I taught college courses from 1966-1973 and found that returning service members on the GI Bill as well as ROTC students had the most discipline and drive of any of my students.
That was in sharp contrast to some lazy bums who were only in college to get a IIS deferment, which often didn’t last long. I had one fellow come up to me at the end of the semester, pleading, “If you flunk me, they’ll send me to Vietnam!” I told him that he had only flunked himself and he should have thought of that at the beginning of his college work.
Since then I have met several of those who flunked out and got drafted. The service taught them discipline, the ability to approach a task with firm resolve and in steps to accomplish their goal. One of these is my daughter’s father-in-law who went on to get an engineering degree and has had a successful career.
That has long been the case and not just after VN but following WWI, WWII and Korea. I had a pretty high degree of discipline before I enlisted but my time in boot camp and the Corps enhanced and solidified that in ways that have affected my entire adult life. I see the same things in the veteran students in my classes today.
I’m fortunate that when I returned to school I was married and did not have to deal too much with the general population of students who were mainly interested in boozing, skirt chasing and the football team. They were on the whole irresponsible and juvenile.