Is it wrong if I keep chasing my legitimate dream?

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anhphan

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I have a predilection for language, especially English, Japanese and Arabic. However, my parents don’t understand and don’t allow me to realize my dream. They forced me to apply for a military university. I had been praying to God for two weeks but I received no answers from Him. Does my dream have something wrong to Him?
 
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You are entitled to make your own decisions in life and forcing you into the military against your will seems short sighted. You need to stand firm, and if necessary work your way through university on your own. It won’t be easy, but your parents are exceeding their authority. It might be worth getting an older relative on your side and talking it through together. Parents only want their children to be happy - you need to persuade yours that they are going about it the wrong way…
 
Thank you. I just want to talk with my parents about the problem. But they seem not to listen, which makes me upset.
 
It’s your life, not your parents’. It’s not wrong of you to want to study languages.

Could you write your parents a letter explaining why you want to study languages instead?
 
Would you be able to study languages in military university? Check it out. I would think that a knowledge of languages would be invaluable in a military career. I checked out the West Point website, and one of the Majors is “Foreign Languages.” 🙂

I’m kind of confused about this question.

Are you in the United States?

I am in the U.S., and I’m not sure what a “military university” is. I think of West Point, the Air Force Academy, the Naval Academy, etc, and in order to attend these, a potential student must receive an appointment by someone, usually a Senator or Congressperson. Do you have such an appointment? If so, congratulations–it’s a true honor, and I don’t blame your parents for wanting you to accept it.

But are there other “military universities” in the U.S.?

And why do your parents want you to study at a military university? Is there a proud history of military service in your family and your family wants you to continue? Is it because you have received a full scholarship (or appointment) to such a school? Have you been involved with ROTC in high school, or involved with some other para-military organization in your community? Are your parents police or fire dept.?

I just don’t understand this question from someone in the U.S.

Thanks for clarifying.
 
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If you want to be a linguist, be a linguist. It’s your life to do with as your choose. Your parents can make suggestions, but they can’t force you to pursue one career if you want to pursue another. If studying languages is your dream, do it. You’ll only regret it in years to come if you don’t.

One thing that does occur to me is to ask whether you are able to pursue your languages in the armed forces in some way. The armed forces always need skilled linguists to work as interpreters, intelligence officers, and diplomats. You may have heard of the British politician Paddy Ashdown (also called Lord Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon). During his varied career as a Royal Marines officer, Special Boat Service commando, Secret Intelligence Service agent, and as High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, he learned six languages in addition to his native English: French, German, Mandarin Chinese, Malay, Bosnian (Serbo-Croatian), and one of the Dayak languages from Borneo. Paddy Ashdown in fact didn’t even complete secondary education before joining the armed forces at the age of 18.

Of course, you may not want to be a linguist in the armed forces. You may want to be a translator, interpreter, teacher, or a scholar of literature. Whatever you decide, you should follow your own dream, not something your parents have chosen for you.
 
Linguists have broad careers in every major military I know of. As a USAF veteran myself and working in the intelligence community now, people with military linguist backgrounds are highly coveted, and there are plenty of in this community.

Whether or not this is the university you want to attend is a different matter, but a military education can be rife with linguistics and language studies if that is your desire.
 
Yes, there are other military universities in the US.

Norwich University is the nation’s oldest private military college --it just celebrated its 200th anniversary. (It is located in Vermont). It accepts foreign students. The languages one can study include German, French, Spanish, and Chinese. Back in the 1970s through 2000 it had the Russian Language school (of which many of us have fond memories),
 
In the US, the Defense Language Institute is an immersive language learning school, only open to people from the US Army and the other armed forces. All the teachers are native speakers, the pace of study is fast and intense, but you get to hang out in Monterey, California, at the Presidio. For a year. And they have stuff like foreign language choirs.

However, there’s a good chance you’ll catch Valley Fever if you go, because the wind carries fungus spores down from the dry hills and dirt. So don’t go there with a weak immune system! (Or anywhere else in California or parts of the Southwest. But Valley Fever was identified first at the Presidio of Monterey, so yeah, you’re going to be exposed there more than anywhere.)

Bad news is that you have to get picked to go there, like a lot of other in-military schools for specialties. If you have a super-high language aptitude score on the ASVAB, your chances are good.
 
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I’m not American. My parents want me to study at a military university because of free tuition and job prospect.
 
I grew up near the Monterey Bay. What is this valley fever? I’ve never heard of it.
 
What fields of study are offered at this university? Languages, being a linguist, interpreter, etc is part of the military.

In the US, at 18 you are an adult. Parents may pressure an adult child, but they cannot force a career on an adult.

Can you simply emancipate yourself and make your own university choices?
 
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