My Last Minute Advice to the Class of '18

Wow this thread has blown up since I've last checked it. So here I go...
First off:
You were in the Coast Guard correct? Although your advise, I am sure, is appreciated I think the advise from a former plebe would give a better perspective
To alleviate any doubts trini1066, LineInTheSand's advice is spot on. Of course there's going to be a difference in experiences between the SAs, but the same core mental mindsets apply. One thing I especially like is the: "Never let anyone cause you to doubt that, or to doubt your worth. And NEVER take it upon yourself to decide if someone else has earned his/her spot too. They have." If there is someone there that you believe shouldn't be, understand that they are there going through the same challenges you are and if they aren't up for the challenge then the academy will weed them out and they won't make it. It is not up to you, and for good reason, to pick who deserves to be there or not.

Except for the Gatorade thing. Sadness is being a detailer and thinking "Maybe today they won't take every bottle and I can finally get one for myself!" and your plebes taking every. Last. Gatorade. From all of King Hall.
Haha, well in retrospect I have no remorse for taking all the Gatorade from the detailers :shake: Just I have a feeling the same thing is going to happen if I become a detailer...

Oh yeah... do you know what the Free 19 comes from? I was there when this started.
Yeah we've been told multiple versions of the same story, but it all boils down to the "free 19" chant at a football game since the whole company was fried for hazing an important person's daughter.
 
My advice is to rely on your classmates -- in general.

You said it so much better than me. Yes! :smile:

There are certain advantages afforded to the NAPSters that, even if they were inclined to be a weak Plebe, there would be reasons for them to start off looking pretty good; not the least of which is they are processed prior to I-Day under much more relaxed conditions. They are settled into Bancroft Hall before the rest of their class even shows up. All that chaos you hear about on I-day? ... not for the NAPSters or prior enlisted!

And, c'mon, who are we kidding? They've had access to a copy of Reef Points almost from the day they showed up at NAPS. One of the reasons their rack is so tight and their clothes are folded so neatly is because, while you are trying to memorize the mission of the United States Naval Academy, the general orders of a sentry, the chain-of-command, and the officer and enlisted ranks in the Navy, Marine Corps, Army and Air Force - they are fine tuning those things.

It's been mentioned several times in this forum that getting a copy of Reef Points ahead of time defeats one of the purposes of Plebe Summer. That's true! It defeats an element of difficulty of Plebe Summer that's supposed to be there. For most of the NAPSters, it is not. Most of them have not only had access to a copy of Reef Points, they've been "tipped" as to which parts of it they will have to know ... and when.

PREDICTION: Some former NAPSter is going to chime in and say, "I never saw a copy of Reef Points before I-Day!"

My response, "Oh, so you're the one. I've heard legend of you."

Pfft!

I'm probably overstating it; but, I guess my point is that I'm warning the incoming Plebes who are coming directly from high school or college not to be too enamored and awestruck by the NAPSters and prior enlisted. You will be surprised how quickly some of your classmates, the ones just like yourself, will adapt and excel.
 
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