- Joined
- Jul 25, 2009
- Messages
- 1,027
Why Not?
A couple of key items: 1) "unlikely" is not a certainty. 2) "what is to gain from staying through the end of this trimester?" The courses that Plebes take first and second trimester are primarily applicable to virtually any BS degree at any major university's course of study. In order for any of those credits to transfer or even translate to waived prerequisites they must be completed through the entire trimester. To me the question is more correctly "What is to be gained from leaving before the end of the trimester, especially now, in mid-January? It's too late to enroll, even in a local community college's winter term and staying through March will generally not preclude doing so for the next term. 3) RE: "(change of mind/heart regarding maritime industry) ... I know many young college students change their minds/majors...but ..." There is a reason KP is rated as one of THE BEST Undergraduate Institutions in the nation to get your Bachelor's degree from - because it is. All the available majors when completed including the sea year provide a great education that truly form a sound foundation to do pretty much anything in future life. I know I am now personally 25+ years removed from my own attendance, but I am now basically on my third career. I have classmates who today are doing such a wide variety of things I can fill the page. Many of course had to and did pursue and obtain post graduate educations to do what they are doing, further many folks in other renowned colleges for their under-grad degrees also routinely accept they will need a post grad degree to achieve their ultimate career goals. All the Kings Point Grads I know who ended up having to do that were much happier doing so while either i) having their employers pay at least part of the cost of the graduate degree or ii) having their own money available from sailing on their license and attending grad school without racking up $150K+ of student loans, etc. and they all enjoyed eating stuff besides Chef Boy-R-Dee from a can.
Sorry if this is a bit harsher or blunter than it might otherwise be but it sounds like all involved need to really step back and realize two things. First as happens to many smart, accomplished student in any competitive high caliber college, this is probably the first thing in the subject midshipman's life that actually has really been difficult for them and they aren't used to that sort of thing. Second, if they make it and/or choose to stay, their fears are correct, getting through this trimester in and of itself won't likely be the last bump in this road as they may have to take a lag class or something else that adds to the workload next trimester. All that said, I will say it again IMO in 98+% of the cases of kids who made it this far, fighting till the finish line and graduating, if at all possible, is worth it. That's why to me it's not a complex issue at all, the choice was pretty straight-forward to me 27 years ago and on those bad days, weeks, months it seems it is also so for my own DS.
That's not to say that right now the subject midshipman's day isn't stress filled, no fun. Or that, pardon the vernacular, when they hear about a great party at "Faber College" where their high school friend had a great time, got drunk with their friends and met the best looking hottie they could have imagined and will be going out next weekend, they don't feel their life stinks. I mean Murphy's Law says they get that news when they are cleaning up some first classman's vomit after they came back from liberty late, while your plebe DS/DD has to do "head" for their cleaning station. However and I know this gets said way too much and too often, 3 1/2 years from now when they graduate and have a good job while that friend scurries to figure out what's next, they will begin to understand why it was worth it. Perhaps the best and most important lesson our kids learn at KP is life isn't fair but if you persevere and keep your eyes on the goal, you usually do a lot, lot better than those who don't.
What if academics do seem to be the major part of the issue of a plebe wanting to leave USMMA? After midterms, plebe is unlikely to pass enough classes this trimester to be able to continue.This is despite genuine effort, tutoring, study halls, etc. Though I do not want plebe to leave now, if he is looking at a fairly certain dis-enrollment in a month, and no longer wants to be there ( change of mind/heart regarding maritime industry) for any reason...what is to gain from staying through the end of this trimester? This is such a complex issue, as we all know what these young men and women went through to get into this school. As a parent, I know many young college students change their minds/majors...but when you have to leave KP to do so, it is heartbreaking to see a dream come to an end.
A couple of key items: 1) "unlikely" is not a certainty. 2) "what is to gain from staying through the end of this trimester?" The courses that Plebes take first and second trimester are primarily applicable to virtually any BS degree at any major university's course of study. In order for any of those credits to transfer or even translate to waived prerequisites they must be completed through the entire trimester. To me the question is more correctly "What is to be gained from leaving before the end of the trimester, especially now, in mid-January? It's too late to enroll, even in a local community college's winter term and staying through March will generally not preclude doing so for the next term. 3) RE: "(change of mind/heart regarding maritime industry) ... I know many young college students change their minds/majors...but ..." There is a reason KP is rated as one of THE BEST Undergraduate Institutions in the nation to get your Bachelor's degree from - because it is. All the available majors when completed including the sea year provide a great education that truly form a sound foundation to do pretty much anything in future life. I know I am now personally 25+ years removed from my own attendance, but I am now basically on my third career. I have classmates who today are doing such a wide variety of things I can fill the page. Many of course had to and did pursue and obtain post graduate educations to do what they are doing, further many folks in other renowned colleges for their under-grad degrees also routinely accept they will need a post grad degree to achieve their ultimate career goals. All the Kings Point Grads I know who ended up having to do that were much happier doing so while either i) having their employers pay at least part of the cost of the graduate degree or ii) having their own money available from sailing on their license and attending grad school without racking up $150K+ of student loans, etc. and they all enjoyed eating stuff besides Chef Boy-R-Dee from a can.
Sorry if this is a bit harsher or blunter than it might otherwise be but it sounds like all involved need to really step back and realize two things. First as happens to many smart, accomplished student in any competitive high caliber college, this is probably the first thing in the subject midshipman's life that actually has really been difficult for them and they aren't used to that sort of thing. Second, if they make it and/or choose to stay, their fears are correct, getting through this trimester in and of itself won't likely be the last bump in this road as they may have to take a lag class or something else that adds to the workload next trimester. All that said, I will say it again IMO in 98+% of the cases of kids who made it this far, fighting till the finish line and graduating, if at all possible, is worth it. That's why to me it's not a complex issue at all, the choice was pretty straight-forward to me 27 years ago and on those bad days, weeks, months it seems it is also so for my own DS.
That's not to say that right now the subject midshipman's day isn't stress filled, no fun. Or that, pardon the vernacular, when they hear about a great party at "Faber College" where their high school friend had a great time, got drunk with their friends and met the best looking hottie they could have imagined and will be going out next weekend, they don't feel their life stinks. I mean Murphy's Law says they get that news when they are cleaning up some first classman's vomit after they came back from liberty late, while your plebe DS/DD has to do "head" for their cleaning station. However and I know this gets said way too much and too often, 3 1/2 years from now when they graduate and have a good job while that friend scurries to figure out what's next, they will begin to understand why it was worth it. Perhaps the best and most important lesson our kids learn at KP is life isn't fair but if you persevere and keep your eyes on the goal, you usually do a lot, lot better than those who don't.