Leaving the academy

SouthPaw

5-Year Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2014
Messages
13
Hello,

I am asking if anyone knows the process for disenrollment from USMMA. I would appreciate any response, good/bad, as long as it contains information about this. Such as:

-How long does it take, from start to finish/I leave the place for good?
-Who do I speak to exactly, chain-of-command wise?
-What type of steps do I have to throughout the process?
 
0 Deck of Palmer Hall.

You're looking for Ms. Virgina Riley. She'll get it moving and tell you who you have to talk to.

Probably a day or two.

You'll get a red folder, it has papers in it that every department head has to sign to ensure that you don't owe the academy anything, once that is done, you'll do an exit interview with the commandant and the academy will buy your ticket home.
 
Resigning or Disenrolling? If you're being disenrolled, then just sit in your room and wait ... they will find you.
 
I'd also let your CTO know. They can provide you with some guidance and help you with your decision.
 
0 Deck of Palmer Hall.

You're looking for Ms. Virgina Riley. She'll get it moving and tell you who you have to talk to.

Probably a day or two.

You'll get a red folder, it has papers in it that every department head has to sign to ensure that you don't owe the academy anything, once that is done, you'll do an exit interview with the commandant and the academy will buy your ticket home.

Thank you. So, when you say "a day or two", do you mean that I will be off campus and on my way home in a day or two?
 
Yeah. It could take longer depending on the circumstances. But if you started tomorrow morning I think you could safely plan on being home Friday. Talk to your CTO at tattoo tonight. Make sure that this is the right decision for you.
 
Southpaw:
From the thread you contributed to over on USNA Forum:

"You see, I didn't really want to be a Merchant Mariner. I didn't want to attend a service academy, having my mind set on a traditional, but prestigious 4-yr university in my state. I had other plans for my life and was ready to work hard towards them. However, one of my neighbors told my parents and I about USMMA.

My parents were overjoyed about the news of this school and how great it was, what they do for me, and what I'll look like with the uniform on. My feelings contradicted almost all of their opinions. Throughout the entire application process, I had to force a smile whenever I talked to either parent about this. The only thing that brought me from telling them flat-out "No" was the chance of working on party cruise liners. But when I came here and found out the opportunities, there's only 1 American cruise liner available after graduation, and that's for those with the best GPA's, which I know I'm not going to get. Not being pessimistic or doubtful, just realistic because nautical stuff just isn't my thing.

But the joy on their faces was the major push for me to even bother attending this school. Especially when they started telling everyone they knew about my appointment. I mean, I haven't seen them that excited in my whole lives, just for me. So I decided to go here.

At the academy, I made some good friends here, but that won't keep me here at all. So now, my drive for staying here is nonexistent and I'm probably going to stay for just another week or 2 at most before I start the disenrollment process. I'm ready for all the hell I might and probably will face back at home, and will deal with it."

and

"Also, should I break this to my company-mates & classmates? I mean, I don't want to stress them out, but I feel like they should know. The last thing I want to do is be remembered as a jerk without at least explaining myself.

What's your suggestion, to anyone who wants to answer this? tell them on my last day there, or a little earlier, or when? Appreciate any response, good/bad.

*Also, I told my parents that I would try to stick it out for another 2-3 weeks, but I know I wont change my mind. So any advice on how to tell this to my parents? Again, appreciate any response."


Let me take these things out of order with the easiest first:

Should I tell my current friends her at KP?

Why? Are you hoping they will talk you out of it or at least make the next couple of weeks easier? Look getting to graduation at any SA is teamwork - "graduation through cooperation" is a age old saying at KP but if it's just to validate your decision then you may not enjoy the peer pressure or the reaction some of your shipmates give you which will range from empathy and support to scorn at you being a whiner and/or quitter.

Tell my parents, when, how?

Look as was noted on the other thread this has to be your decision as would the opposite - a decision to stay, etc. I've posted before here that every midshipmen at USMMA regardless of why they opted to attend and when it occurs has what you are going through - the WTH am here? looking into the abyss moment. It's seminal - I had it thirty four years ago, my son had it 5 years ago; we're both graduates and when we opted to stay we understood it was OUR decision and our ultimate success or failure was OUR own individual responsibility. If as above you opted to talk to your peers I'm sure you'd find at least several came at least in part because of their parents. I assure you if you were/are to stay until graduation when you talk to your 2018 Classmates in May or June 2018few if any will be there because they did it all for their parents - it's just too hard a row to hoe to gain someone else's approval. You have to do it mainly because you want to or because it's getting you somewhere you want to go. When you tell your parents you remind them of that fact. Sharing your plan - not that you are running away from a problem but that you are going to follow a path you should have made them understand you wanted to follow in the first place. I know it may grate on you but I'd suggest you also explain that you now know you should have made them understand your aspirations and desired path a year ago.

