I answered offhandedly, "I'm not." He shook his head and said rather dejectedly, "I'm prepared to continue studying."
"Why do you say that," I became interested in his answer, "what did you do before?"
He replied, "I just got discharged from the military."
Since he was a soldier, I put away my guard and indifferent attitude, and continued to ask him, "Did you just get discharged?"
"It's been a few months actually," he answered honestly, then said very dispiritedly, "After being discharged for several months, I haven't done anything great."