R DAY Advice

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The Top 10 "Things I Would Have Done Differently on R-Day"

1.
I would have worn shoes I could run in.
2.
I would not have worn a shirt that said Superman.
3.
I would not have brought 6 suitcases…just more underwear.
4.
I would not have let my mom call me “pumpkin” in front of the 2/C.
5.
I would not have boasted about how many pushups I could do.
6.
I would have learned how to get "in step" faster.
7.
I would have shaved my mullet.
8.
I would have doubly reinforced my weak suitcase handle with more duct tape.
9.
I would have given my girlfriend her goodbye kiss before arriving to check in.
10.
I would have eaten a good meal and drank plenty of water before reporting.
 
11. I would have actually read my Cadet Handbook and only brought the items on the packing list.
 
Had a classmate whose brother was two year ahead of us. He told my classmate to shave his platoon assignment into his head....


...needless to say, that did not go over well...but my classmate got his brother back on his brother's billet night...and that's all I'm going to say about that. :wink:
 
R-day

Based on what I remember from last year when we dropped off my daughter....

Make sure your kid has a comfortable pair of running shoes, THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY BROKEN IN! Consider breaking in two pair and leaving one home as a backup that can be mailed to you if needed later in the summer.

If hey don't have a debit/credit card yet, get one. They will get one with the Navy Credit Union, but it might take a while to get it set up.

Tell your auto insurance company they are leaving for college and won't be using your car. You'll save some money!

If you want, contact your high school now, and see if the USCGA or a representative can be at their graduation to present them with their acceptance. This is a big deal for your child and the school, and it helps people to know about the academy.

Cadets need to be able to pack your stuff in a backpack for R-day...it is easier to carry around that way. If it doesn't all fit in a backpack, you are bringing too much. If you still think you need more, have your parents mail it to you. You don't need it all the first day.

Get in shape now. It's a lot like sports teams. You are better off showing up to preseason conditioning in shape......

Go to the parents association website http://www.uscgaparents.org and join either or both the national and the regional organization. It helps to meet some other parents.

If there is something you want to do with your kid, DO IT NOW!. They really are leaving you....this isn't a regular college, they are going to have the experience of a lifetime, but they will grow up very fast. This really is your last chance to enjoy some time together......so do it now, don't put it off. You will really be letting them go come July.

Parents, get ready for a wild, emotional, up and down ride. It might be worse for you then your child! You brought up a good kid, now they are going to prove it, but the first year is tough on us as well. So be ready, be ready, and as someone has said before, SEMPER GUMBY......be ALWAYS FLEXIBLE.
 
one last thing....hair

And one last thing.....especially for the boys. Get your haircut real short well before you show up on R-day. It gives your parents a chance to get used to it...and you get a chance to tan a little around the edges. When the boys meet with their parents on R-day afternoon and take off their hats, I'm surprised more mothers don't faint! :smile:

It's already been a hard day, your kid looks pale and in shock, and then your parents see you in a buzz cut for the first time.......it's too much. They go into shock! And you might as well get used to it early as well.
 
And one last thing.....especially for the boys. Get your haircut real short well before you show up on R-day. It gives your parents a chance to get used to it...and you get a chance to tan a little around the edges. When the boys meet with their parents on R-day afternoon and take off their hats, I'm surprised more mothers don't faint! :smile:

It's already been a hard day, your kid looks pale and in shock, and then your parents see you in a buzz cut for the first time.......it's too much. They go into shock! And you might as well get used to it early as well.

I'm not sure if that's the best advice....shorter than rock band member hair, but don't come it there is a near buzz....the cadre won't always like that. True, it will be easier for the parents because that buzz can be a little shocking, but you always don't want to be in your cadre's naughty list that early.
 
I was thinking the same thing about not going too short

before arrival with the hair.

Gotta give the barbers some fun!
 