Now the relevant advice which I offer because of this post:

"Okay, I understand that. But what if my grades aren't good grades whatsoever? I mean I tried to understand the subjects, but the teachers were of no help, they just sucked. The tutoring, peer study groups, and ridding extra activities for school has allowed me to pull up my grades a bit, but no college is going to want them. I figure I just make a smart move to leave ASAP so they will be marked as "W" or whatever letter meaning that they don't count as grades. "

I suggest you look inward and see if these current academic difficulties aren't stressing you out and causing you to reconsider the SA/USMMA path that maybe you weren't all that excited about and now that it's harder than you thought it would be because of all those other college credits you already had, you're re-thinking it all. My feeling is leaving ASAP so you get "W"'s is anything but a smart move if that's the reason you are doing it. Note I'm not saying USMMA has great teachers many aren't that great; but as you note lots of Mids struggle the first trimester and go on to graduate with god GPAs. They learn better learning techniques who work for them. As for your statement "ridding extra activities for school" - I've seen data three years ago that showed at least for two varsity teams the team members GPAs were better when their sport was in season as opposed to when its was off season. Now if that other activity is wasting time on Facebook or some other non-productive activity - I know of one setback from 2012 to 2013 (now a successful grad) who had so many diversions their first Plebe year they failed subjects they could have skipped(e.g Calc 1). So I urge you to think it through before walking to Wiley Hall and resigning.

If you do that though the leave clean, have a plan and execute it; and take responsibility for your actions and decisions going forward without regret and I'm sure you'll do fine, However if its just because you are more tired and stressed than you ever have been in your life - you probably have 250+ folks in the Class of 2017 you can look around out who feel the same way and at least 60+% of them will graduate in June 2018 If you still want to be one of them I'll bet amongst your classmates as well as many members of the Classes of 2017, 2016, and 2015 right down the hall.

Good Luck
 
Assuming you are leaving voluntarily. If so, not a huge big deal. Tell your chain of command and they will put the system in motion. They will try to make you stay and have you call your parents to talk about it. Process can be done in about two days. You need to run around and return most your equipment. (They let you keep books and some uniforms- not sure why). The process is much easier than at the other academies because you are not technically in the military - they have no legal ability to keep you against your will like USNA or West Point.

Hope this helps. Good Luck.
 
they have no legal ability to keep you against your will like USNA or West Point.

Until one signs on the dotted line as a Junior at the other Academies there is no requirement or payback if one leaves.

I think USNA calls it 2 for 7 or something like that.

Sent using the Service Academy Forums® mobile app
 
Which college would you be able to go if you left after the 1st semester? I feel like I'm going to leave (i go to a different service academy) because my grades are suffering so much right now. Will I ever build it back up? I was thinking community college for 1 semester.
 
Which college would you be able to go if you left after the 1st semester? I feel like I'm going to leave (i go to a different service academy) because my grades are suffering so much right now. Will I ever build it back up? I was thinking community college for 1 semester.

Crazardo,

FWIW, there are A LOT of college freshmen in the same boat (pardon the pun) as you right now. A LOT. Like, the majority of you - all of you, nationwide.

I advise about 60 undergraduates at any one time (I'm now a college professor). I'm at a school not unlike USxA: highly-selective, strong STEM focus, some awesome, many good, and a handful of terrible profs. Here are the differences between the freshmen who successfully navigate that shocking first semester and the ones who don't.

1. The successful ones recognize when they're in trouble and GET HELP by whatever means necessary. Let me define a couple of terms: "trouble" = any exam or quiz grade ≥2 letter grades lower than you're used to getting or any time you find yourself thinking "but I studied and studied and I have NO idea why I did so bad on that exam!" "Help" means tutoring from a reputable source - a tutoring center, not your best friend or random guy down the hall on your floor. Reputable sources also include your professors. Also in this category are students who really believe that they are capable of learning - not the ones who think that some stuff is just too hard, that they'll never be smart enough to learn ___. (If you are saying that, I have bad news for you: you're RIGHT!)

