I-Day is Approaching Fast

MIDNDAD

10-Year Member
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Apr 3, 2008
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Congratulations you are soon to be plebes........

Right now a count down clock, that has less than 90 days, is running for each of you. When you report for I-Day it will be an overwhelming and emotional day for both the plebe to be and parents. The time between today and I -Day is a precious resource that you need to use wisely.

1. Spend as much family time together as you can. Graduations are coming up etc. but find the time for simple family time. If your family budget permits plan a special vacation or short trip. This is time you will never have with your child/parents as you know them. Enjoy each other as you are now because you will be different people sooner than you realize.

2. Future Plebes - You CAN NOT get hurt or injured before reporting on I-Day. That rock climbing, high risk stuff, extreme sports etc, that you like to to. STOP! If you break a bone, screw up a knee today, you do not have the time to heal prior to I-Day. You will be examined and sent home and will not be allowed to start. All the hard work you did to get to I-Day just got flushed down the toilet. I personally saw this happen last year to a kid and his parents. Kid broke his wrist mountain biking. He and his family left in tears. You can get hurt after I-Day and that's OK. You belong to the Navy then.

3. Finishing High School - You can't fail a major course but at this point the Academy does not care about your last quarter or semester of grades in high school. Go into cruise mode if you already have not done so. I'm suggesting this because once AC year starts you will be under intense academic pressure like you have never seen. Take an academic break now while you can.

4. Get in decent physical shape - Work on running and some upper body conditioning. Starting at 0530 the first 90 minutes of every day durring plebe summer, is spent with PEP. My daughter was in good shape when she went in but still puked her guts out the first two days. They push you hard physically, be ready.

There are other items but these are the big ones for now.

Again, congratulations and enjoy the remaining days of your childhood.
 
do you know the same rules apply to USAFA?
 
If anyone has specific questions too, post em here. I did PS detail this past summer and I'm sure some other Mids that view this forum did too.

Pick my brain while I'm still a mid...
 
sooo, are these rules the same with the USAFA?
 
So Kamikazi, what did you see as plebes lacking the most?
And in what ways could they be improved?

Also, from what I read here and other places on the internet, I see that a lot of people have mixed feelings towards learning material from Reef Points, what do you recommend?

Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks for your time!
 
Oh and one more thing, if any of you mids at the Academy had any advice regarding the four years there, I would love to hear about it! :biggrin:
 
Yes, those rules apply to USAFA too. I was almost turned back becuase of a upperrespirotry infection. Your health and family time are the two biggest things to worry about before leaving. Also physical isn't as important for USAFA, you will have 4 to 5 days of no PT to adapt to the altitude (believe me, when you are dieing just climbing the stairs, they can't PT you if they wanted too). As long as you can do 30 push-ups, 60 sit-ups, and a 8 minute mile, you will be fine. You WON'T be great, but its enough to get by. (I pushed myself too hard, got sick, and made basic that much harder, its better to get your sleep and eat well then to overwork yourself).
 
Flyboy

These suggestions apply to each academy. I agree with the parent/kid time, although the reality of a 17 year old HS graduate doesn't always lend itself to great family time. Although I understand the "no high risk" part, also do not overly concern yourself with the risk in everything you do. You can overthink stuff, and sometimes that could lead to injury. My point, when your friends want to go ice skating, do not tell them "Well, I want to, but there is a chance that I could fall, and during that fall bump my head while at the same time taking a skate to the neck." Don't go out on the main drag to play chicken, but also don't quit your contact sports to stay perfectly healthy.

Acclimate yourself to the climate you're going to find yourself in. For USCGA, USMA, USNA, and USMMA expect a hot summer. For USAFA, the elevation will make some of the physical activity harder...and I have no idea how you get around that besides training harder now that you will be push upon arrival.


I definately cruised (but continued to get good grades) that final semester of HS, but don't carry that into your college experience. Cruising into the academy will make a very painful first semester, and possibly the rest of your time at an academy.

I didn't go to the Naval Academy, but I've been there a few times, great campus, quality kids...


You parents enjoy yourselves too, and remember, they aren't being brainwashed or beat or killed, they will come back your kids, even if they've grown a little over the summer...and they will have some "fun" stories.
 
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Finishing High School - You can't fail a major course but at this point the Academy does not care about your last quarter or semester of grades in high school. Go into cruise mode if you already have not done so. I'm suggesting this because once AC year starts you will be under intense academic pressure like you have never seen. Take an academic break now while you can.

Worst advice I have ever heard. Where did you get your info that the Academy does not care about one's last semester grades?
 
USNA69--what advice do YOU have for the plebes-to-be, not just academic, but overall advice for April to I-Day?
 
I'll definetly have to agree with USNA69. DO NOT COAST. The Academy will ask for a final transcript before you show up on I-Day.

cthornman, the best thing any plebe can do before showing up on I-Day is to be in shape and have a good attitude.

