Bad Grades in High School? No Problem

I graduated high school with a low 2.3 grade point average (GPA). This was good enough to get me into the Air Force, but it sure as hell wasn’t getting me into med school.

Despite my low grades, a short three years after high school graduation I did the following:

1. Earned a full ROTC scholarship to pay for college

2. Was accepted into two excellent universities (UCLA, UC Davis)

3. Met the girl of my dreams :)

I did this by going to Junior College.

Junior College Gives You a Fresh Start

Junior college, community college, whatever you want to call it… is the perfect place to go and start over.

All of the good universities have transfer programs that allow you to start school as a junior. Their applications require the GPA from your last 60 credits (two years) of school. They do not even ask about high school.

With a junior college GPA of 3.7, military experience, and community involvement, I was able to apply to the top universities in California and was accepted into two out of three.

An Amazing Opportunity

Maybe you’re thinking – ok Casey you must be some kind of smarty pants that goofed off in high school but easily caught up in college.

The only difference between me in high school and me in Junior College was the military. Something about military life kept me focused and motivated. I had less distraction in the military and worked harder to achieve my goals. My supervisors pushed me to go to school and I took it seriously.

Create a Plan

Whatever your dream is, to achieve it you need a plan. I recommend doing the following:

1. Choose a degree that you are passionate about. Do not go for an electrical engineering degree because you heard the money is good. Do it because you’re curious about it and are truly interested.

If you are unsure of the degree you want, go with this: are you good at writing or math. Most degrees can be divided into one of those two broad categories. Stick to the one you are good at.

2. Find universities that are good for the degree you want to pursue.

3. Go to the junior college you are interested in and make sure their credits transfer to the colleges you like.

Many junior colleges are part of a state system that ensures credits transfer to major universities. It is best to attend a junior college that falls within one of these programs. For California this system is called IGETC.

Please email me if you have any questions! Stay focused on your dream and it will come true. It’s not too late to start over.

 

Property Tax Rates by State

This calculator provides an average annual property tax bill, which can be used to estimate property tax before purchasing a home. I tested it against my home in South Carolina, and it was within $50.

Select State:
 Enter Home Value:
 Result:

The data is based on a 2010 study (PDF) of average owner-occupied state property tax rates conducted by the Tax Foundation.

 

State Property Tax Rates

State Avg Annual Tax Rate Annual Tax Bill on a $150,000 Home
Alabama 0.41% $615.00
Alaska 1.24% $1,860.00
Arizona 0.85% $1,275.00
Arkansas 0.57% $855.00
California 0.78% $1,170.00
Colorado 0.61% $915.00
Connecticut 1.70% $2,550.00
Delaware 0.49% $735.00
Florida 1.09% $1,635.00
Georgia 0.93% $1,395.00
Hawaii 0.27% $405.00
Idaho 0.74% $1,110.00
Illinois 1.93% $2,895.00
Indiana 0.84% $1,260.00
Iowa 1.34% $2,010.00
Kansas 1.35% $2,025.00
Kentucky 0.78% $1,170.00
Louisiana 0.43% $645.00
Maine 1.17% $1,755.00
Maryland 0.98% $1,470.00
Massachusetts 1.08% $1,620.00
Michigan 1.82% $2,730.00
Minnesota 1.10% $1,650.00
Mississippi 0.73% $1,095.00
Missouri 0.94% $1,410.00
Montana 0.85% $1,275.00
Nebraska 1.82% $2,730.00
Nevada 0.98% $1,470.00
New Hampshire 1.92% $2,880.00
New Jersey 2.01% $3,015.00
New Mexico 0.66% $990.00
New York 1.38% $2,070.00
North Carolina 0.81% $1,215.00
North Dakota 1.36% $2,040.00
Ohio 1.44% $2,160.00
Oklahoma 0.80% $1,200.00
Oregon 0.98% $1,470.00
Pennsylvania 1.40% $2,100.00
Rhode Island 1.47% $2,205.00
South Carolina 0.55% $825.00
South Dakota 1.32% $1,980.00
Tennessee 0.70% $1,050.00
Texas 1.90% $2,850.00
Utah 0.65% $975.00
Vermont 1.61% $2,415.00
Virginia 0.77% $1,155.00
Washington 0.98% $1,470.00
West Virginia 0.58% $870.00
Wisconsin 1.85% $2,775.00
Wyoming 0.62% $930.00
Washington, D.C. 0.54% $810.00


Shipping a Vehicle Overseas – Top 3 Tips

April 23, 2012

If you have orders to Germany, Hawaii, or some other amazing overseas location, then you need to ship a vehicle. The military pays to ship one of your cars, but you will have to foot the bill for a second. Here are my top tips for shipping your primary vehicle overseas with the government: 1. [...]

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Skype: Receive Calls While Deployed

April 18, 2012

Skype is awesome. Walk through any barracks lucky enough to have internet access while deployed, and you’ll hear that familiar “boo bee boop” ring tone. Beyond using the free version of Skype, I recommend setting up a Skype phone number. That gives you a US based phone number, that rings when you are logged into Skype. [...]

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The Best Boots in the Military

March 15, 2012

These are my 6-year old Rocky S2V boots. They’ve been to seven countries and twelve states. I’ve worn these on the back porch of the squadron on Friday, drinking beer after a week’s hard work. I’ve worn them while training Airmen, while briefing Colonels and 3-Star Generals. They’re dusty. Touching Iraqi soil for the first [...]

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TSA Testing Quick Screening Process for Active Duty

March 14, 2012

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently rolled out a quick screening process for active duty at Ronald Reagan National Airport. Show your CAC card and skip: Taking off your shoes Removing a laptop Removing your jacket and belt Active duty, National Guard, and Reserves are all eligible. The TSA hopes to roll out the program [...]

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How to Sell or Rent your Home Fast Using AHRN

March 11, 2012

The Automated Housing Referral Network (AHRN) provides a great, free way to sell or rent your home. While looking at AHRN during my move to Hawaii, I noticed many advertisements had no pictures and short descriptions, causing me to skip right over them. If you’re advertising like that – you’re losing money. With a lack [...]

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Online Backup – Top Three Services Compared

March 10, 2012

We have hundreds of pictures stored on our desktop computer. During every PCS move or deployment, I’m scared that the movers will damage the computer or lose it. No amount of money would replace those pictures. I recently discovered online backup and now have some peace of mind that my files are safe. Online backup supplements my [...]

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Watch Hulu While Deployed Overseas

March 8, 2012

So you’re deployed or stationed thousands of miles from home with plenty of time on your hands. Maybe you can catch up on The Office? Oh wait, it’s blocked overseas? Argghhhh. I heard about VPN services on my last deployment and figured I would share. Follow these steps to fix it: 1. Sign up for Hide [...]

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Should you Rent or Sell your Home Before your Next PCS?

March 7, 2012

We recently got orders to Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii (woo hoo!). Along with those orders came a decision on what to do with the home we bought near Shaw AFB. We chose to rent out our home due to the low cost and quick turnover. Weighing the Options We reviewed three points before making a decision: 1. How [...]

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