12. Make your R-Day hotel reservations as soon as possible, as they begin to fill up quickly.

13. Bring a photo ID for everyone over 18 who will be coming.

14. Plan on driving through the gate early as the parking will fill up as the morning progresses. If you have a 0700 arrival time (ABC) you will probably get a spot next to Leamy Hall, if you have a 0740 (DEF) time you will probably get a spot between Chase and Waesche Halls or behind Roland Hall. If you have an 0820 time (GH) you'll probably be parking at Connecticut College and walking through the North Gate. Don't worry, there will be plenty of Cadre and Auxillary members driving golf carts to shuttle you around the campus.

15. It WILL be hot. No need to bring water, there will probably be plenty of "honor system" coolers (take a bottle of water, leave a dollar) around again.

16. Plan on spending all day at the Academy. Lunch tickets will be available for purchase so you don't need to leave to eat. Take your time and tour the buildings, (Chase Hall will NOT be open, if you want to see it, go to the "open house" the day before R-Day).

17. Prepare for an empty feeling when your cadet leaves you after your 15 minutes of "goodbye time" after the class photo. Yes, a sense of pride will only last so long, once you TRULY realize that they're not coming home with you, it hits you and it hits hard. Keep a strong happy demeanor until they are back in formation marching off to begin their swab summer training.
 
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Remember Appointees that you are SWABS not CADETS. When you address
or receive mail it is SWAB____. If you don't follow this advice, well, you will hear from your Cadre.
 
We would have been all over this as cadre when i was a 2/c. Even if we didn't comment, we would be taking down notes....grand. :biggrin:
 
Remember Appointees that you are SWABS not CADETS. When you address
or receive mail it is SWAB____. If you don't follow this advice, well, you will hear from your Cadre.

We fight this stupid (in my humble opinion) battle every Swab Summer...the Parent Handbook, approved by the Commandant of Cadets and Superintendent, states to address mail to "Cadet ______" and then the Cadre always freak out on the Swabs, as if they have any control over how people are addressing mail to them. We tried to change the handbook two years ago to "Swab ______", but the Parents Association wanted it to remain "Cadet ______" (and the Superintendent agreed) since that's officially their rank and the address which should be used all four years. Since I can't endorse fighting with the Cadre...I tell applicants to chalk this one up as the first (of many) things you should just do because the Cadre say so and it will save you a lot of pain/suffering in the long run.
 
We addressed all mail/packages to "Swab Luigi's Son" until the shoulder board ceremony. All mail since then has been sent to "Cadet 4/c Luigi's Son" with no problems.
 
We addressed all mail/packages to "Swab Luigi's Son" until the shoulder board ceremony. All mail since then has been sent to "Cadet 4/c Luigi's Son" with no problems.

and did it get to the right person??
I mean everyone knows who "Luigi's son" is ??? :shake: (smile)
 
We fight this stupid (in my humble opinion) battle every Swab Summer...the Parent Handbook, approved by the Commandant of Cadets and Superintendent, states to address mail to "Cadet ______" and then the Cadre always freak out on the Swabs, as if they have any control over how people are addressing mail to them. We tried to change the handbook two years ago to "Swab ______", but the Parents Association wanted it to remain "Cadet ______" (and the Superintendent agreed) since that's officially their rank and the address which should be used all four years. Since I can't endorse fighting with the Cadre...I tell applicants to chalk this one up as the first (of many) things you should just do because the Cadre say so and it will save you a lot of pain/suffering in the long run.

So my daughter will be a Cadet at prep school, then become a swab, then become a cadet again :) and we OLD parents and the grandparents are suppose to remember that :) LOL :shake:
 
So my daughter will be a Cadet at prep school, then become a swab, then become a cadet again

It's actually even more confusing than that...she'll be a Cadet (to MMI or NMMI) and a Cadet Candidate (to USCGA) simultaneously during her prep year before even starting the whole Swab/Cadet thing at CGA!
 
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