AIM last year was one of the best experiences of my life, and I'm now committed to getting into the academy no matter what (didnt happen this time around unfortunately). Some advice:
- Dont worry about fitting everything into a backpack, EVERYBODY has large bags...just make sure you can run with everything you have for a few minutes at least.
- Everybody will make mistakes, so don't get discouraged if you get yelled at or singled out.
- EVERYBODY else will be as confused and scared as you are once it starts, so youre not alone!
- once you start to learn the "rules", make SURE to help our you fellow aimsters! Everybody gets in trouble for everyone else, so look out for every little detail of your buddies and roommates.
- more practically, bring white socks! A cadre yelled at me for wearing black
socks (I tried to explain that it didn't say "white" socks, but, whatever)
- BE AS LOUD AS YOU CAN!!!! Some girls who couldn't/wouldn't
"sound off" (be loud) really pissed off the whole company and the cadre cuz they wouldn't yell loudly. I found out that being EXTREMELY LOUD is the best way to stay out of trouble, MAKE A REALLY GOOD IMPRESSION, and get on the cadre's good side, even if you messed up other things. At lunch one day I yelled so loud my face was throbbing and I couldn't speak, but a cadre told everyone to act like me and pulled me over and told me she was impressed and could tell how hard I was trying.
- Finally, your cadre are human beings lol. I was so scared of them for the
first 3 or 4 days, but by the very end they act like humans and they're really cool and you can talk to them sorta like friends or mentors .
Good luck, have fun, don't worry too much, stay determined, don't quit, and most importantly, find the funny side in everything you're doing! (just don't laugh...)