0
3

[–] Penis_Faggot 0 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago 

Joining the rowing team at my school.

It made me get in shape, more sociable, and gave me more confidence.

0
0

[–] ObiWan-Kenobi ago 

I totally agree, before I joined my school's team I was a fat-ass. Now I'm one of the Top 3 Erg scores.

0
1

[–] Mandog 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

Did crew in high school, it's a very peaceful/relaxing sport. Also if your a girl prepare to get all sorts of scholarship offers from schools. Not trying to be sexist at all, this was just the case for almost every female on my team. Title IX may cause this, but now I'm just speculating... (based off your name I'm guessing you're not a girl)

0
0

[–] Penis_Faggot ago 

Yeah I'm not a girl. I wouldn't exactly call it relaxing, but yeah there are a lot more girls' scholarships than guys.

0
2

[–] robotATTACK 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago 

Ironically, joining the Army. It had never been an intention of mine, and it was almost an act of desperation and abandonment at the time. Even when I was on my way to basic training, I strongly doubted it would be a career. That said, it wasn't the worst place to spend my early- to mid-twenties. It provides on-the-job lessons in teamwork, stress management, safety, money management, etc. Admittedly, some of those lessons are from seeing how not to do things from the other dumb privates.

The greatest benefit, though, would be education. In the US (for any international voaters), education is generally not provided gratis beyond secondary education. Scholarships exist both for merit and those in need, but most of these organizations are private foundations and require reams of paperwork to apply for each one. However, any servicemember (Army, Airforce, Navy, Marines, and maybe Coast Guard) who has served at least 2 years after 2001 (I believe) and left with an honorable discharge is eligible for Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition assistance (so long as they hadn't used the previous version of the tutiion assistance -- the Montgomery GI Bill). If I remember correctly, it provides up to the highest in-state tuition rate for your state of residence (payable to the university) as well as certain allowances that are paid the veteran (housing allowance, etc.). With it, I was able to return to the university I had left and finish the degree I was previously pursuing, all without incurring any debt through student loans. Also, being a little older, a little more focused really helped.

The only lasting costs of being a soldier for me were a tricky knee, a trickier shoulder, an inguinal hernia (fixed via surgery at no cost to me), a late start in the career I am pursuing (which is slightly different than what it would've been had I stayed anyway), and having to answer the same questions over and over again (which isn't that bad--more annoying because it can get repetititve and my stories aren't very entertaining).

  • Upon review, I notice that I really seem to like parenthesis. Sorry for the mess, anyone who suffered through all that.

0
2

[–] DoratheExplorer 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago 

Doing programs in school. They ended up being really fun and I made a ton of new friends.

0
2

[–] timholt 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago 

Wow, I really like this question. It doesn’t just invoke discussion, it makes you think positively about your own past.

I’d say the best decision I ever made was to serve a Mormon mission. I didn’t just preach my religion (though that would have been enough for me), I got to help people in need and nudge them toward changing their own lives. Whatever you think of religion, when people take a big chunk out of their lives to focus completely on helping others, the world gets a little better. I’m ecstatic that I was able to be a small part of that.

Also, /u/Bodhidharma’s got the right idea. I didn’t start on guitar till my mid twenties, even though I grew up with my father playing. I could have started sooner, but I do love how far I have come.

0
2

[–] IUFMarine 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago 

Joining the Army (for me anyway, not saying it would be the best thing for others to do...) Free college education during service, no crippling student loans for the classes I am taking now, and TBH I really needed some discipline at the time, which I now have =) Finally, I met some of my best friends and made some awesome networking connections!

0
2

[–] FrozenPhoenix 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago 

Getting into Weightlifting. So many benefits but nothing as satisfying as raising your self esteem. It's not complicated either all you need is to be consistent. Eat well, add weight to the bar, see results.

A great beginner is http://stronglifts.com/5x5/

0
2

[–] Amelia_Earnhardt_Jr 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago 

When I broke up with my ex I packed what I could fit in my car and moved a few states away to live on my own for the first time in a new city. I had a couple thousand dollars and got a hotel when I arrived and started looking for a job and an apartment.

The apartment I could afford was a terrible roach nest with no heat and my furniture consisted of an air bed and a lawn chair for about a year. I ate ramen and had no heat in the winter. Eventually I got a raise and in February this year I moved in to a much nicer place in an awesome town. I could have moved back in with my parents first but at 27 (now 28) that's not really where I wanted to be. And it's amazing how much you appreciate everything you have after you live like Charlie and Frank for a year.

0
1

[–] Kintobor22 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

Cutting a few people out of my life! The quality of mine has increased dramatically.

load more comments ▼ (16 remaining)