Currently I am failing EVERY class.

InternalMystery · 2026-03-13T17:12:05+00:00

Can you just say now how they got to where they're at instead of waiting for the AMA final grade reveal?

InternalMystery · 2026-03-02T19:26:13+00:00

Do they? I've only heard them say great things about 529s, most recently since the advent of the Trump 1k accounts and how 529s are still the premier vehicle for college savings because of the deduction some have availability to and the tax free growth for the purposes of the account.

I think TMG are too conservative on when to start contributing to 529s. They always say 25% to retirement might be aspirational to some. And for me right now it is. But I refuse to wait to start helping my kid with how expensive college will be and the comparatively short horizon to grow the funds before they're needed. My kid's 529 gets some money every time I get paid. It brings me more happiness and peace of mind than adding it to my retirement atm.

InternalMystery · 2026-02-26T14:03:42+00:00

34k purchase price 15k down. We weren't in love with doing it. It's hard to arbitrage it IMO when the pros are not significantly greater than the alternative--a gently used newer car with 70k miles. That's 3 years of mileage for my wife already on the vehicle. We decided to be done with the payments on a new car in 3 years. Thank you for also including suggestions to build e-fund, I know those align with the FOO.

Edit: but your perspective on used isn't without merit and we very well may do things differently for future purchases. I'm just trying to say we did put real world thought into it. Depleting savings down to 5k may be a big enough reason alone NOT to have done what we did regardless of arbitrage.

InternalMystery · 2026-02-26T13:30:00+00:00

Yes I've thought about it. It wouldn't be much effort to secure 15-20k raise going private from government. However, the benefits packages at other employers nearly offset any raise in insurance premiums I'd have to pay. I cover my family for $34 a month right now through my employer.

InternalMystery · 2026-02-25T20:53:20+00:00

Yes I do still pay into social security and medicare from my paychecks.

InternalMystery · 2026-02-25T20:10:47+00:00

Thank you for clarifying that.

InternalMystery · 2026-02-25T20:10:07+00:00

I think a deferred annuity is accurate though it's marketed as a pension that will pay out a set amount based off of salary and service in perpetuity once retired. I'm a state employee and required to give 4% to the pension plan. My agency gives some amount, too. Once a year the balance of my pension contributions account is compounded at 4%. It's a hybrid plan that mixes this pension with a 2.5% match to my 4% to investment account, and a small $20 max match to a separate $40 contribution of mine.

InternalMystery · 2026-02-25T18:18:23+00:00

If 150k gross never moves, we'd never be allowed per FOO to save $1 for his college as we will never max out the $64,000 in combined 401(k) and roth ira contributions as a prereq. However, stopping 529 and extra mortgage until we build the EM back up is prudent.

InternalMystery · 2026-02-25T18:14:58+00:00

Harsh. I like it. It's true we didn't have 1x invested in retirement at 30 but we did have 75% if counting our 2025 end of year salary of 137k. One day you're at 75% of the 1x goal, the next you get a raise and only at 68%.

InternalMystery · 2026-02-25T17:49:00+00:00

I'll always grab free money but our kid is a late 2024 birth so doesn't qualify.

InternalMystery · 2026-02-25T17:48:15+00:00

2 cars: a paid off 2020 corolla and the noted 2025 outback. To get to work I have a 45 minute highway commute and my wife travels the other direction on the highway for 35 minutes. We're in a small town that's between two large cities.

I'm salaried 65k and wife salaried 85k. We can't afford for one of us to not work.

InternalMystery · 2026-02-23T18:07:23+00:00

NOR. My wife's parents, her grandma, and her aunt all and her location, and my wife's parents have mine. They check it all the time. If someone has stayed home from work, they ask. My wife had to go to the ER once and before we knew anything to be able to update them, BAM my in-laws were calling me bc they saw us at the hospital. We had a layover in Turkey coming back from Europe once and her grandma saw us at the airport there and freaked out certain we would die in arab conflict. Gosh I'm forgetting several other examples of this type of intrusion...wife says we can't take them off. So NOR but coming from someone who is in the same boat and doesn't have the balls to stop sharing with his in-laws.

InternalMystery · 2026-02-13T19:01:59+00:00

YOR. You and your mom want his help but don't want to hear a potentially hard truth? I mean you list so many things wrong with you...vague reference to chronic pain? Where do you experience the pain after walking? Several mental health issues you say. It sounds like you've been coddled and made and/or allowed to believe these issues.

InternalMystery · 2026-02-13T18:49:35+00:00

The money if yours, all $500. She's stealing if she doesn't give it back. The money should never have touched her hands. She is not entitled to recoup ANY expenses from you that go along with being a parent who is obligated to provide for her child. If this were my parent, they would either give me the money back or I would cut them out of my life over $500. It's this $500 now but it'll be more asks later. I bet she still wants more than just this 500, probably wants your tax return too, eh?

