Hello, I am curious to know what an average day for a 4th class cadet (freshman) is like at USAFA, for the academic year. For example, when do you normally wake up? when do you normally sleep? what is minutes? how many afternoon training sessions are there in a week? How much "free time" do you have to study per day? (like time between classes, mandatory study time, etc). How are the classes? (can you do homework in class? can you have a laptop to take notes?) Can 4th class cadets use gyms? Thanks in advance!
Average Day for 4th class cadet?
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eaglewings4031
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As a current 4-dig I might be of use to answer some of these questions.
1) When do you normally wake up? - That depends laargely on the day and squad. Typically you can expect to be up between 0530 and 0600 when you have to call minutes for a mandatory formation or breakfast. On days where minutes arent called, expect to be out of bed by 0700. Some squads may or may not let you sleep in past this time if you don't have a morning class but doors must be opened before morning inspection time.
2) Sleep? - TAPS is at 2300 on school nights. You can go to sleep earlier than that after Academic Call to Quarters (ACQ) by filling out an early rest card.
3) Minutes? - Short version, think human alarm clock with no snooze button. You wake up the upperclassmen by calling the time before a formation or meal, usually every 5 minutes, and give pertinent information for that day... don't want to spoil too much of the fun with this one but expect to get a good workout during this time
4) Training? - Again, largely depends on squadron training staff. We did typically 2 or 3 per week.
5) Classes and Homework - You will have off hours during the day. I cannot stress enough the importance of using this time to accomplish homework. You will always have something to study for (classes, military knowledge tests, staff lists etc.) You can't really do homework in class. The teachers expect you to focus on their class when in the classroom, however you can use your laptop in class to take notes. I highly suggest it and also suggest finding digital copies of your textbooks. They are usually much cheaper and it cuts down on the weight you have to lug around in your left hand!
Hope this was helpful and if you or anyone else has questions I'll try my best to answer them =)
Alpineskier
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eaglewings4031
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Ya same here but it seems that it was going to be out forever ago so it seems we never will
We saw a condensed version of it in a briefing this year. They did a really good job on it. The wait will be worth it.
Usafamom2016
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Books are not 'paid for'. The government pays for education, room and board, the rest is paid for by the cadets including hair cuts, uniforms, laundry, books, computer, etc. These items are taken out of your pay over the first year or two. Hence why a salary of nearly $1000 can net you around $100-200 in the beginning. After the first year or 2 most of this is paid off and your monthly income goes up. Many cadets are frugal, getting books from upper classmen or those who separate from the academy for whatever reason. This has been a good experience for DS to learn how to budget his money
Usafamom2016
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Like most colleges you can get them from anywhere but it is a matter of getting the right edition and in time for classes. There is little time after BCT to get your class schedule and order in time for the start of classes but after that it is easier
melindayching
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For the first year, it's best to try to get the books from the cadet store first, but there are many situations where they just don't have enough, in which case they order from Amazon. it is pretty crazy that in a place where they basically know who has to take what and when that they don't have enough books, but they don't. Second semester my C4C couldn't get all her books and the cadet store couldn't tell her when, or if, the books would come in, so she ordered from Amazon and got them pretty quickly. But she was stressing about it quite a bit.
'Average' Weekend?
Along with the average day information, can you give some insight into what the weekends are like? You hear a lot of different information from varied sources and of course many factors come into play with weekend options. However, one specific report our child found was that the academy can be a bit of a ghost town with most folks trying hard to get away...not a very 'fun to hang out', all for one, one for all type of weekend mentality.
Do you find this accurate or not so?
S
Along with the average day information, can you give some insight into what the weekends are like? You hear a lot of different information from varied sources and of course many factors come into play with weekend options. However, one specific report our child found was that the academy can be a bit of a ghost town with most folks trying hard to get away...not a very 'fun to hang out', all for one, one for all type of weekend mentality.
Do you find this accurate or not so?
S
Sponsor families ... the greatest people on the planet.
Some sponsor families are the greatest people on the planet. Others may have originally had good intentions but they are far from the greatest. I know of a few cadets do not have great sponsor families.
Luck of the draw.
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Yes, sponsor families are assigned although a family can ask for a specific cadet. We have family in the area who requested our DS. I don't know if a cadet can request another family if the first one doesn't work out. I have heard that cadets tag along with a squadron mate or friend to their sponsor's house if they don't care for/get along with their own sponsor family.
melindayching
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My daughter goes to several sponsor families, and she has never been to the one that was officially assigned to her. She has a couple of good friends with whom she accompanies to their sponsor families and she has a teammate who has hosted the entire team periodically, especially when the girls have to be around to work out when the rest of the cadet wing is dismissed. And she has who she now thinks of as her primary sponsor, who took us in during the Waldo Canyon fires, not knowing us but just knowing we were from her home state of Hawaii and needed some help. Now that doesn't mean that her original sponsor wasn't great; she just didn't need them, and they totally understand. Most sponsors host several cadets. My daughter loves to go to her sponsors on Sunday morning to do her laundry, take a long hot bath, take a long nap and eat some home cooking. She does a great deal of bonding with fellow C4Cs on Saturday night at A-Hall, eating pizza, bowling and doing some kind of ballroom dancing thing. But Sundays at her sponsors are the great respite from the grind. Your son will work it out...John 40157, isn't your son on the baseball team? If so, Coach Kaz will totally hook him up.
Sponsor
Hi
I spoke to Kaz the other day about how this works. I trust Kaz with my son and he knows I do not do this lightly. I know that he will help my son mature and grow as he mentors him on this new part of his life. I have great respect for the man and could not have a better role model for my DS.
Regards
John
Hi
I spoke to Kaz the other day about how this works. I trust Kaz with my son and he knows I do not do this lightly. I know that he will help my son mature and grow as he mentors him on this new part of his life. I have great respect for the man and could not have a better role model for my DS.
Regards
John