MAJORS

Superswimmer

5-Year Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2012
Messages
32
Hello everyone, so I originally thought choosing my major going into the academy would be easy but it turns out im still undecided. Its getting closer and i really need some help on what the majors are that they offer and what they entail, any details like that would really help me get my head strait. I don't have the opportunity to visit the academy before I report in (class of 2016 wooot!!!) so i was not able to ask around. please help, any information will go a long ways thanks.:thumb:
 
You can decide on your major during indoc, their will be plenty of briefings on that sort of stuff and opportunities to ask questions.

Im sure that before you accepted your appointment that you looked into the majors available. So by now you know the range of options, narrowing down which would be the best fit can be left for indoc.

If you dont know the range of options then you really need to get with admissions and ensure that you understand the road your on. they have a great booklet that describes the majors and courses required for each.
 
Why are you going to KP? If you don't have an interest in the maritime industry after graduation, I suggest straight deck. If you are using KP as a means to something else, straight deck is the easiest, you will likely come out with a higher GPA and if you don't like being a seaman than standing watches on the bridge during sea year will be light years more tolerable than working in the engine room.
 
Why are you going to KP? If you don't have an interest in the maritime industry after graduation, I suggest straight deck. If you are using KP as a means to something else, straight deck is the easiest, you will likely come out with a higher GPA and if you don't like being a seaman than standing watches on the bridge during sea year will be light years more tolerable than working in the engine room.

Yup. But I really did like working with the heat, humidity, dirt, grime, unknown waste products, rust, slime, etc. And that was just the black gang. . . . . . .
 
Why are you going to KP? If you don't have an interest in the maritime industry after graduation, I suggest straight deck. If you are using KP as a means to something else, straight deck is the easiest, you will likely come out with a higher GPA and if you don't like being a seaman than standing watches on the bridge during sea year will be light years more tolerable than working in the engine room.
... As any engineer will tell you, the mates don't really "work" anyway :wink:
 
..

Yes i know the majors and such but I would like to know more about what your actaully looking at doing, everything i have read seems to be very vague. Is there anything on youtube that shows details about a specific major, or any sort of video?
 
So I'll take a stab at this - ask yourself these questions:

1) What do I know or understand about "life at sea" - and is what I know about it tied to the commercial maritime industry?

- If yes to both then proceed; if no then contact the various local Academy Field Reps and Alumni Association folks to get an understand of what career options are really available to you as they and your interest in them will steer you towards a major.

2) Assuming yes to both - ask where do I see myself wanting to head (in general) after my basic obligation is fulfilled:
a) Do I want to continue at sea until I reach the logical top of my seagoing profession: Master, Chief Engineer, and/or O-6 or above in the Military? If so the answer starts you towards a course of action and makes you think harder about the sorts of things you can see yourself doing and generally enjoying for a very long time (at least in terms of your current perspective - a long time changes in length as you get older as does a short time ... in for example "I can do just about anything for a short period of time ..."
b) Do I see myself interested in shoreside Maritime and/or something like a Ship's Pilot? the answer will sterr you one way or the other...
c) Law School and/or advanced degree studies both while doing my obligation and/or shortly after it? If so in what fields? The answer will steer you one way or the other
d) Do you absolutely love science, math and engineering/problem solving - no I'm not being a smart-ass some people do - some of us are "geeks" and happy to be so? If so easy engineering majors ...
e) Must I at least see the outdoors and/or work in them every day - if so easy deck majors ...

I know this isn't an easy/neat direct answer but I think it should help...
 
Another Opinion

First, I think you are getting way ahead of yourself, I’d recommend you stop trying to nail down every concern you have. Back off; let “the game come to you”. Enjoy your senior year of high school and get prepared physically for indoc. You will have plenty of opportunity to make a decision regarding your major during your first year at KP when you can talk to classmates who “have been there, done that”.

