<p>Be sure you are ready for the bootcamp experience and the hard part of being separated from friends, family, and the outside world for however long your bootcamp is. You can be recycled at any stage if you aren’t performing well which delays that time period. My brother joined the Navy in1999 and he said the 10-12 weeks he was in bootcamp was the most stressful and exhausting period of his life so far…not just physically but mentally too. He finished and was very proud of himself but there were many that did not make it because so much of that time is spent breaking you down to where all attitudes are gone and everyone is equal. The things they say to you to get you in that frame of mind are very tough on some people but necessary in order to build you up to their standards. You will go in one person and come out another whether you like it or not. You would have it a little easier if you went in with a college degree but if this is the route you want to take just be prepared for the unknown and see it through. You will meet some great people but there are also some that join as a last resort from having failed at everything else they have done so far which means you need to stay away from them. The other thing my brother encountered was a lot of underage drinking that was ignored and it became a problem for him because he was too immature to handle being away from home and so far away. He made some bad decisions and after a year was sent home…short story here is be sure you are joining for the right reasons and are ready for the huge comittment even if some of what they say turns out not to be true…where you will be stationed…what job you will be training for. Once you join the military you belong to the military and they can and will change things to fit their needs at that time. Good luck with your decision.</p>