Q & A

GoArmy2022

USMA 2022
Joined
Oct 29, 2017
Messages
445
All,

Every once in a while, I like to host q & a sessions to make sure everyone has answers. After all, that’s what this site is for.

I am just about finishing up my Plebe year with half a semester remaining.

I will answer questions about things I have experienced so far or share unclassified inside knowledge regarding admissions, beast, Plebe year, etc.

Best,

MS
 
All,

Every once in a while, I like to host q & a sessions to make sure everyone has answers. After all, that’s what this site is for.

I am just about finishing up my Plebe year with half a semester remaining.

I will answer questions about things I have experienced so far or share unclassified inside knowledge regarding admissions, beast, Plebe year, etc.

Best,

MS

Did you attend SLE? If so, did it help you choose USMA?
 
Did you attend SLE? If so, did it help you choose USMA?

I did not go to SLE, and I actually don’t really believe in it. I see it as more of a recruiting tool; I think your best bet is to visit during the AY as a cadet candidate. That’s just me though.
 
How much and what type of running/training did you do to prepare for Beast. What would you change ?

I thought I did less training than just about everybody else but it turned out that I had done a lot more in regards to Beast-specific training.

I began training for Beast two years before it started. Running is important; I was glad I never fell out of one because there are formation runs and it is highly embarrassing to be a cadet that can’t keep up with the pack. Practice push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, and specifically distance running. When you show up to USMA you should be able to max every area of the CFA (except for the basketball throw because I still think it’s stupid; my beast roommate was a rifle team recruit and had never played a throwing sport—allegedly she passed her basketball throw but only lopped a live grenade about 5 meters, which, by the way, is the kill radius).

If you do these things it’ll set you up for success. Recommend sub-15:30 2-mile regardless of gender, 60 push-ups, at least 6-pull-ups, and 80 sit-ups.
 
What are your favorite things to do on weekends?

Plebe weekends are a little dreary, especially during the dreaded “gray period.” But there are cool things to do on the weekend! There is a theater in Mahan hall that plays the latest films. You do have to pay admission but it is fun to go watch a movie with your friends—I saw spider-man with mine and it was a great experience. You can also order food, watch movies in your room, go watch lots of different athletic events, etc.

That’s assuming there’s no mandatory training that weekend because sometimes we have weekends with training Friday evening and Saturday morning.
 
How often are you able to contact home? Is there any restriction on communications with family/friends when not in class/training?
 
What’s the hardest class for you personally? And how is/was Chemistry if you have taken it?
 
How often are you able to contact home? Is there any restriction on communications with family/friends when not in class/training?

During beast, your cadre are literally required to give you phone calls. It is not optional for them. During first detail, you’ll get a 10 minute call somewhere around the week-and-a-half point. Then during the ice cream social you can talk to them for as long as you’re at a sponsor’s house. At the four-and-a-half-week point your new cadre should be giving you your second 10 min call.

Bring your phone to R-day and give it to your cadre. While they can’t be held legally/fiscally accountable if anything happens to it, these cases are rare and if you do this you will get your phone back immediately following whatever wild initiation gauntlet your company has planned for you.

Then you can call your family, go on social media if you like that stuff, etc. And you have the phone back till ranger school. Hooah.
 
What’s the hardest class for you personally? And how is/was Chemistry if you have taken it?

I’m actually glad somebody asked this because I think I might be one of the cadets best-suited to answer this question. The reason why I say that is because I have a history of struggling with academics, graduating high school with a relatively low unweighted GPA (it was below a 3.0). At West Point this has not been much different, though luckily I am not low in my class. It’s a matter of hard work.

Before I go into which classes were hard for me, I’ll share a fun fact with you.

The most failed class at West Point is Military movement.

Luckily I passed this class first semester, but many people in my class failed and we had cadets in my class from the class of 2021 and even one cadet from 2020. Train before you get here and try hard to learn and it won’t be an issue. It’s pretty much just gymnastics and the obstacle course.

I was also worried about Chemistry but let me tell you it’s not that bad. I got a C+ which isn’t the best grade ever, but I never encountered a period of time during which I was failing the class. I did need to come in and get a good amount of AI (additional instruction), though.

Be more concerned about Physics. Compared to Chemistry, Physics is a more difficult course even though Chem is really just applied Physics. Physics is the second most failed course at USMA right after mil move.
 
Thank you for doing this, especially with what I am sure is limited time.
Thinking back to pre SA mindset, what parts of your first year were easier than you expected and what parts were surprisingly hard?

Good luck in the rest of your AY!
 
Did you receive any "high zeros" in military movement? Ha. DPE loved giving those out back in the day. In all honesty though, DPE is no joke and the courses are very hard and people to fail them.
 
Did you receive any "high zeros" in military movement? Ha. DPE loved giving those out back in the day. In all honesty though, DPE is no joke and the courses are very hard and people to fail them.

Yup. Took me a while to get that grapevine rope down! Instructor patted me on the back, said “zero, but high, cadet ____, keep working on it!” and we were both smiling the whole time. DPE is rather unpopular between cadets but I personally like them.
 
Thank you for doing this, especially with what I am sure is limited time.
Thinking back to pre SA mindset, what parts of your first year were easier than you expected and what parts were surprisingly hard?

Good luck in the rest of your AY!

You’re welcome!

I really enjoy helping people with whatever perspective I can offer, especially because I’m on the inside now and feel like I could have used this help a while ago.

As for what’s easier, physical tests. I expected the APFT/DPE classes/sports to be harder than they are. Na. Rucking sucks though so be ready for that.

The harder things? I know you probably think I’m pretty squared away because I’m helping the other cadets here, but I got myself into a lot of the administrative issues here and have walked lots of hours/got into a ton of trouble. That was hard, but as long as you’re honest and do the right thing it all turns out okay in the end. I strongly believe that even though it was harder for me to take the course of action I did that it was the proper course. Thus I accept whatever admin may do about it.

Doing the right thing can be hard, hard, hard here. With all of the technicalities and little things, especially as a Plebe because you are so limited, you may encounter someone trying to prohibit you from doing what’s right. I don’t care if they’re your superior. Do not let them.
 
I really enjoy helping people with whatever perspective I can offer,

Doing the right thing can be hard, hard, hard here. With all of the technicalities and little things, especially as a Plebe because you are so limited, you may encounter someone trying to prohibit you from doing what’s right.

These are the things that will make you a great leader.
 
During beast, your cadre are literally required to give you phone calls. It is not optional for them. During first detail, you’ll get a 10 minute call somewhere around the week-and-a-half point. Then during the ice cream social you can talk to them for as long as you’re at a sponsor’s house. At the four-and-a-half-week point your new cadre should be giving you your second 10 min call.

Bring your phone to R-day and give it to your cadre. While they can’t be held legally/fiscally accountable if anything happens to it, these cases are rare and if you do this you will get your phone back immediately following whatever wild initiation gauntlet your company has planned for you.

Then you can call your family, go on social media if you like that stuff, etc. And you have the phone back till ranger school. Hooah.

So you can get some access to your phone during Beast?! Wow. I thought you were cut off the whole time.
 
You do not see your phone from R-day until A-Day. Your first phone call will be from Cadre's phone and second from your sponsor's phone at the ice cream social..
 
All,

Every once in a while, I like to host q & a sessions to make sure everyone has answers. After all, that’s what this site is for.

I am just about finishing up my Plebe year with half a semester remaining.

I will answer questions about things I have experienced so far or share unclassified inside knowledge regarding admissions, beast, Plebe year, etc.

Best,

MS

On R day, what are the top items YOU felt were necessary to have packed ( most useful )?
 
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