Arming our vets for uni success

It’s time to dispel veterans’ higher education fears

The transition from the Defence is a period of anticipation and excitement. I’ve found that it’s a period in which you can reembrace civilian luxuries, rejoice in your achievements, and look with optimism towards the future. That said, there’s nothing easy about leaving Defence, and it’s well documented that new vets face many challenges: financial instability, unemployment and underemployment, and the dreaded culture shock – as well as the accompanying anxiety. Whilst the current national unemployment rate remains steady at 3.5 per cent, studies have revealed veteran unemployment rate is five times that at approximately 30 per cent. The rate of veteran underemployment is also a staggering 19 per cent.

One of the many things I have been fortunate to enjoy since leaving the Australian Defence Force (ADF) is going to uni. For those who completed university, you’d be familiar with the challenges brought on by full-time study: inadequate sleep, heightened stress, poor time management, and so on. These trials can scare plenty of people away, particularly those transitioning from the Defence. When I enrolled to study a Bachelor of Business at the University of Canberra, I told myself the journey was at the very least going to be difficult to adjust to. I thought I would fail. But I quickly realised that many of the qualities and skills I’d picked up in the Defence which I’d previously taken for granted translate really well into the skills needed to obtain a higher education degree.

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You see, background doesn’t matter. At all

?I served in the infantry for over a decade, and before that I wasn’t the best student at school. As a sniper-turned-mature-aged-uni-student, I didn’t have much experience to lean on. Imposter syndrome grasped me. After all, everyone I knew who’d gone to university had been super bright during school, had already graduated, and were doing very well for themselves as 30-year-olds.

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The truth is I vastly underestimated my ability to learn, adapt, and focus. Here are nine skills I had when I walked into my first Bachelor of Business lecture, all of which the Defence taught me:

1. Discipline: Veterans learn that military service requires a great deal of control and self-motivation, qualities essential for maintaining a rigorous academic schedule.
2. Time management: Veterans can juggle multiple responsibilities on the go and use their time effectively, turning exam prep into a total breeze.
3. Leadership: Veterans develop leadership skills during their service, enabling improved outcomes in peer-to-peer learning environments.
4. Problem-solving: Veterans can deal with complex, high-pressure situations; they possess an advanced ability to think critically and find meaningful, lasting solutions.
5. Adaptability: One minute, veterans can be in The Ville; next, they can be out bush. The capacity to resiliently adjust to new circumstances makes a vet’s transition to uni life all the more achievable.
6. Mateship: Veterans understand the importance of teamwork and comradery, positioning them well for productive tertiary relationships and collaborations.
7. Respect: Veterans value hierarchy. Recognising the chain of command leads to increased empathy for professors and other authority figures on campus. ?
8. Discernment: Veterans know how to interpret orders and instructions, ensuring accurate comprehension of learning tasks and assessment criteria.?
9. Idiosyncrasy: Veterans are individuals, all of whom have experienced unique perspectives and cultures during their service. This individuality is an asset when studying and interacting within a diverse student ecosystem.

You are not alone

Put simply, veterans are a resource to universities. And universities are a resource to veterans. Tertiary qualifications are proven to positively impact veterans’ underemployment and unemployment rates; many university students secure jobs not long after graduating.

I once read that Cicero hated the first drafts of his writings, and now I understand why. Looking back upon my early assignment submissions, I certainly adopted a more gelatinous approach to things like grammar, syntax and the relevant style guides. But don’t worry. After studying at multiple universities, these sorts of academic particulars are the least of your worries; most professors, as well as free support programmes, are standing by to help you out.

If you’re a vet wondering what textbooks you should tackle, you might be interested to know that fields of study popularly undertaken by veteran students include business, physiotherapy, and paramedicine. I think this is because time spent in the Defence prepares you well for these. A degree in business takes your existing leadership and management skills to the next level; I can attest to this firsthand. The stark realities of warfighter training, too, translate well into a foundation for studies in physiotherapy and paramedical science.

And remember: you are not alone. Enrolling into uni can offer vets significant emotional, social and mental benefits. The amount of universities with veteran student bodies and veteran support services is growing. In fact, there is a national body called the Australian Student Veterans Association. Another example is the Australian Catholic University 's (ACU) Student Veterans Support Programme (SVSP). As part of this programme, last year I sat down with a fellow vet student. We spent half our time joking about our crippling back injuries and sharing stories about our worst mental health episodes. The experience was refreshing, to say the least. It was a comfort not just to feel but know that I wasn’t on my own.

ACU also runs its Veteran Transition Programme, which I was recently involved with as a panellist. This programme connects incoming student veterans with newly-transitioned student veterans and provides insight into the path from defence to civilian and tertiary life. I guess it’s unsurprising that ACU has one of the highest veteran-turned-student enrolment rates of all of Australia’s universities. Other more general transition support programmes exist across all unis; the University of Canberra 's Thrive Programme and 悉尼新南威尔士大学 's psychology and wellness team are just two examples.

Five hot jungle tips for conquering the field

1. Always connect with other veterans as frequently as possible, not just for support but to build your professional network. These connections are invaluable when seeking job opportunities, and I fervently deny that being a mature-age student disadvantages you in expanding your contacts.
2. Be ready to have those conversations with professors and fellow students. If your peers have questions about your time in the Defence, don’t shy away from teaching them.
3. Realise that vets face a unique set of challenges, but then put that realisation aside. Don’t use the past as a crutch; focus instead on the fact that, because of your past, you have a considerable advantage as a student in tertiary education and that you have plenty to offer on campus.
4. That said, keep track of your mental health and/or service-related conditions. Forgoing rehabilitation so I could work or study was one of the worst life decisions I have ever made, and I paid for it. ?
5. Schedule everything in advance. If you have a partner, give them access to your calendar, and add your social and study life to it at the start of each month. The benefit of today’s entertainment is that it’s streamed – you can watch it later!

Despite this being my experience, much of what has been discussed was reiterated by the other panellists, and their shared experience only makes me feel more certain about the positive experiences of university life for veterans. I'm hoping these notes give you some perspective and guidance as you look ahead toward the next phase of your post-service life.

In the final analysis, when I reflect on my transition into higher education, I reflect on the fact that university is not about taking a dive into the deep end but rather a leap into growth and opportunity. Although this article has centred mainly on my own experiences, I know that many of the views I’ve discussed are held by other vets, and that only makes me more convinced: universities are overwhelmingly a positive force for veterans. As they say, the pen is mightier than the sword, but what if I told you that the pen has the power to inspire and drive us towards greatness, even in the face of adversity? Believe me when I say that you can use that pen to unlock untold value in your post-service journey with the right mindset and approach.

Ryan is an accomplished leader with over 15 years of diverse management, strategy, and defence experience, including 13 years of service in the Australian Defence Force. He has completed several qualifications, including the Company Directors Course, a Diploma in Project Management, a Bachelor of Applied Business (Management), and a Graduate Diploma in Strategic Leadership. Ryan is finishing a Master of Business Administration. He has a proven track record of success, with several Dean’s Excellence Awards across multiple universities, a Hassett Award for outstanding military leadership, and a Commanding Officer’s Commendation.