Having said that, I’ll offer my two cents worth: you may want to consider a process of elimination. Common consensus is that the engineering program is more difficult than deck. In addition, the engineering program requires an affinity for “getting down and dirty”, working with your hands in hostile environments (think “hot") as well as an understanding of how things work, and how to repair them when they don’t. For the most part KP engineering is not design engineering; the emphasis is on “hands on” marine engineering. Your sea year will require that you experience the “bottom rung of the ladder. If these aspects turn you off, then engineering may not be for you.
:thumb:
 
Don't worry about major now, you do not declare your major for real until the end of the first trimester. You'll have a class called "KP100" it is 7 weeks of marine engineering, 7 weeks of boat driving, deckie stuff. Ask around.... figure out what each is.. Engineering, working on engines, Marine Transpiration, driving ships. Each is very different.

People argue all day about which one is harder or easier. The easiest major at Kings Point is the major you want to do. People come here and want to fly planes when they graduate, and don't care about the maritime stuff say "Hey I'll go deck, it'll be easy" they'll struggle, because they don't really want a maritime major. People who pick a major because they think it will be easy have a rough time. Both majors, deck and engine are tough, they're even tougher if you're not interested in them. If you want to be an engineer you will find a way to get though statics and drafting, and if you want to be a deckie you will find a way to get through econ with Professor Cohen and Nav Law with Captain Hard. It sounds corny, but really, the major you want is the easiest major here.
 
Alright, thanks jasperdog that actually helped quite a bit. I have an awards night where i will personally meet with the academy rep in vegas to make sure i know what its all about. then i will maybe do a little more research and go ahead with enjoying senior year. thanks everyone =)

oh yay, does the packet we get that tells us everything we need have any details about what were doing in indoc?
 
i know push ups, sit ups, pull ups, running,... all that easy stuff but does it say anything about like max outs or tests we have to pass?
 
i know ... running,... all that easy stuff...?

From experience and that's now 30 years old, I can tell you as a former high school swimmer be ready to run more than you ever have in your life yet and the humidity will get to you if you are from Nevada - me not so much I grew up in PA so NY/LI summer was similar to home. In any case as has been said, enjoy at least some of the rest of your senior year before you know it you'll be a plebe and working for "soda machine privileges "or something similar re: spirit missions, etc. In any case, take it all one step at a time, oh and congratulatons.
 
narrowing it down

After much consideration (3 hours of advice from a seasoned KP mother) I have decided that I want to pursue a major within the "Deck" classification... thats about as far as i got ... ap testing to worry bout now >.<
 
After much consideration (3 hours of advice from a seasoned KP mother) I have decided that I want to pursue a major within the "Deck" classification... thats about as far as i got ... ap testing to worry bout now >.<

You might change your mind 100 times between now and July 5th. No big deal. Do well on APs it is really nice being able to place out of classes. The logging in instructions make it sound like you can't place out, but you can. So do well on the AP's, when you're taking 19 credits, three extra hours off is a HUGGGEE break.
 
From experience and that's now 30 years old, I can tell you as a former high school swimmer be ready to run more than you ever have in your life yet and the humidity will get to you if you are from Nevada - me not so much I grew up in PA so NY/LI summer was similar to home. In any case as has been said, enjoy at least some of the rest of your senior year before you know it you'll be a plebe and working for "soda machine privileges "or something similar re: spirit missions, etc. In any case, take it all one step at a time, oh and congratulatons.

I ran track, wrestled and played football in high school (wouldn't know it now, though), so I didn't find that I was running more at KP than before. I always did a lot of running in the Sierra foothills every summer back then. You are correct, though in saying that there is a LOT of running.

You are also correct about the heat and humidity. I was completely unprepared for that coming from a dry climate. It never let up, either. There was little or no relief at night with no AC in the barracks (and no fan priveleges until December). The thing is, after living on the Gulf Coast/South Florida for the past 30 years and sailing into the tropics some years before that, I am still not used to it.

Oh, and congrats to all. May your enthusiasm not wane during those special moments during indoctrination. As JD stated, one step at a time. Although there are some that say the training has no purpose, it most certainly does; it just takes awhile to understand it.
 
Although there are some that say the training has no purpose, it most certainly does; it just takes awhile to understand it.[/QUOTE]
 
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