I Day

aaron7198

5-Year Member
Joined
May 24, 2011
Messages
11
I recently received my appointment to USNA :D out of curiosity, what can we expect on I-day from reporting in or the med. examinaition? And to those anxiously waiting, do not be scared as my stats were no where near as stellar as the people who have already gotten appointments!!
 
I recently received my appointment to USNA :D out of curiosity, what can we expect on I-day from reporting in or the med. examinaition? And to those anxiously waiting, do not be scared as my stats were no where near as stellar as the people who have already gotten appointments!!

A long day with hours of waiting followed by lots of yelling. Or something like that. But seriously, don't worry about it. It's one day. Most of us don't remember much of what happened that day anyway.
 
Ya don't worry about I day. You're going to get yelled out a thousand times but they won't even remember it. Neither will you. Good luck.
 
A long day with hours of waiting followed by lots of yelling. Or something like that. But seriously, don't worry about it. It's one day. Most of us don't remember much of what happened that day anyway.

Sounds about right. Details will work themselves out along the way.
 
do not be scared as my stats were no where near as stellar as the people who have already gotten appointments!!

Would you mind sharing your stats to ease our anxiety? :redface: My mailman is beginning to think I'm a serial killer haha
 
To answer the OP's question about what to expect on I-Day:
Report time can be as early as 0600 or 0630 or as late as 0900. Say goodbye to family - you won't see them again until after the swearing in ceremony. In-processing begins in Alumni Hall. There are almost 20 "stations" through which you must pass, starting with paperwork and including medical (if they don't have your shot record on file, you will have to get all your shots again), haircut, uniform issue (everything from underwear and socks to camo pants, hat, etc.) You will get your copy of Reef Points and at some point will be instructed on how to put it into your whiteworks in ten seconds or less (not as easy as it sounds). You will be taught how to hold your Reef Points book, how to salute, and how to reply to commands/questions. You will be taught a lot of other things that are too numerous to mention. At some point, you will haul your 80-pounds worth of "stuff" in your seabag into your room in Bancroft. You will label every article of clothing with your Alpha code ( a 6-digit designator unique to you during your time at USNA). You will be taught how to fold your clothes and how to put them away. If you have an early report time, you will probably have a chance to eat lunch, but a lot of people are too nervous to eat. The oath of office is administered around 1800, then you have about 20 minutes to spend with your family before formation back into Bancroft for the evening meal. Then the fun begins! Good luck!
 
Go to the United States Naval Academy page on facebook. Scroll down through all the photo albums until you reach the ones for IDay last year. The pictures tell the story of what to expect pretty accurately. It is a LONG day.
 
Wilson73 summed it up pretty well. You will have a report time. You say good bye to your family and enter Alumni Hall. From there you will go through a long maze of lines that goes on for hours. You will get a haircut, medical processing, issued more clothes than you knew possible, and get measured over and over again. By the time you leave Alumni Hall a few hours later you will be bald, in stiff white works uniform, with a dixie cup, carrying a 50 plus pound laundry bag, and holding on to your favorite Reef Points. They are very stern and direct with your during the process, but no yelling... yet. You will learn your basic responses, how to salute, stand at attention a few other basics. Board a bus and get taken to eat or to your room. You will then label your new fashionable wardrobe with your new identity... aka... alpha code. More than likely a Napster will come by to teach you to fold that wardrobe and make your rack. Again, usually no yelling, just very hustled and stern. At some point we had to watch an oath of office video and sign a piece of paper. We also wrote a post card home to mom and dad telling them we made it safe and our new address. They take you down to eat lunch that day. No one is hungry and everyone is just plain overwhelmed. Eat when you get the chance. It is a long day. They then take you out for the oath of office ceremony and you get 30 minutes with your family. Once that is over you head back into Mother B for Plebe Summer to start! Yes the yelling and push ups begin, but just remember we all made it, so can you. Its an overwhelming day and alot of Alumni do not remember much of the day. Take it one day at a time and enjoy the ride!
 
alot of Alumni do not remember much of the day

It's true. In our day, in processing was in Halsey Field House. I recently found some pictures my parents had taken of me on I-Day and even then I could only remember tiny fragments of the day -- and very few of those. Maybe I'm just getting old.:eek:
 
I-Day is mostly administrative in nature. It's mostly processing, going from station to station, getting fitted for various items, and being issued stuff to put into a duffel bag and carry around. Layered on top of all this are upperclassmen badgering your about what to do and to nitpick you about things like forgetting to start and end every sentence with Sir/Ma'am.

