time!
John’s internal thinking
"I can buy some time." — Because John did not have needed time to think through his transition, he may be tempted to see the GI Bill as a opportunity to “buy some time” and “figure out transition” on the fly; afterall, this approach has worked for him in the military before the time to think through.
Likely outcomes
Poor performance in class—because John took the more ad-hoc approach of using his GI Bill to “buy some time” and “figure out transition” he’ll likely not be engaged in his classes because he did not make a deliberate plan.
He’ll course correct—because John did not have a more deliberate plan to his learning, after he takes some classes, he’ll likely want to course correct, which means he won’t use his GI Bill benefit efficiently, which means it will take longer to get his degree—and he’ll have to take money out of his own pocket to graduate.*
What this means is that, because John did not have a plan and wanted to use the GI Bill to “buy some time” and “figure out transition” he's at risk for not completing his degree or having to take extra time and money that will have to come out of his own pocket. If he does not complete his degree, it will be a missed opportunity because he will not get that credential that will help him earn a better paying job that will him provide for a more secure long-term financial future. *Note: BTW, this is a very real phenomenon. According to a 2015 VA study, it takes us veterans two years longer to get a degree than our general public counterparts
What John can do to overcome this mindset
Make sure you have a plan.To establish a successful plan, talk to a college counselor on your base or post.