I wouldn't say don't even bother, but in a more quiet op-tempo there is a good chance your weekend service will be pretty boring, to seemingly no end, and quite possibly not involve a deployment. Also, a weekend a month can be more of a pain than you expect, especially when half the year you are basically wasting that weekend doing check in the box stuff, or coming in early to take another urinalysis test.
Units can vary incredibly unit to unit, this can have to do with the dynamics of the unit, as well as the active duty personnel working back stage. As Smitty said, if you end up as an NCO, the higher you go, the more "homework" you have outside of drill. Also, to add to what Smitty said, if you don't have a home life you are trying to maintain, Active duty may be a better bet. Fortunately most of the guys in my unit are students or have real jobs, but there are the occasional few who didn't do anything before they joined, and now the only thing they do is go to drill one weekend a month. It can be a great career, but a reserve career won't do much more than supplement a real career.
I can't speak to the National Guard as I have never served with them, though I am considering going that route after school.
Mike
