Do introverts do well at USNA?

navygal1776

navygal1776

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I'm just curious as to whether extroverts or introverts tend do better at the Naval Academy due to the lifestyle. Introverts are not anti-social, and they're completely capable of working in groups. However introverts tend to enjoy their alone time and need time to recharge from over-stimulating environments. I was wondering if introverts would do better in NROTC since it would allow them more freedom and time to themselves rather than having their schedules more regulated at an academy. Any information about this would help! Thanks!
 
Plenty of introverts do find at USNA. I happen to be one and knew plenty who thrived at USNA. The biggest thing is introverts learn how to find the space they need to recharge. Sometimes it's finding a spot to study alone and without anyone around, a jog by yourself, embracing when the room mates are out to relax, spending some time on the weekend going for hike. Every introvert at USNA figures out how to get the space they need and recharge. If someone is a total introvert, so deeply they can't work in teams at all, it would be a struggle, but so would ROTC. Most introverts at USNA do fine, they just need some alone time to recharge.
 
NavyHoops said:
Plenty of introverts do find at USNA. I happen to be one and knew plenty who thrived at USNA. The biggest thing is introverts learn how to find the space they need to recharge. Sometimes it's finding a spot to study alone and without anyone around, a jog by yourself, embracing when the room mates are out to relax, spending some time on the weekend going for hike. Every introvert at USNA figures out how to get the space they need and recharge. If someone is a total introvert, so deeply they can't work in teams at all, it would be a struggle, but so would ROTC. Most introverts at USNA do fine, they just need some alone time to recharge.
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Yes to all this.

Plebe Summer can be a bit hard, because it's a challenge to get some alone time to re-charge, but the rest of the year is not like PS. Like Hoops, I test as an introvert, and the Navy has plenty of them.

Visit and do Summer Seminar if possible to get a sense of things. Plebes and mids find all kinds of places around the Yard to get a few blessed monents of peace.

We sponsor mids, and we have quiet rooms set aside where a mid can go to just be alone. We get that.
 
I read somewhere that USNA actually studied this and found that introverts Tango out at a higher rate, but also make admiral at a higher rate so they were working on retention. Not sure what came of it.
 
This is a very old article on the subject of introverts at USNA. I think the key point is the USN recognizes that successful leaders come from a wide variety of personality backgrounds and the USN/A do their best to understand how to nurture those personalities into becoming successful officers.

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1998-08-16/news/1998228093_1_plebe-summer-introverts-naval-academy

I have no doubt there are more current studies and approaches USNA has conducted/tried, but the article I posted may have been posted here in the past.
 
Thanks for the link, Cerberi. I think Murf recently posted a few articles from the Baltimore Sun regarding Plebe Summer.
 
ktnatalk said:
Thanks for the link, Cerberi. I think Murf recently posted a few articles from the Baltimore Sun regarding Plebe Summer.
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MtS could have been the source for this one as well. When I read the OP I immediately knew there was at least one article posted about it, but wasn't sure if I read it here or on FB.
 
Don't worry. You will have a good mix of introverts, extroverts and everything in between.
 
My DS is on the low end of the introvert spectrum. I think that the regimented lifestyle of the service academy provides a level playing field for introverts. If you prove yourself to be a self disciplined tough hard worker, your company will respect you, regardless of whether you are a wallflower or the life of the party. Anywhere you go, there will always be the loud vivacious extroverts, but I believe they get more attention at a civilian college because the introvert have less opportunities to prove their worth..
 
I am EXTREMELY introverted but I absolutely loved USAFA. The structure and high expectations made it easy for me to get the alone time I needed because everyone was super busy with their own stuff, I just never studied in my room (library or empty classroom were my main choices) As for basic, it was hard but I was so busy worrying about all the other things going on (and completely exhausted) that I never had a chance to miss my time to myself (more than any other aspect of normal life that is)
 
I would regard myself as introverted, but did very well in the Army. One of the senior raters described me quite well on my OER with the phrase.... "quiet competence." I like that phrase b/c it shows he got that I wasn't loud, but that I got my stuff done at an extremely high level.
 
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