Roane State veterans services coordinator Tim Hunt, a retired lieutenant colonel, served in Iraq during his 20-year career in the U.S. Marine Corps.
April 17, 2015
Roane State Community College veterans services coordinator Tim Hunt keeps his phone with him at all times.
Email him. Call him. Text him. It’s fine. Hunt wants to be there, even after hours, for veterans making the transition from soldier to student.
“Anyone can reach out to me anytime,” Hunt said.
Hunt grew up on military bases; his father served for 30 years. After high school, Hunt enlisted in the U.S. Navy reserves. He went to college while in the reserves.
Hunt was accepted into the U.S. Marine Corps’ officer training program. He stayed in the Marines for 20 years, and his deployments included Bosnia, Kosovo, Japan, Korea and Iraq. Hunt retired as a lieutenant colonel.
For veterans to succeed in college, Hunt said, they must know their benefits, have a plan, learn to work more independently, find a buddy, stay flexible and treat college like a job.
Hunt said all veterans should ask about their education benefits. Too many veterans, he said, assume they understand their benefits and make choices that cost them funds for college. Whether a veteran was active duty, reserve, or reserve and mobilized, for example, can affect education benefits. “By a stroke of a keyboard, veterans can lose benefits forever because they misunderstood their options,” Hunt said. “There are so many little nuances with education benefits. Know your fund rate, or you risk leaving money on the table.”
Veterans who succeed as students, Hunt said, enter college with a plan. “Switching majors and dropping courses can complicate your benefits,” Hunt said. “There is some room for flexibility, but know your plan and stick to it. If you are unsure, start with general education requirements before you commit to a specific major.”
Hunt suggests that veterans plan for college before leaving the military. “Don’t leave the military without a plan,” he said. “You don’t want to come home without a plan. Don’t get out and just stumble along. I’ve had the feeling of ‘OK, I’m getting out. What do I do?’ Have a clear educational goal.”
One of a veteran’s hardest transitions, Hunt said, is going from team-oriented military culture to an education environment where students often work independently. “You don’t have your fire team. You don’t have your platoon,” Hunt said. “You are an individual.” The change can be jarring for veterans who have spent years accomplishing missions through teamwork and following orders. “You have to get in your mind that you are not in the military,” Hunt said. “You won’t have the peer and supervisory positions telling you what to do. You have to tell yourself what to do.”
Although veterans must learn to work as individuals, finding a buddy can help with the transition. Team up with a fellow student, Hunt advised. Get to know a professor. “Or just text me,” Hunt said. “I’ll have my phone with me.”
In Bosnia and Kosovo, Hunt served as an electronics countermeasure officer on the EA-6B Prowler, an aircraft that jams enemy radar. If he made a mistake on the job, then the Prowler and the aircraft it was protecting could be in danger. His role was typical of the high-stakes jobs soldiers do day-to-day during their military careers.
When veterans become students, they leave a world where any small mistake could have serious consequences and enter a world where small mistakes have, compared to military life, minor consequences. If a class gets moved or an assignment does not go as planned, the consequences are mild inconvenience or a low grade. Veterans, however, often magnify those bumps in the road because they have spent their military careers in high-stress roles where imprecision can lead to disaster.
“Don’t stress if things change,” Hunt said. “Put things in perspective. It's not life-or-death anymore. Expect imprecision. It’s OK to make a mistake.”
Tim Hunt
Successful veteran students treat school like a job, Hunt said. “Look at your class schedule and then work outward,” Hunt said. “Plan regimented study times before and after class. Take the unstructured world of college and make it structured.”
Hunt also emphasized that veterans should plan time with their families to ease school stress.
“It's normal to struggle some,” Hunt said. “No matter their age, the stress level for veteran students tends to be the same. Have a plan. Set aside time for your family and ask for help.”
To learn more about Roane State veterans services, visit roanestate.edu/veterans.
Roane State Community College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, ethnicity or national origin, sex, disability, age, status as protected veteran or any other class protected by Federal or State laws and regulation and by Tennessee board of Regents policies with respect to employment, programs, and activities. View full non-discrimination policy.