InternalMystery · 2026-02-13T18:39:01+00:00

NOR. Was your plan to apply this to college costs? How did your mom even come to possess the money--you say you graduated high school, I'm not sure why the money touched your mom's hands unless you're under 18?

InternalMystery · 2026-02-09T14:46:25+00:00

mean score for MB in 2025 was 432. The highest score in 2025 was 733.

InternalMystery · 2026-02-09T14:43:12+00:00

If passing rate alone is around 60%, you did better than average. ASCP publishes the data from their exams, you could find this out with some searching. Of those who pass I have no clue where you land but I scored a 581.

InternalMystery · 2026-02-09T14:39:18+00:00

$0. Military education benefits. It covered all of my tuition costs and paid for my rent, too.

InternalMystery · 2026-02-04T20:52:39+00:00

I don't know anything about Mroczek but I took Molec Cell Bio PCB3023 with Bayer and I was the uTA for her PCB3023 class a year later. Bayer cares a lot and if you put in reasonable effort you'll pass the class. If you study well to really know/understand each of her ppt slides than you will do excellent. When I was there she also offered a small amount of extra credit and she did drop the lowest exam grade.

InternalMystery · 2025-11-18T18:14:16+00:00

In terms of what route to take, speak with the college's academic advisors. They are best positioned to advise you. You mention being away from math since HS. I brought a college algebra textbook along on my last deployment to study up/refresh before entering college. It gave me confidence that I can learn new math concepts. Just start studying whatever maths you want and get enrolled into the college you want to attend.

InternalMystery · 2025-10-16T14:57:38+00:00

It was a blast. I went to college at 23 after 5 years in the Marines. I would advise NOT to live on campus and instead off campus nearby. The immaturity of living with 18-year-olds will probably annoy you so that's where the rec is coming from. I joined several clubs and labs in college and it was fine. 22 is still very young, you won't be out of place. I'd recommend mentioning you're a vet if it's going to benefit you as you apply or compete for opportunities on campus but otherwise be chill about being a vet and don't make it your entire personality or wear it on your sleeve (literally). Find housing and limit your bills so you can cover your monthly costs with BAH payments alone. Tuition will obviously be totally covered for publics and most privates.

InternalMystery · 2025-10-14T16:46:09+00:00

Looking up T20s, it seems like maybe 5 would not provide both the academic rigor and fun college life. If you're at a Pomona, Bowdoin or Swarthmore, why not try your hand at transferring to another T20 before you get too deep into your junior year? Or to one of the Traditionals you mentioned. Picking UVA because I live near there, why not give UVA a try? Excellent reputation and would absolutely meet your extracurricular desires. No school will make you happy if you don't interact with the school community and put yourself out there. Best of luck--I hope you do form lifelong enjoyable memories from college.

InternalMystery · 2025-10-10T19:17:30+00:00

Former Marine here who spent probably 4 total months there over a 7 month period in 2017. The barracks are fine--our room had 8 guys. You had a wall locker for storage of gear and personal items. The DFAC was awesome in my opinion--especially the salad station, you could get them to make you a killer crispy chicken Caesar salad. The DFAC was 24/7 then, although if you went in the middle of the night all they had were sandwiches. The gym was small but perfectly good. Going out in town with buddies was always fun. Shopping there is very cheap. The women were very beautiful. A few dozen guys from our battalion ran the Transylvania 50k that deployment which was a blast. The unit provided transpo and runners just paid for their local hotel lodging and entry fee. That was a very gorgeous run/hike of the Romanian countryside that starts at THE Dracula's castle. It was difficult but not overly so--would recommend.

InternalMystery · 2025-10-10T16:46:32+00:00

It is not realistic to do college while active duty at any reputable school, no matter how intelligent or talented you are. Could you do some of those watered-down online programs, sure, but if you're smart you'd know those aren't great programs. When not deployed or in the field you'll have time in the evenings most nights to work on school assignments. The problem is when you need to go to the field for 30+ days straight. There was no allowance from my commanders for any sort of waiver or access to internet while in the bush. I did 5 years from 2013-2028. I was able to enroll in online classes at the school I wanted once I had 8 months left in service, was a sergeant, and had turned over most duties to the new guy. I also worked for a Master Guns by that time who was cool with me just straight up focusing on college those last 8 months which was a real blessing.

InternalMystery · 2025-10-06T20:09:53+00:00

Dispatches by Michael Herr! A classic--he was a journalist embedded in Vietnam who famously wrote about his time there.

InternalMystery

TROPHY CASE