How To Balance Uni, Navy and “Fallout 4” (It Can Be Done!)

This post is presented in partnership with the Australian Defence Force Academy.

For Luke Searle, 21, joining the Australian Defence Force was a no-brainer. In fact, he can’t even remember if he’d ever considered another career before seriously looking into the Navy in Year 11.

“Stories from my grandfather [who also served in the Army] were important,” he told Student Edge.

“I remember around Year 1 going to see the ships in Sydney Harbour and the Maritime Museum. I think that definitely influenced my decision."

The grand Hollywood depictions of the Defence Force didn't though.

“A lot of people’s ideas come from movies and things. If you’ve seen Full Metal Jacket, well, it’s nothing like that."

Okay, but is the Navy like any movie? Under Siege? U-571? Battleship?!

“No, I don’t think so,” he laughed.

As a junior Maritime Warfare Officer, he will have the honour of acting as the Commanding Officer’s representative and, effectively, “driving the ship”.

Where his training experience might differ from that depicted in, say, Down Periscope, is in his simultaneous uni studies. Through the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA), Luke has sought a Bachelor of Information Technology (provided by the University of New South Wales).

Now at the end of his three years at ADFA, degree almost in hand, he admits the experience wasn’t always easy.

“[It was difficult] balancing an otherwise normal uni education, and all the requirements of that, with the requirements of military training and physical training," he said.

"That’s our life, essentially. Having the uni on top of the other military training.”

However, he insists it is manageable, to anyone out there who has already gnawed away their fingernails over the prospect of replicating Luke’s gargantuan-seeming endeavour.

“I think, first of all, [the course at ADFA is] designed with the fact you’re doing both in mind," he explained.

"When there’s a sort of lull in university, that’s when you’ll have a lot of military stuff. Blocks of military training are during the university holidays, so the mid-semester break and the mid-year break will often have something.

“There are days when there is a lot of stuff, but that sort of builds over the three years and you learn really good, in my opinion, time management; planning ahead and saying, ‘Look, this week I’ve got this stuff due and this military requirement as well, so here’s how I’m going to get that done.’”

You wouldn't think that would leave much room for free time.

“It’s gotten less and less as we come to the end,” he laughed, before adding, “being an IT student, I do play some computer games and I like to read.”

His game of choice at the moment: Fallout 4, just released in time for his graduation. Although, he’ll have to finish it quick, as he’s off to take on further training at HMAS Watson very soon.

“It’s been three years at uni [ADFA], so I’m very much looking forward to these next three weeks of Navy training. The training we have mostly at ADFA is combined Army, Navy, Air Force training, so it’ll be nice to do Navy-specific training for three weeks.”

Luke doesn’t seem too stressed. Seems like the song was right: You can indeed put your mind at ease.

The Defence Force is currently recruiting in a number of roles. For further information on military training and study at ADFA visit: defencejobs.gov.au/adfa or call 13 19 01.