Summer Training Blocks

E

engineer

5-Year Member
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Dec 8, 2010
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175
Does anyone have information on the summer training blocks for Class of 2015?
 
Here's the link to the summer schedule:

http://www.usna.edu/acdean/calendars/130.pdf

It shows when the training blocks begin and end. Not shown is zero Block, but that is typically reserved for varsity athletes and usually begins just after final exams and extends to the beginning of Block 1.

As for the actual training, my now-Youngster was a trainer for NASS during Block 1, then took a voluntary summer school class for Block 2, then assigned training cruise during Block 3. Voluntary summer school is worth it if you want to have more flexibility in taking elective courses during the ac year, double-majoring or doing a minor in a language. If you don't do summer school and you are not academically unsat (and therefore might have mandatory summer school), you can have a fairly significant chunk of leave to go home or do something else fun during the summer!
 
fishbowl said:
Here's the link to the summer schedule:

http://www.usna.edu/acdean/calendars/130.pdf

It shows when the training blocks begin and end. Not shown is zero Block, but that is typically reserved for varsity athletes and usually begins just after final exams and extends to the beginning of Block 1.

As for the actual training, my now-Youngster was a trainer for NASS during Block 1, then took a voluntary summer school class for Block 2, then assigned training cruise during Block 3. Voluntary summer school is worth it if you want to have more flexibility in taking elective courses during the ac year, double-majoring or doing a minor in a language. If you don't do summer school and you are not academically unsat (and therefore might have mandatory summer school), you can have a fairly significant chunk of leave to go home or do something else fun during the summer!
Click to expand...

Can you expand upon the "Voluntary Summer School" option? That is a new one as summer school's most often reserved and used for student remediation. Also, I'm aware of some students who've used their leave block to take a voluntary course, but it seems to fly in the face of the stated intent of summer training to encourage non-remedial students to use that time for supplementing academics. Appreciate any expansion you can offer.
 
Voluntary summer school is in place of leave and is used to either get ahead or lighten the load during the academic year. For example, my roommate took summer school twice during her time here: she's always been ac sat, but it gave her more flexibility when she was thinking about going med corps and opened her schedule up later on. It would also help for those trying to go VGEP.

I don't see how it "flies in the face of summer training." I mean, it's choosing to go to school (albeit in a more relaxed environment than during the ac year) instead of going home. VSS doesn't fill a training block.
 
Hurricane12 said:
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I don't see how it "flies in the face of summer training." I mean, it's choosing to go to school (albeit in a more relaxed environment than during the ac year) instead of going home. VSS doesn't fill a training block.
Click to expand...

You've clarified the confusion, i.e. that it is NOT a summer training block.

But of course the idea that was put forth, i.e. that taking a course is a viable, appropriate summer block, does fly in the face of the general notion and intent of summer training. Summer block is intended for practical, professional training, not continued class room/academic study.
 
This past summer, my Mid's schedule was summer cruise for Block 1, leave for Block 2, and sailing for Block 3. We truly learned the meaning of "Semper Gumby" during that time. Forty-five minutes after leaving the Mid Store to purchase the "uniform" for the sailing block (USNA polo w/ sailing logo and a canvas belt, among other things), the call came that the sailing block was cancelled and that those Mids who were assigned to sailing for that block would either be assigned to a YP cruise (not many got this option, since the YP's already had their assigned quota of Mids) OR to voluntary summer school to take Navigation II, the follow-on course to Nav I which is offered during Plebe year. Wouldn't exactly call it "voluntary" since there was no input from the Mids to whom this was offered, but it did free up the schedule for this Ac year.
 
My youngster's block 1 sailing was also cancelled. No substitute offered. So she ended up with 6+ weeks of leave. :thumb:
 
Cancellations being replaced with additional leave are not unusual nor recent occurances. Speculating, I'd bet they may become more frequent as funds become fewer.
 
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