Expert: Dick Rogers - 1/28/2005

Question
Hi,
I am having a problem. I am curently 18 years old and I want to be a police officer in the future, and I know that in order to be a police officer, you need good grades. But I find that finding and keeping friends is hard when you are trying to get good grades and volunteering due to lack of time.  I was just wondering if you had lots of friends when you were my age and were trying to get into policing and if it is normal for me to just study now, and find friends later when I am in policing?

Thanks for your time,
Justin.

Answer
Justin, you pose an interesting question...not a particularly difficult one...but one with some importance.  Firstly, at eighteen you are considered an adult in many ways.  Secondly, you are entering the stage in your life when you must make significant decisions...thirdly, your question is rhetorical, that is, it basically answers itself.  Think of it this way.  Your job is stocking shelves at the local Wal-Mart (or Mall-Wart as I call it).  This is where your life has taken you...why? because you let your studies slide but you have many good friends...thay may even be your co-workers. Your interest in becoming a police officer is a good one...it's not a bad job and if you stick with it, the end result is a good retirement at an early age.  Grades are significant only in that grades must be good enough for you to graduate.  At eighteen I presume you are out of high school and in college.  Most law enforcement appicants nowadays have college educations, so grades in this sense are important.  You ask if I had friends when I was your age and the answer is yes, but I also had somewhat of a vision of what I wanted to do with my life.  Priorities are important...one very important priority for you at you age is what am I going to do with my life?  In the process of finding that our and actualizing it, you can fill the voids with friends.  Hope this helps.