theagentofchaos
5-Year Member
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2011
- Messages
- 55
Hello, all,
I've been doing a bit of research in preparation for scheduling my freshman year of classes in the fall, but I'm running into a bit of trouble as I do so. At the MIT NROTC battalion where I am set to begin the program, the following list details the academic requirements of a Navy Option scholarship student:
Calculus - 2 semesters
Physics - 2 semesters
English - 2 semesters
College Algebra (or Advanced Trig) - 2 semesters
Physical Science - 2 semesters
American History or National Security Policy - 2 semesters
Regional world studies, world culture or world religions - 1 semester
I'm more than a little perturbed by this. As I look over the basic degree requirements for the major my scholarship has been designated to, I'm increasingly unsure that it's actually possible to fulfill both. As a Tier 3 student (East Asian Studies), I am unable to apply the vast majority of the courses listed above to the stated degree requirements. To think that I'll be taking some ten semesters of what will be nothing more than 'electives' on my transcript is a bit disturbing when I consider how many credits I must earn just to get the degree.
I've heard in the past that NROTC LREC students (those with foreign language/area studies degree designations, similar to mine) are virtually unable to earn all the required coursework for both Navy's academic standards and that of the university, and only now is this reality truly hitting me. I'm afraid that, in being a part of NROTC, I'm walking into a situation that inherently creates difficulty for non-STEM students.
Worse still, while I might have been able to avoid this sort of issue at a state university (I've taken numerous APs and SAT IIs in all of these subjects over the course of high school), Harvard- the school I've committed to- does not offer credit for AP or SAT II-driven results. Naturally, Navy's only stipulation on waiving the required academic courses is that the university a student is attending grants the credit. If the U won't recognize it, the requirement stands unfulfilled. As such, I'll have to take all of these courses (even trigonometry, it seems) again, as an undergraduate.
I guess I'm just nervous that I'm going to get reeled into a major I don't desire if I stay the course with NROTC, simply due to the STEM-heavy courseload. One of my local officers was quite heavy-handed with the 'suggestion' that I look again at a technical major after I'd learned that I had a Tier 3 scholarship, and I'm more familiar than I'd like to be with stories of students pushed to switch to Tier 1 or 2 after the fact.
Atop that, I'm a bit uncertain that I'm making the right choice in the long-term by striving for a Naval commission. I don't know how I'll be able to use a background in foreign language and area studies in any of the unrestricted communities. I read over the descriptions of Surface Warfare and Aviation, and I just don't see a place where the skill set I hope to cultivate can see any use. It seems as though Intel is something that Navy only moves officers into five or eight years down the line, and I hate to think that I'll have nothing to show but a rusty fluency by the time I'm actually able to work in a field that applies the abilities I developed as an undergraduate.
There are virtually no online accounts of how students at Harvard swing this sort of thing; though I've noticed that the bulk of said students are in concentrations like Chinese and Economics, so I do believe it's possible. I just don't know how to get in touch with someone who can explain this to me, and I hate to imagine showing up at INDOC in August still doubting my choice in this way. Harvard's financial aid is sound enough that I'm not in a total bind if I give up the scholarship, but that truly isn't what I want. I really desire the NROTC experience, and serving in the military is my dream. I just don't want to be useless if I do have the privilege of commissioning.
To sum up, I guess there are two main questions here. Is Navy an academically sound choice? For what I intend to study and become skilled in, is it a smart career move?
Again, thank you for bearing with this disjointed post. Any advice is appreciated.
I've been doing a bit of research in preparation for scheduling my freshman year of classes in the fall, but I'm running into a bit of trouble as I do so. At the MIT NROTC battalion where I am set to begin the program, the following list details the academic requirements of a Navy Option scholarship student:
Calculus - 2 semesters
Physics - 2 semesters
English - 2 semesters
College Algebra (or Advanced Trig) - 2 semesters
Physical Science - 2 semesters
American History or National Security Policy - 2 semesters
Regional world studies, world culture or world religions - 1 semester
I'm more than a little perturbed by this. As I look over the basic degree requirements for the major my scholarship has been designated to, I'm increasingly unsure that it's actually possible to fulfill both. As a Tier 3 student (East Asian Studies), I am unable to apply the vast majority of the courses listed above to the stated degree requirements. To think that I'll be taking some ten semesters of what will be nothing more than 'electives' on my transcript is a bit disturbing when I consider how many credits I must earn just to get the degree.
I've heard in the past that NROTC LREC students (those with foreign language/area studies degree designations, similar to mine) are virtually unable to earn all the required coursework for both Navy's academic standards and that of the university, and only now is this reality truly hitting me. I'm afraid that, in being a part of NROTC, I'm walking into a situation that inherently creates difficulty for non-STEM students.
Worse still, while I might have been able to avoid this sort of issue at a state university (I've taken numerous APs and SAT IIs in all of these subjects over the course of high school), Harvard- the school I've committed to- does not offer credit for AP or SAT II-driven results. Naturally, Navy's only stipulation on waiving the required academic courses is that the university a student is attending grants the credit. If the U won't recognize it, the requirement stands unfulfilled. As such, I'll have to take all of these courses (even trigonometry, it seems) again, as an undergraduate.
I guess I'm just nervous that I'm going to get reeled into a major I don't desire if I stay the course with NROTC, simply due to the STEM-heavy courseload. One of my local officers was quite heavy-handed with the 'suggestion' that I look again at a technical major after I'd learned that I had a Tier 3 scholarship, and I'm more familiar than I'd like to be with stories of students pushed to switch to Tier 1 or 2 after the fact.
Atop that, I'm a bit uncertain that I'm making the right choice in the long-term by striving for a Naval commission. I don't know how I'll be able to use a background in foreign language and area studies in any of the unrestricted communities. I read over the descriptions of Surface Warfare and Aviation, and I just don't see a place where the skill set I hope to cultivate can see any use. It seems as though Intel is something that Navy only moves officers into five or eight years down the line, and I hate to think that I'll have nothing to show but a rusty fluency by the time I'm actually able to work in a field that applies the abilities I developed as an undergraduate.
There are virtually no online accounts of how students at Harvard swing this sort of thing; though I've noticed that the bulk of said students are in concentrations like Chinese and Economics, so I do believe it's possible. I just don't know how to get in touch with someone who can explain this to me, and I hate to imagine showing up at INDOC in August still doubting my choice in this way. Harvard's financial aid is sound enough that I'm not in a total bind if I give up the scholarship, but that truly isn't what I want. I really desire the NROTC experience, and serving in the military is my dream. I just don't want to be useless if I do have the privilege of commissioning.
To sum up, I guess there are two main questions here. Is Navy an academically sound choice? For what I intend to study and become skilled in, is it a smart career move?
Again, thank you for bearing with this disjointed post. Any advice is appreciated.