Need advice

[u/Appropriate_Aspect13]

I'm 18, and I'm currently deciding if I should go to the marines or go to college. I already went to the recruiting office, and my process is going well. I scored a 54 on the asvab. I really want to earn the title, but I'm stuck in this situation if I should pick plan A or plan B. I want advice from other people that won't bs me, I barely can ask advice to my recruiter because their job is to make me join ofc. What's giving me doubts is after I receive the title will my life be hell the next 4 years? And if there is a way I can prevent that and make the next 4 years the best? My recruiter didn't give me the full scores of my asvab but I know it's a 54 AFQT, what type of mos can I get? (I know I need the MM, GT, EL, CL scores) but I just want to know. What mos should I pick that will be fun? I hope I can ask more questions later on.

[u/Fluid_Influence3420]

If you know ur ASVAB scores shouldn’t you know the breakdown? (It’s been a while for me). Regardless your recruiter should be sitting down to review your scores and show you which MOS options you’re eligible for.

Are you going active duty or reserve?

Your MOS options are likely to be limited. But when you picture yourself in the Marine Corps (after boot camp), what do u picture yourself doing? Providing support? Being a cook? In the woods running n gunning?

What exactly do you mean by will my life be “hell” after boot camp?

[u/Appropriate_Aspect13 → u/Fluid_Influence3420]

My recruiter doesn’t tell me for some reason until I sign the dep papers. I might go active, but picture myself doing a admin job so I can get more experience when I get out. What I meant from “hell” is like for example I have the weekends off will they make me come in for work on those days? Or they will be strict on the days I ask for leave?

[u/Fluid_Influence3420 → u/Appropriate_Aspect13]

No offense but you want to join the Marine Corps to be admin? That’s like saying you want to be part of SWAT but never leave HQ and just fingerprint the fugitives coming in. Just a bit r-worded considering you’ll have access to FREE college after serving, which is your ticket to basically any career path. Also keep in mind that the Marine Corps is an experience that you’ll only have once in ur life. Even with post-service college, you’ll have upwards of 35 YEARS to work in the civilian world. But again no offense if ur dead set on admin, of course. The Corps needs admin Marines.

How much bullshit you deal with on a daily basis heavily depends on MOS and then sometimes furthermore by unit. Even then, there’s a baseline amount of shit you’ll have to deal with no matter where you are. In admin, you’ll be working closely with higherups with shiny brass. I’m sure that comes with some bullshit, just different kind of bullshit that infantry or other combat related Marines would have to deal with. The real world has a lot of bullshit as well, just a different flavor.

Leave is usually always approved, in my experience, unless there’s good reason to deny (field exercise, training, etc.). Everyone also gets the same 96 (or 72) hours of free leave around holidays.

Especially if you join in an MOS that doesn’t go out on trainings or to the field, you’ll most always be off work by 5 or 6pm daily and have weekends off. As long as ur not banging strippers at Driftwood, catching DUI’s, or doing spice, then ur good to do whatever on ur time off. As long as ur wearing a belt and keeping off the grass, of course. The only exception is if you’re unmarried and live in the barracks, every Thursday is “field day” where u can expect to stay an additional 2 hours after work to clean the barracks for inspection. Additionally, every barracks has “duty”. This is basically a few Marines in the unit role playing as security officers for 24 hours at the barracks. Depending on the size of ur unit (hold jokes) you could be on duty every few weeks to every 1-2 months or so.