2. The successful ones know how to ask questions. UNsuccessful freshmen (well, any student) come to my office hours and start out by saying "I just don't understand" or "I'm not getting it" or, worse, "You didn't tell me this was important." The successful ones show up and say, "I don't understand how you got Y from X" and "I'm not getting how to synthesize R & S to get T." Have specific questions. Write them down. This requires that you keep some kind of log while you are studying, working problems, etc. I have one student who uses those little flag Post-its: red for "clueless, need to ask," yellow for "think so, review again" and green for "solid."

3. UNsuccessful students have what we call "rainbow textbooks." They highlight the heck out of them and think they've learned something. Successful students read a little bit at a time. They ask themselves questions while reading (What's the main point? Do I understand this? Could I explain it to someone else? Do I get the connection between this and what we did in class today?). Successful students read figure captions. They can interpret figures in their own words. They read and do problems to learn, not to make a good grade - and, the good grades come because they are more committed to learning for mastery.

4. Successful students really manage their time well. They read a little every day. They do some problems every day. They set aside time to study every class, every day, just like they set aside time for their classes, fun, sports, and socializing. They work without distractions - very important. They silence their phones and stay off Facebook. They plan ahead for projects and papers and work on them a little every day. They don't blow stuff off - not just rarely, ever. Like, for real. They recognize the need to blow off steam and to play on their floor's ultimate frisbee IM team, but they recognize that all these things are possible, and remain possible, only because they are students here. That is the ultimate and most important purpose of successful students. And you know, it's funny - I can tell who the good planners are, because when finals week rolls around, they're stressed, sure - but they're confident, they get some sleep, they're not sick, they're wearing clean clothes (not their pajamas!) they smile, and they walk out of my final exam saying things like "That was a good exam, I really learned something there."

You can build your grades back up. It is not a matter of your smarts; it is a matter of you taking action now, and every day, every single day in the future. Find and use resources for help. Make a realistic plan and stick to it. If you're overcommitted (HA! At a service academy?!?) pull out of an EC. If you aren't spending every spare 15 minutes in the library or a cozy and quiet nook studying or working on something, you're wasting precious time.
 
Originally Posted by Bill1899 View Post
-" they have no legal ability to keep you against your will like USNA or West Point."


I was simply referring to the military status of cadets at the other academies v. KP and how it affects out processing. Out Processing at USNA or USMA is a much longer process. A student requesting to leave gets re-assigned to a special unit and begins the process of separating from the military - a much more involved process than leaving KP. 1st or 2nd year WP cadets or USNA midshipmen may not owe anything if they leave but they can not just walk away without a formal process due to their military status.
 
Crazardo,



FWIW, there are A LOT of college freshmen in the same boat (pardon the pun) as you right now. A LOT. Like, the majority of you - all of you, nationwide.



I advise about 60 undergraduates at any one time (I'm now a college professor). I'm at a school not unlike USxA: highly-selective, strong STEM focus, some awesome, many good, and a handful of terrible profs. Here are the differences between the freshmen who successfully navigate that shocking first semester and the ones who don't.



1. The successful ones recognize when they're in trouble and GET HELP by whatever means necessary. Let me define a couple of terms: "trouble" = any exam or quiz grade ≥2 letter grades lower than you're used to getting or any time you find yourself thinking "but I studied and studied and I have NO idea why I did so bad on that exam!" "Help" means tutoring from a reputable source - a tutoring center, not your best friend or random guy down the hall on your floor. Reputable sources also include your professors. Also in this category are students who really believe that they are capable of learning - not the ones who think that some stuff is just too hard, that they'll never be smart enough to learn ___. (If you are saying that, I have bad news for you: you're RIGHT!)



2. The successful ones know how to ask questions. UNsuccessful freshmen (well, any student) come to my office hours and start out by saying "I just don't understand" or "I'm not getting it" or, worse, "You didn't tell me this was important." The successful ones show up and say, "I don't understand how you got Y from X" and "I'm not getting how to synthesize R & S to get T." Have specific questions. Write them down. This requires that you keep some kind of log while you are studying, working problems, etc. I have one student who uses those little flag Post-its: red for "clueless, need to ask," yellow for "think so, review again" and green for "solid."



3. UNsuccessful students have what we call "rainbow textbooks." They highlight the heck out of them and think they've learned something. Successful students read a little bit at a time. They ask themselves questions while reading (What's the main point? Do I understand this? Could I explain it to someone else? Do I get the connection between this and what we did in class today?). Successful students read figure captions. They can interpret figures in their own words. They read and do problems to learn, not to make a good grade - and, the good grades come because they are more committed to learning for mastery.



