Hello veteran cadets,
I've heard things about the first year at the Academy. Most talking about general challenges, and then some which relate what seems like the true academy experience.
Don't get me wrong, nothing I could read at this point could ever deter me from going to the Academy if I get appointed. But is this true? Is the entire length of our first year that difficult?
If you ask me, the answer of that question should not be candy-coated because anyone who wants to go to the Academy should certainly already have the resolve to stick through the thick and thin.
Feel free to PM or email me if you would feel the answer would be better stated in private, but I think my real goal is to just know if I should practice eating with only 5 chews
Thank you!
I've heard things about the first year at the Academy. Most talking about general challenges, and then some which relate what seems like the true academy experience.
(Apologies for the long quote, I was not able to post the link to where I copied this from.)The entire first year at the Academy is miserable. This is different from enlisting in the military, where basic training hell only lasts about 6 weeks. While at the Academy, you are primarily working toward your four-year college degree, with all sorts of military training mixed in. I was studying Aeronautical Engineering, which was a pain in the ass in itself, but my love for flight wouldn't let me stray in any other direction. The freshman year is horrible because you are not treated like a human being. You have to walk along these narrow strips everywhere you go, following other freshmen in a line. You have to keep your chin tucked in and eyes straight ahead at all times. If you are caught moving your eyes, or "gazing" as they called it, the upperclassmen would attack you with all sorts of horrible words and then force you to suck your chin back while they count the folds in your skin. Probably the worst thing of all was "knowledge." They issue you these books full of long ass quotes that you have to memorize word for word. When you get in trouble, the upperclassmen will give you the name of a quote and say "go!" You have to scream the entire quote word for word at the top of your lungs while jogging in place and sucking your chin in. Meanwhile the upperclassmen will put their noses right up against yours, forcing you to shove your head against the wall while staring into your eyes. And if you miss a word in the quote, you start over. I still have a lot of those quotes memorized today.
A typical day at the Academy was to get up at 5:30 A.M. to shower and clean your room for daily inspection. Then you would form up for morning meal formation with the other 4000 cadets outside on the "terrazzo" at 6:45. They would play reveille, raise the flag, and the entire cadet wing would march to the mess hall for breakfast. Meals were without a doubt the worst events of the day for freshmen. While the upperclassmen enjoyed their meals, the freshmen would go about "business" and reciting knowledge, chins tucked in and eyes staring at the eagle logo on our plates at all times. The few opportunities you did get to eat, you could only take 7 chews before swallowing your food. And the upperclassmen were always watching. I never had a meal where I didn't get yelled at, and many times I never got to take one bite of my food. Needless to say, you got very skinny your freshman year. The remainder of each day includes classes, noon meal formation, military training and athletic events. There was an optional evening meal, but most of the time freshmen skipped this for obvious reasons. Then the rest of the night was heavy duty studying and working on projects. I had many "all-nighters."
Don't get me wrong, nothing I could read at this point could ever deter me from going to the Academy if I get appointed. But is this true? Is the entire length of our first year that difficult?
If you ask me, the answer of that question should not be candy-coated because anyone who wants to go to the Academy should certainly already have the resolve to stick through the thick and thin.
Feel free to PM or email me if you would feel the answer would be better stated in private, but I think my real goal is to just know if I should practice eating with only 5 chews
Thank you!