This summer, Syracuse University welcomed about a dozen active-duty and retired military veterans to campus to participate in a one week, intensive academic boot camp. The Warrior Scholar Project, hosts several of theses immersive sessions throughout the year at some of the nations top universities, including the Universities of Arizona, Chicago, Michigan, North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Oklahoma and Southern California; and Cornell, Georgetown, Harvard, and Yale.

The primary goal of the Warrior Scholar Project is to help enlisted military veterans make the sometimes-challenging transition into the college classroom, and help them build the important skills that maximize their success upon entering a four-year undergraduate program at a top tier school such as Syracuse. By the end of the program, the Warrior Scholars have a greater understanding of time management, note taking, and test preparation, as well as critical reading and writing skills.

Watch the video below to hear some of this year’s participants reflect on the program at Syracuse University and how the Warrior Scholar program is helping to smooth the transition from Combat to College.