I’m a fresher and I get paid to use a rifle

For most people, joining a society at uni means heavy nights on top-top and acquiring as much stash as possible.

For me, it means lying in the rain and being trained to use a gun. All while being paid.

Welcome to the Officer Training Corp…

The army had never attracted me.

For starters, I’m not the bravest of people and the thought of being shot at was enough to deter me. I’d found paintballing perilous enough.

Furthermore, I was a fresher, about to embark on what I had been told would be the best years of my life and was not prepared to jeopardise this in any way, shape or form.

It therefore came as quite a shock to both my parents and myself when, after less than a month at university, I’d donned the combats and beret and had signed up to be a part of the Exeter University Officer Training Corps.

Officer Training Corps (OTCs) operate in a number of British Universities. Their mission is to develop the leadership potential of selected university students and raise awareness of the army ethos.

Now this all sounds quite serious and I was rather apprehensive when I attended the Selection Weekend, still only in my second week of university. My friend had convinced me to go, telling me about all the opportunities OTC offered including ski trips, skydiving, the chance to travel… The fact that you got paid was also a bonus. In the end I figured I had nothing to lose.

The Selection Weekend was indeed an intimidating experience. Getting off the bus in what seemed to be the middle of nowhere, I felt completely out of my depth. I knew nothing about the military, and there were an awful lot of men walking around, dressed from head to toe in camouflage, with ingrained glares radiating from their faces- one was even carrying a stick. I figured at least I’d have some entertaining stories to tell once I got back to uni.

However, I was pleasantly surprised. It didn’t take me long to realise that everyone was as new to this as I was and the exercises and activities that we completed actually turned out to be rather enjoyable.

By the end of the weekend, I was sold. I’d made some great friends and taken part in activities that had challenged me, showing me my areas of strength, as well as the areas needing improvement. When I found out I’d been selected I was overjoyed and haven’t looked back since.

The OTC meets once a week and usually has a couple of weekend trips per month. I’ve learned how to shoot a rifle, how to navigate and my physical strength and fitness has definitely improved. I’ve run around Dartmoor with camouflage paint covering my face and moss and branches sticking out of my helmet. It sounds ridiculous but it really is very good fun and whole time you are developing skills that could lead to a career in the army if you so wished.

It’s not without its tough days. Field weekends involve camping in the woods, which normally goes hand in hand with rain as would be expected in the south of England. Lying in the wet mud in the middle of the night, holding a soggy rifle and looking out for the imaginary “enemy” is a personal low-point. However, the next day it makes a pretty entertaining story and you always end up having a laugh when it’s over.

The crazy thing is, I can do all this and still get the university experience that I had been expecting before joining. My degree is going well and I’m an active member of many other societies and sports teams.

That’s the thing with the OTC. It’s like another life that you go to once a week. Once a week you become an Officer Cadet. You put on your uniform and boots, go down to the barracks and learn about what it is to be part of the military. Then you walk back to your halls and casually visit the pub with your flatmates like nothing has happened.

It’s a little surreal really.