Trevor Blaszczyk walked into his first college class expecting to learn. What he got instead was a crash course in ideological activism disguised as education. In this episode of the Saving 22 podcast, Trevor breaks down his first day as a psychology major using the GI Bill—and why every veteran heading to college needs to be prepared for what awaits them in the modern university classroom.
A Veteran Walks Into a College Classroom
Trevor enrolled as a psychology major, taking one in-person class and three online to qualify for full GI Bill benefits. Night classes fit around his work schedule, and he went in with an open mind. That open mind was tested immediately when his professor opened the semester not with a syllabus review or course objectives, but with sweeping claims about the history of religion and gender that seemed designed to provoke rather than educate.
As Trevor describes it, the professor was pulling up articles on Google in front of the class and presenting them as authoritative sources. “He was just Googling in front of us and bringing up articles. I’m like, what is going on here? Front page of Google.” For a veteran accustomed to environments where claims require evidence and briefings require rigor, the lack of academic standards was immediately apparent.
When Critical Thinking Gets Replaced by Groupthink
What struck Trevor most was not the professor’s opinions but the complete absence of pushback from other students. In a room of roughly 60 people, he was one of the few willing to question what was being presented. The classroom environment did not encourage debate or independent thought—it rewarded compliance.
Trevor draws a sharp contrast between the accountability culture of the military and the echo chamber of the university. In the service, bad ideas get challenged because lives depend on getting things right. In the classroom, bad ideas get repeated until they become accepted as truth. He warns fellow veterans that this dynamic can be disorienting, especially during the already difficult transition period after leaving active duty.
Why Veterans Need to Be Prepared for This Environment
This is not an anti-education message. Trevor is clear that he values learning and is committed to completing his degree. But he wants veterans to go in with their eyes open. The modern university often operates on assumptions that conflict with the values instilled during military service—values like personal responsibility, merit-based advancement, and respect for institutions that have stood the test of time.
His advice is practical: take your classes seriously, use the GI Bill to its fullest, but do not let anyone rewrite your worldview without earning that influence through solid reasoning and evidence. “I’m going to school for becoming a psych major. I’m getting paid to go. GI Bill, you have to be full-time and you have to take one class in person to receive full benefits.” The education is a tool—use it strategically.
Building Critical Thinkers, Not Ideologues
Trevor closes by encouraging veterans and young people alike to develop the habit of questioning everything—not from a place of cynicism, but from genuine intellectual curiosity. The ability to think critically is a superpower in an age of information overload, and veterans already have the discipline to develop it if they choose to.
The university may not teach it, but life after the military demands it. Whether you are sitting in a lecture hall or scrolling through headlines, the question Trevor wants you to ask is always the same: does this hold up under scrutiny, or am I just being told what to believe?
Are you a veteran heading to college? Share your experience—we would love to hear how you are navigating the academic world after the military.
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