What now?

I've graduated High School in June. I turned 18 in May a few months ago, and I'm deaf in the left ear (you'll know why i mention this later). Throughout high school, teachers and staff have been telling the students to go to their counselors about finding a college, and stuff like that. I didn't really know what to do with my life until late Junior year (11th grade). I wanted to join the military. I spent that year, and my senior year figuring out which branch I should choose.

In the end, I ended up choosing the Marine Corp - for mental and physical training. Just last week, I talked to a recruiter, and found out that I couldn't join the marines because I was deaf in the left ear. This applied as well to the Air force, and I'm not sure about the army, but It'll probably be the same results.

My problem is that I don't know what to do now. I mean, there are probably a lot of choices, and I'm just probably still pissed that I couldn't join a branch of service, but I had fantasized so many plans. The reason I didn't talk to a recruiter before was because I was nervous. I know that that's a major fuck up that I should have done beforehand, but I didn't know that my deafness would pose as a problem.

I just wanted to do something in my life that was fun and spontaneous. I don't think college would be necessarily 'fun' for me because I'm not a social person, so parties wouldn't really apply for me.

 

I think you could try the navy. I'm pretty sure you would have the same results with the Army.
My dad told me he tried to join the army and couldn't because he is visually impaired in one eye.

 

Maybe a fire fighter? Thats in a similiar area in my opinion. You are still trying to help people etc. When you are not fighting fires, you get to just like work out or whatever . My friend's dad is an airport fire fighter. Do you know how often planes catch on fire? Like never. But he has to be stationed at the airport 24/7, just incase. So he gets to just socialise all day hahah. Its superrr hard to get a job there, they say you can only get a job as an airport fire fighter if someone retires, since no one wants to leave. Its the easiest job hahah.

Other than that, just go for a trade? Like a boilermaker.

 

Surgery maybe? Or are you permanently and irreversably deaf?

 

Perhaps. I'm thinking of gathering a bunch of options and picking one of them, similar to what i did with the military. And what's a boilmaker?

Well, see, here's the thing - my ear doctor told me a few years ago when I was 16-17 that I could get this surgery called Cochlear Implant, which would basically transfer sound from my left ear through my skull, which somehow would allow me to hear through this device near my left ear.

He also told me that it was a delicate instrument, and it was water-sensitive(can short circuit if liquid meet together). I was really skeptical about this, so I didn't go with it. He told me that I could make the decision later, but not after I turn 18, because insurance doesn't pay for that, and is expensive.

 

I would not have the surgery, my next door neighbor is a nose/eye/ear surgeon and I have heard him talk to my parents about how that was one of the more iffy surgeries. Have you thought about joining the police force? I do not think they would have a issue with the ear, and you would still be able to help people out.

 

You could always TRY the Army. I know you could get a waiver, but I believe it's still less then a 25% chance of getting in. Other then that, you could always go to a Police Academy, go to college, etc.

 

Yeah if you fuck up in life, people usually become cops. Fire fighter is good too, you don't do shit but work out and kill fires which rarely happens.

 

A boilermaker is one of the highest paying trades in Australia. Here they get like $40 an hour on average. Ofcourse there are a lot of jobs that pay boilermakers a LOT higher than $40 an hour. They work with metal etc. Not 100% sure what they do, but my friend was doing an apprenticeship as one once. He said its pretty easy.

 

why tell the recruiters that you're deaf?

they will never know

 

They would find out, considering they test your hearing and give you a full medical. Like you have to strip down naked and everything. Trust me, i know. I was going to join the army, i passed everything etc while waiting for my school results, then i got them and i did good so i didn't need to join the army.

 

I would recommend a more state like job if you want to serve your country like maybe a fireman or police officer.