A Quick Question

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FlyingFuzz

5-Year Member
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Oct 21, 2012
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A bit random, but I am still curious. Do cadets do their own laundry?

Thanks!

FlyingFuzz

P.S. One more question, is parents weekend always on labor day weekend?
 
Freshmen have a free dry-cleaning / laundry service.
Once they become Sophomores, cadets must do their own laundry.

We also have access to a paid dry-cleaning service.
 
Laundry freshman year is automatically deducted from their pay(not free). After that it is optional and most C3C-C1C's do their own laundry, it just gets cleaner and smells better than the service.
 
I was really impressed by the laundry facilities for the cadets. Those are HUGE laundry rooms, and not dark dank basement rooms, but there was lots of light and they were relatively clean.

Shockingly, I am not sure my children have transferred their laundering skills to my machines at home. :)
 
Another quick but important question

For some of you experienced parents out there, I have an important question. Did all cadets leave for the holidays knowing what their grades were? Our C4C was very quiet about grades during the entire holidays; we did not push for information, but are obviously very worried.
Any words of wisdom or condolence for us.
Thanks in advance.
 
Candace said:
For some of you experienced parents out there, I have an important question. Did all cadets leave for the holidays knowing what their grades were? Our C4C was very quiet about grades during the entire holidays; we did not push for information, but are obviously very worried.
Any words of wisdom or condolence for us.
Thanks in advance.
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They usually don't know their final semester grades until they get back to the Academy.

Stealth_81
 
Stealth_81 said:
They usually don't know their final semester grades until they get back to the Academy.

Stealth_81
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Actually, cadets could access their grades while on break from the on-line grading system. Whether or not they share them with their parents is another issue. My DS is currently a C3C and he chose not to look up his grades over break. He also has elected to keep his past grades classified.
 
Grades

Okay, DS informed us that he came out with a 1.95 GPA. He made a D. He says that he will have to have above a 2.00 next semester. Is he automatically on probation?? Will he be closely monitored academically. It worries us because he seemed to REALLY be working hard last semester.
 
Candace said:
Okay, DS informed us that he came out with a 1.95 GPA. He made a D. He says that he will have to have above a 2.00 next semester. Is he automatically on probation?? Will he be closely monitored academically. It worries us because he seemed to REALLY be working hard last semester.
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I am very sorry to hear that. Yes, your DS will be on ACPRO next semester. That will result in loss of some privileges and forced study time. Encourage him to get as much EI (extra instruction) that he needs. His roommates, who went through BCT with him, should also be of assistance. For a lot of these kids, this is the first time they need to work to get grades. As parents, I'm sure you'll do your part to encourage him to get the academic help he needs via the instructors, squadmates, and roommates. Best wishes to your DS.
 
Just want to add to what Dad said about AcPro. It is not an uncommon experience for cadets at the academy, it can be a shock to the system for many of these young people who have been very accomplished in their lives. There are various thresholds that are defined in the USAFA Catalog for what will get you on AcPro. In general a Term GPA below 2.0, multiple D's, or an F will all get reviewed by an ARC (Academic Review Committee). There are two forms of ARC's, a soft and hard ARC. A soft ARC does not require the cadet to face the ARC and is normally administrative in nature. A hard ARC requires the cadet to face the committee and they extensively review the cadets performance while at the academy (which includes considering feedback from instructors) and they have the option to disenroll the cadet if they feel the cadet has not performed at an acceptable level (it is my understanding that a cadet might face a hard ARC if they fail a course or their term GPA falls below 1.6 or their cum GPA falls below 1.8 (At the end of the second term) for a C4C or 2.0 for a C3C and above). AcPro can be removed at the midterm of the following semester if the cadet shows adequate progress. Hope this helps you understand the process better. Best wishes for your cadet this term, USAFA is a rollercoaster ride for the families as well as the cadets.
 
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My DS learned during Prog last semester that he was struggling. He was mandatorily enrolled in the study skills class at that time. He was/is on ACPRO still, I think until Prog this semester if his grades are better. He did manage to pull all the grades up to passing by the end of the semester (a 2.0). He did let us know up front and since he is my second at the Academy we gave him lots of support and told him to ask for help. The Academy is very willing to help those who ask for it. He found it very difficult to ask for help, his pride really took a hit. By winter break though he was much more confident about what needed to happen this semester. I reminded him that he could still go to the study skills lab and ask for help, and also to attend as much EI as possible in classes he found challenging this semester.
 
I will echo what has been said above b/c it applies to cadets/mids at all SAs. Many, many folks who largely breezed through h.s. find the SA academics to be a whole new world. Myself included.

Here are a few suggestions:

Doing the same thing the same way for another semester is unlikely to product different results. It may have worked in h.s., but isn't working here. So, something has to change.

Be willing to accept help. Do not be too proud or too stubborn to say you can do it on your own. Just saying, "I'm going to study harder" is unlikely to succeed unless you currently aren't studying (not the case for most cadets).

I've no doubt that USAFA has a variety of programs designed to help cadets. These can include time management, study skills, specific course tutoring, etc. Take advantage of them.

Consider voluntary summer school (I assume it's offered at USAFA). This can allow you to get ahead on your courses and reduce your courseload (number of hours per semester) during Ac Yr.

Determine whether you are trying to do too much. For example, if you're doing varsity or club sports, choir, band, or some other activity that takes away from study time, you might want to d/c it for some time. This is NOT to say that you should only study -- everyone needs activities to de-stress. However, if the ECA/sport is gobbling up your time, you may need to put it on hiatus.

In my day, the SAs were somewhat indifferent to your academic struggles. Today (at least for USNA), there is much more attention being paid to ensure cadets are academically successful. Which is a good thing.

Good luck to your DS!
 
Concur with everything said above. I had a 1.66 at the end of my first semester as a Plebe. I didn't fail anything (not sure how I didn't fail chemisty, but that is another story). I echo what 1985 said above. I am sure he has thought about this, but changing the pattern in my opinion is key. I had to find a new environment to study in, signed up for a study skills class, and received as much EI as possible. I had a 2.5 the next semester and had above a 3.0 as a Youngster. Time management, planning for the week and not studying more, but studying right is what helped me turn it around. It is a shock to alot of Cadets/Mids, but it is part of the learning process. He will come back from break rested and ready to tackle the new semester. I suspect he will do much better this semester. Best of luck to him.
 
There are a lot of resources for cadets who struggle academically. Knowledgeable friends and squadron mates (squadrons have many people willing to help tutor in core subjects), their teachers, the study skills center, and other teachers (one I didn't really think about, but widely available). I wish I had considered asking for other teachers' help in one of my classes. Unfortunately, I had a class with a teacher who just didn't make sense to me, and didn't feel particularly compelled to find a method I could understand. He told me to go re-read the book...which is what I had done right before asking him for help! I muddled through the class with a B-, even though I started the class already knowing about 80% of the material. I can honestly say I learned almost nothing from a full semester's work. :unhappy: It was only later, when I was venting to a fellow cadet, that they said, "You should have gone to Major X. He's REALLY good at teaching that stuff!"
 
Study Help

Hi
As a parent I am also concerned as my DS has not always shown the best use of his study skills. The one thing that has been told to me over and over is the academy places the teachers to be accessible to the students. Also different teachers work in the learning skills or after hours tutoring lab. (not sure of name). But the point I have been told was that the academy works to ensure the students pass the program. I just hope it is true that they are there and willing to help as much as the marketing point says.
Regards
John
 
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