4. Successful students really manage their time well. They read a little every day. They do some problems every day. They set aside time to study every class, every day, just like they set aside time for their classes, fun, sports, and socializing. They work without distractions - very important. They silence their phones and stay off Facebook. They plan ahead for projects and papers and work on them a little every day. They don't blow stuff off - not just rarely, ever. Like, for real. They recognize the need to blow off steam and to play on their floor's ultimate frisbee IM team, but they recognize that all these things are possible, and remain possible, only because they are students here. That is the ultimate and most important purpose of successful students. And you know, it's funny - I can tell who the good planners are, because when finals week rolls around, they're stressed, sure - but they're confident, they get some sleep, they're not sick, they're wearing clean clothes (not their pajamas!) they smile, and they walk out of my final exam saying things like "That was a good exam, I really learned something there."



You can build your grades back up. It is not a matter of your smarts; it is a matter of you taking action now, and every day, every single day in the future. Find and use resources for help. Make a realistic plan and stick to it. If you're overcommitted (HA! At a service academy?!?) pull out of an EC. If you aren't spending every spare 15 minutes in the library or a cozy and quiet nook studying or working on something, you're wasting precious time.


Thank you so much for this advice. I've shared it with my 4/c Cadet at USCGA.


Sent using the Service Academy Forums® mobile app
 
Outstanding post Long Ago Plebe. If you don't mind, I will copy and paste it for the Welcome Aboard Party for 2019
I say the same things, but having it in writing the way you do for Appointees/Plebes is really the best. Thanks again!


Crazardo,

FWIW, there are A LOT of college freshmen in the same boat (pardon the pun) as you right now. A LOT. Like, the majority of you - all of you, nationwide.

I advise about 60 undergraduates at any one time (I'm now a college professor). I'm at a school not unlike USxA: highly-selective, strong STEM focus, some awesome, many good, and a handful of terrible profs. Here are the differences between the freshmen who successfully navigate that shocking first semester and the ones who don't.

1. The successful ones recognize when they're in trouble and GET HELP by whatever means necessary. Let me define a couple of terms: "trouble" = any exam or quiz grade ≥2 letter grades lower than you're used to getting or any time you find yourself thinking "but I studied and studied and I have NO idea why I did so bad on that exam!" "Help" means tutoring from a reputable source - a tutoring center, not your best friend or random guy down the hall on your floor. Reputable sources also include your professors. Also in this category are students who really believe that they are capable of learning - not the ones who think that some stuff is just too hard, that they'll never be smart enough to learn ___. (If you are saying that, I have bad news for you: you're RIGHT!)

2. The successful ones know how to ask questions. UNsuccessful freshmen (well, any student) come to my office hours and start out by saying "I just don't understand" or "I'm not getting it" or, worse, "You didn't tell me this was important." The successful ones show up and say, "I don't understand how you got Y from X" and "I'm not getting how to synthesize R & S to get T." Have specific questions. Write them down. This requires that you keep some kind of log while you are studying, working problems, etc. I have one student who uses those little flag Post-its: red for "clueless, need to ask," yellow for "think so, review again" and green for "solid."

3. UNsuccessful students have what we call "rainbow textbooks." They highlight the heck out of them and think they've learned something. Successful students read a little bit at a time. They ask themselves questions while reading (What's the main point? Do I understand this? Could I explain it to someone else? Do I get the connection between this and what we did in class today?). Successful students read figure captions. They can interpret figures in their own words. They read and do problems to learn, not to make a good grade - and, the good grades come because they are more committed to learning for mastery.

4. Successful students really manage their time well. They read a little every day. They do some problems every day. They set aside time to study every class, every day, just like they set aside time for their classes, fun, sports, and socializing. They work without distractions - very important. They silence their phones and stay off Facebook. They plan ahead for projects and papers and work on them a little every day. They don't blow stuff off - not just rarely, ever. Like, for real. They recognize the need to blow off steam and to play on their floor's ultimate frisbee IM team, but they recognize that all these things are possible, and remain possible, only because they are students here. That is the ultimate and most important purpose of successful students. And you know, it's funny - I can tell who the good planners are, because when finals week rolls around, they're stressed, sure - but they're confident, they get some sleep, they're not sick, they're wearing clean clothes (not their pajamas!) they smile, and they walk out of my final exam saying things like "That was a good exam, I really learned something there."

You can build your grades back up. It is not a matter of your smarts; it is a matter of you taking action now, and every day, every single day in the future. Find and use resources for help. Make a realistic plan and stick to it. If you're overcommitted (HA! At a service academy?!?) pull out of an EC. If you aren't spending every spare 15 minutes in the library or a cozy and quiet nook studying or working on something, you're wasting precious time.
 
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