If you are out of shape, you will immediately stand out and you'll be "that guy or gal" every morning at PEP. Falling out of runs, getting injured, holding up the platoon, etc. Lots of stuff revolves around squads working together as a team and you better be able to pull your weight. You are always being judged by the 1/C detailers and your classmates. It may seem unfair, but if you don't pull your weight or get injured and put on light duty often ("chit surfers"), your classmates will notice it and the stigma will live on well past Plebe year if not longer. Oh, as mentioned above, Annapolis is VERY humid during the summer. Not sure where you hail form, but for me, coming from SoCal where humidity is just about non-existant, I pretty much died during the first couple runs (and I was a runner in high school). It takes a couple weeks to acclimate so be aware of that.

Attitude wise, realized that you are being indoctrinated. Go with the flow. You might have been the hot shot athelete/valedictorian from Smalltown, USA, but now all those hot shots have gathered in one place and the playing field has been level. My whole room plebe year were valedictorians and everyone was a varsity athelete in high school. Even if you are a prior enlisted, one must realized that the detailers are indoctrinating you into how the ACADEMY operates, not necessarily the Fleet. The 1/C have been through three years of the Academy and know how it operates. Learn from them.

As for Reef Points, I assume you are talking about buying an older copy and reading it over. There are two schools of thought. Sure, it will give you a heads up for some of the knowledge rates...However, if none of your classmates studied it ahead of time, you will again be "that guy" that knows all his rates and essentially making his classmates look bad. And its just not your classmates that will notice; the detailers will also. We know how it goes. We'll probably call you out for it. In my opinion, don't do it. Enjoy the experience learning all that material underpressure and time constraints. It will make you better :wink:
 
I'm going to do a little "agree and disagree" here... do not coast as in slack off and do nothing, however, once you have been accepted, and you've taken all of those wonderful AP tests and you know what you're doing, there is no reason to beat yourself to death, you will have four + years to do that.


For current cadets/midshipmen....take your GRE while you're in or just after you graduate...post-grad education is a must.



"As for Reef Points, I assume you are talking about buying an older copy and reading it over. There are two schools of thought. Sure, it will give you a heads up for some of the knowledge rates...However, if none of your classmates studied it ahead of time, you will again be "that guy" that knows all his rates and essentially making his classmates look bad. "

CGA has a similiar book called the "Running Light". I would commend reading it, memorize if you can. Do this do manage your own stress level. As has been alluded to, do not become a lightning rod and show off, for you and your shipmates sake. Answer when they want you to, but don't belt it out with all your classmates struggling around you. A little cadence we did while running "we started together, we're going to finish together..." same goes for indoc.
 
As for Reef Points, I In my opinion, don't do it. Enjoy the experience learning all that material underpressure and time constraints. It will make you better

Absolutely. The purpose of the entire evolution is to learn to perform multiple tasks under stress and pressure. If you memorize in advance, you are cheating yourself out a valuable life long lesson.
 
To put a couple of comments into context:

Family time - A lot of that comment is aimed at the parents of the about to be plebes. My assumption is most parents have been deeply involved in supporting their child's efforts to get into the Academy. A lot of you are what I personally refer to as "one in a million Kids". You hardly ever gave your parents problems, you're athletic, and when it came to academics you were self motivated and driven to succeed. In short you are the type of kids most parents dream about having. As a parent of a midshipman it is a real shock not having you around and realizing that we will see one of the most important people in our lives for a total of 6 weeks per year for the next 4 years. That's if we are lucky. Hence, enjoy the brief uninterrupted time you have before I-Day. You will never get it back.

My 4/C midshipman daughter has several comments about I-Day. Her most poignant comment: "On June 27th at 07:42 my childhood came to an abrupt and shocking end as I walked through the doors of Alumni Hall"

2. High school Academics - Most of you are massive over achievers, and loaded up on the tough AP courses. You and sometimes your parents have stressed over grades forever. Getting a B was a disaster and a simple A was just OK. My comment about going into cruise mode meant, stop stressing over having to get the perfect A in that AP physics class. Getting a B is just fine because it will allow you time to relax academically. Enjoy some academic down time while you have it.

Also, reading some of the other posts. There are Firsties and former graduates that are providing excellent advice to you as future plebes.

For the Firsties who are about to graduate and the former graduates, I'd like to just say "Thank You" for your service and may God watch over you as you enter the Fleet or Corps.

A Dad
 
Absolutely. The purpose of the entire evolution is to learn to perform multiple tasks under stress and pressure. If you memorize in advance, you are cheating yourself out a valuable life long lesson.

Or perhaps the purpose is to teach you trained initiative. Smarter not harder. That valuable life long lesson will not hide in the seven weeks of a single summer, you will have plenty of them during your life.
 
On my visit to Annapolis, I bought the 2007 Reef Points from the gift shop. It's interesting to read and funny at times, but I have no intent to memorize anything. I would liken memorizing rates in Reef Points to shaving your head before I-Day (although I keep my head shaved, I'm making sure to grow my hair out).
 
congrats!

Just wanted to wish all of you Plebes a safe journey to I-Day.
We are still hopeful and am appealing a waiver that did not get approved...
Didn't have a back up plan but at least now have some options...if not this year see you next!!!
 
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