You'll be issued your "Reef Points" and will be told what you are expected to learn from for THAT day. Every "idle" moment you will try to be memorizing that information. They will even insist that you read the book in a certain way.

You'll move with the flow like cattle.

Of course, you'll get your hair cut at some point.

By the end of the day, after you get sworn in, you'll be tired and hungry.

And just before you start feeling any pangs of homesickness - it will already be morning and PEP begins, bright and early. Great fun! :smile:
 
Would you mind sharing your stats to ease our anxiety? :redface: My mailman is beginning to think I'm a serial killer haha

Lets see..
My SAT scores were M 590 V630 and my ACT Composite 27
Varsity swim team Captain, 3 time regional qualifier
Academics Team Captain
NHS Member
Justice League(law enforcement program at school)
Speech and Debate
JV Wrestling
All AP/Pre-Ap classes
Class Rank 18/320
100+ Hours of community service
Congressional Nom

hmm That is all I remember for now
 
I-Day is a nightmare. For parents and Mids. Lots of things for Parents to do under the tents like visit all the tables, have some lunch and visit some of the static displays. We brought a cheap tablecloth for Mid to sit on (no grass stains on White Works) and a small cooler with drinks and a sandwich for after Swearing In. They don't eat lunch and they are starved. They probably won't eat dinner that night because they are so nervous (except NAPS).
 
I-Day is a massively emotional day for both parents and their newly minted Mids.

As a parent, I remember I-Day was just a bunch of conflicting emotions, flipping between extreme pride and overwhelming sadness . The pride was seeing a great kid take the first steps into adulthood and taking a path of service that is traveled by very few. The sadness came from the realization that that same great kid was not going to be part of our daily lives anymore, the Navy now owned them and their time. Parental life as you knew it just changed forever and would never be the same.

I also, remember my now former MId as having a distinct " deer caught in the head lights " look in those final minutes on Stribling Walk. The waves of home sickness that swept her came as a surprise to her and the realization of " Oh My God what have I done" hitting home were written all over her face.

Like the majority of her classmates she survived her I-Day and Plebe summer. The next 4 years go by surprisingly fast.

Enjoy the time and the ride!
 
@MIDNDAD: Mine didn't have the deer in the headlights look (many did), but she did say she woke up the next morning thinking, "OMG, what have I done????"

To those of you who are soon to begin the roller coaster ride (parents and Mids-to-be), a few words as my Mid and I are less than 90 days away from Commissioning.
Soon to be Plebes:
1. It's not personal. Really.
2. Do not let yourself even consider leaving until the end of Plebe year. Give yourself time to get past the early heavy doses of training, try out some ECAs, and make friends. You've spent a year or more applying and waiting for that BFE to arrive. Now make a pact to spend an equal time there, if you start to doubt whether you should be there. True story: a 2015 Mid started talking about leaving ON I-day. He made a promise to stick it out through Plebe Summer. By the time the 6 weeks were over, he was there to stay.
3. If you didn't have what it takes, you wouldn't have that pretty blue binder.
4. I suggest that you write yourself a letter NOW, listing all the reasons that you want to be a Navy or USMC officer, and why you think USNA is the right place for you. If you start to have doubts, pull out your letter and read it, so you can focus on the goal, not on whatever might be getting you down.
5. Focus on becoming a team with your classmates, not on yourself.
6. When you think you have it hard, remember that the upper classes have all of your obligations, AND an obligation to train YOU (and lots of other things).

Parents:
1. If you hear griping or tears during phone calls, don't panic. That's pretty normal, unless DD/DS starts talking about leaving.
2. Even if you get a letter from the Company Officer that says, "Call me any time," - DON'T. The only exceptions I can think of would be either a family emergency, or if DD/DS starts seriously thinking of leaving.
3. If/when you go to visit, be aware that the ONLY time your Plebe will have town liberty (free time off campus) will be Saturday from the end of a home football game (if any) to ~11:30 PM. So, even though we all think the Yard is wonderful, DD/DS will NOT want to spend time there on Saturday!
4. Throughout the time your DD/DS is a Mid, be aware of his/her obligations, and try to make family members aware, too. With high travel costs, it's easy to expect your Mid to spend an entire weekend with you, but he/she will have lots of things to do that MUST get done. If visitors are willing to "spend time together" running errands, doing laundry, etc., visits will be much better appreciated. At least, that's been our experience.

Best wishes to the Class of 2016!
 
Back
Top