Plebe

I understand from my Plebe that something called 6 week exams are coming up which is where the Plebes will see their first real college-level academic tests. Stress is at a high point due to the studying for these first 'exams' on top of the other stuff. It is probably a good thing that these exams are looming next week - it will give them a chance to see what works and what doesn't as far as studying is concerned and perhaps be better prepared for mid-terms and then finals. They've gotten over the physical and mental hurdles of Plebe summer and will conquer the academic pressures too. Some will do better than others, but they will all get the experience and develop the time management tools that work for them.
 
Many of the Plebe Classes have a Departmental Exam and Final where their section does not have it's own section specific exam. Yes there is disparity between sections and instructors.

Your Plebe will know their grades at the end of the exam period. If you look at the Academic Calendar grades are due on October 5th. They have access to their grades on the MIDS system. The next exam period is the first week of November with grades due on the 9th.
 
CurrentMid's description is on target. Now, what to do about it? Following advice comes from comments made by my 2/C who is an MGSP tutor.

Things your Plebe can & should do about it (in addition to previous postings in this thread):
- If they don't know what MGSP stands for, they should! It's Midshipman Group Study Program, which is available over and above EI with the professor. At least for chemistry, study sections are available for each professor's classes, and there is usually at least one "floating" session for those who can't make it to the "assigned" session.
- Find out who the company "experts" are in the holdup classes. Go and ask them for help. This is one time when the upper class can be a Plebe's best friend. They've already started upper level coursework in their majors, so they aren't just one step ahead in the problem classes.
- Repeat of earlier advice: take full advantage of EI. If a prof has a Mid who is UNSAT or borderline, one consideration of Academic boards is whether the person made full use of the resources available. One of DD's friends met one of her profs on Sunday AM for help - really.

How can a Plebe (or any other Mid) get more out of EI/MGSP or other help?
- Go in prepared to be helped. Some Plebes come to DD with general questions/comments like, "I just don't get it," in reference to an entire chapter/homework set. While he/she might feel that way, it takes a lot of time for someone to help clarify exactly what the person does/doesn't understand, and that's time that an upperclass Mid just doesn't have. Remember, upper level classes are harder, and many upperclass Mids take a heavier load than Plebes. They also all have leadership responsibilities that Plebes don't have. So....go in to EI or other help session with a set of specific questions.
- Do all of the homework/other assignment that you can before meeting, and take your notes/assignments with you. This will help you focus on your problem areas.
- Do NOT wait until the last minute for help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Get help EVERY time you don't fully understand a lecture/homework. Asking for help only in the week of exams puts you into "cram" mode, AND it takes exam prep time from your favorite upperclass Mid. Once, you can get away with it, but at 12 week exams, they're not going to be too happy if you didn't learn from 6 weeks!

As a parent, I suggest that a fellow parent's two roles are first, to provide support and encouragement to your Mid, and second, to make sure that they are making use of the tools and support USNA provides. That's it. That's all we can (or IMO, should) do. Academics are part of the job they signed up for on I-day, and every Mid there CAN do the job. A friend who is a USNA grad once told me that he spent nearly all 4 years UNSAT or just barely above, but he made it through.

BTW, DD's comment about sleep during her Plebe year (and even more now) was, "Sleep is highly over-rated!"
 
If poor Johnny is struggling and doesn't know all of this information already, they should just go back home. They are in college, a service academy at that, and their parentals shouldn't have to baby them through the ac year. It can be a tough road to trod, but it is that way for a reason. Learning how to succeed at (pass) classes might take some time, but everyone has to figure it out on their own. Like another poster stated, once the graduate they will have to figure it out. They got dropped off at the pool on I-Day. Let them sink or swim.
 
Some great insight and advice on this thread. I'm in the unique (?) position of having been on both sides of the podium - then as a plebe, now as a prof (not at USNA).

CurrentMid and 2012mom?'s 2/C have great advice from a mid's perspective. Personally, I spent the first 6 weeks running about 5 hrs sleep/night with the occasional combat nap throughout the week and wound up after first exams at a 2.2. I was mortified. I used a lot of CM's and 2012m's 2/C, significantly changed my study and homework habits, slept 7 hrs/night most nights (with a couple of luxurious 8 hr Sat nights!) and improved over the second marking period to a 3.3.

As a professor now, my freshmen make the same mistakes repeatedly (regardless of smarts).

1. When they actually do the homework, they do only the homework problems I assign. Calculus and chemistry are just like a sport in this way: you only get better by practicing and making mistakes.
2. (related to/following from above) They do not push on to mastery. Mastery, in the case of maths and sciences, means that you begin to recognize and correct your own mistakes. It also means that you understand and exercise connections among the concepts and content we teach. So you can find the first derivative - so what?? What does that mean you can do? (I believe this is what Just_a_mom's husband was telling their now-mid in HS. Beautiful.)
3. They think that I am in charge of what they learn. To the extent that I know certain content and concepts that they do not, that's certainly correct and I take my responsibility very seriously. The great majority of my colleagues do as well. However, I can explain it again, but I cannot understand it for you.
4. Changing your approach from the very common teacher-centered, "here is exactly what you need to know for the next exam," memorization-based, fairly superficial, mile-wide and inch-deep model of many/most high schools, to the student-directed USNA model (and generally, any top college or U), where mastery matters and exams tend to focus on how to solve the problem and how you know what you know as much as what you know - this shift takes time for most plebes. Some of my classmates needed absolute silence for classwork. Some needed some small distraction to concentrate. I needed silence and to be alone to do math and science problem homework. I did better studying (higher concepts) when others were around and there was a little background noise. The trial-and-error process of finding what works for oneself is just as important as ultimately raising the grade and managing one's time.

It's a challenging time in the first semester for many plebes (many freshmen nationwide, for that matter). It's expected. Do more of what works and less of what doesn't. Keep pushing on, as this too shall pass.
 
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