"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world," Nelson Mandela said.

Start by believing this.

Next, believe that America, the United States, and the world, need people wielding this weapon responsibly. Climate change disasters, clean water shortages, as well as good old fashioned space exploration and scientific investigation, all need driven, cooperative, hardworking, highly skilled people to tackle them. Our enlisted veteran experience prepared us especially well for this in two ways: working with others and taking the suck. The third important ingredient, caring, you've shown, at least marginally, by reading this far.

The United States is especially short on scientists and engineers, according to the National Science Foundation, putting us behind on scientific progress. It doesn't seem that way for now because our living conditions continue to attract the brightest minds from other, more densely populated countries. But how long we can continue to do so is uncertain.

Finally, believe that you, reading this now, who used to chuck brass in ammo cans and turn wrenches around shit pipes on ships, can be a wielder of this powerful education weapon. If you doubt yourself, that's ok.

Watch Khan Academy's You Can Learn Anything to get a better appreciation of your own potential. Browse the 2014 remake of Carl Sagan's Cosmos to see how we, humanity, got here and where we could go. On a personal note, here is my own (briefly told) college story, a few of my notes for veterans pursuing competitive universities and my own reasons for doing anything difficult or challenging.
Then, ready or not, the world needs you. So let's begin.

This link will take you to Next Step Inbound, where I worked with them to build a personal statement tutorial series. Coming soon are series on requesting letters of recommendation and drafting resumes, as well as a downloadeable Veteran Transfer Handbook.

All this is just to get you started. There is so much to know and it's impossible to cover by one person or even a group of people. But of all the things there are to know, know also this: that it will be difficult, but it is worth it. And in the difficult times, remember that we're here to support you in any way we can.