COMBAT TO COLLEGE

In this debut memoir, Davis recounts his tough transition from military service to college education.

The author, after dropping out of two different community colleges, spent eight years in the Army. After multiple deployments in Afghanistan left him with impaired hearing and a short temper, Davis made a third attempt at school, enrolling once more as an undergraduate at age 30. His first few weeks were marred by difficulties related to his injuries and PTSD, which made his transition to student life challenging. “I realized I was scared—more scared than I had been of getting shot at in Afghanistan,” reflects Davis. “It was terrifying to think about sitting in a college class. I felt way out of my element and too dumb to succeed at this brand-new chapter of my life.” Nevertheless, he was determined to figure out a way to make it work, adapting the unique skills he’d picked up as a soldier to problems he faced on campus and in the classroom. In this book, he shares what he learned in the hope that it will help other vets pursuing higher education. Davis’ prose is lean and precise, befitting his disciplined approach to life; even so, he manages to infuse it with vulnerability: “I was sitting there for hours getting tutored by some eighteen-year-old math nerd….Veterans will run across battlefields to help a fellow soldier but struggle for asking for help for themselves.” His useful tips for fellow veterans run the gamut, from dealing with college life’s lack of structure to navigating the potential political divide between professors and veterans. Davis honed his lessons by mentoring other veterans during his time in college, and that experience comes through in how he shapes his advice here. Overall, this book should serve as a helpful resource, not only to vets, but also to other nontraditional students at the start of their college careers.

A slim and motivating volume for veterans about to head off to school.