Finally got waivers approved after months of waiting, need advice.

I’ve been in the process of joining the Navy since July of last year. I was a student about halfway through a bachelors degree and had just dropped out. I no longer wanted to go to pharmacy school which is what I was obtaining the bachelors for. I had a friend who was in the DEP program and I decided to go to the recruiters office myself. I was completely lost, no money, no job, student debt, etc. After meeting with the recruiter I decided I definitely wanted to join. I’ve always been athletic and the lifestyle seemed up my alley, along with the great benefits and travel opportunities. I ended up making a 97 on my ASVAB but got stuck in the medical stage at MEPS. I needed a waiver for 4 things on my medical history.

I moved in with my parents and waited a little while longer because I was under the impression it would be a small hurdle. But I waited and waited.. and waited. I eventually decided it was time to find something else (I’m glad I did bc it’s now March). Since I’ve been working, I ended up getting a certification that came with a huge pay raise. I make great money now and I really enjoy my job & coworkers. I even can afford to move out if I want. The ONLY thing stopping me was the uncertainty with my Navy waivers and not wanting to be bound to a lease if they got approved.

About 2 months ago I requested to be switched to reserves. This was because I still wanted to serve in some capacity, but between having to schedule doctors appointments, get clearance letters, wait on MEPS, rinse & repeat, life had changed a lot since I originally visited the recruiter 8 whole months ago. My recruiter was fine with this and said he would switch over my paperwork, no big deal. I also had a long conversation with my boss about what the reserves entail and how I would be out for a considerable amount of time (bootcamp, A-school). Everything was worked out, I was just still waiting on those waivers.

I FINALLY got the call today that my waivers have been approved! I’m good to go swear in.🇺🇸⚓️

However, my recruiter asked “so you’re still good with active?”…. I was confused because I thought we’d switched to reserves. I guess he never did that paperwork. He said he can still do it if that’s what I REALLY want. But he gave me a bunch of reasons why the reserves wouldn’t be worth my time. Like people only join for healthcare and extra retirement. Those aren’t really why I want to join, I’m not worried about that at all actually.

At the end of the day, I’ve researched the reserves a lot. I know it’s not active duty, I won’t get the same benefits, I won’t have the travel experiences, I get it. But I also know I can volunteer to mobilize which I fully intend to do. I can still serve my country and I can even apply to convert to active component later on down the line if I chose. I think it’s a great fit for me. But after hearing my recruiter I can’t help but wonder if I’m making a mistake? I have the ASVAB scores to qualify for some pretty great jobs with life changing bonuses and work experience for civilian jobs afterwards. What do I do?