I decided a few months ago that I wanted to go into the Air Force, and a couple of weeks ago, I actually went to the recruiter’s office to see if I was eligible, and if so, what I had to do! Since I still have about a year and a half until I graduate, I wasn’t able to sign up for a job or reserve my spot for Basic Training, however the recruiting officer did get me started with the process.

When I walked in, the recruiting officer had me take a practice ASVAB test. The ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) is a multiple choice test which you need to pass in order to qualify for enlistment. It’s fairly easy, just basic knowledge, and I passed it on the first try. Although it is easy to pass, some of the questions are pretty hard if you haven’t done the math by hand in a while. I am guilty of not remembering how to do multiplication by hand…; I don’t think I’m the only one, though, seeing as most of us here at iUniversity Prep are almost always allowed and encouraged to use calculators. Also, there were some word definition questions that asked about words I had never even heard of, which I think is surprising because I read almost constantly (this is also shared by most at iUPrep). Another important thing to know is that they don’t calculate your grade based on the percentage that you got right, unlike most other tests. For example, I got a 70% or 80% correct, however the test results came back as a 56. I don’t know exactly how they calculate your grade, but if you ever take the ASVAB, don’t panic if you see a really low score. Do note that some jobs require a higher ASVAB score than others.

After I took the test, the recruiting officer asked me quite a lot of questions, mostly basic personal things they ask you at the doctors and personal history. After that was done, he talked to me about the different jobs I could work while in the Air Force, and how the next 2 years would go. It was really overall a very exciting experience, getting a start on what I want to do with my life! If you had told me even a year ago that I would be going into the Air Force, I would have honestly laughed, but now look at me! That goes to say, don’t say you’re not going to do something if you haven’t checked it out!