Youngster class schedule. Holy Crap!

So true on the sanity. Gotta find the right outlet to keep it. Can't just skip liberty or all fun. It will end up hurting you more than helping if you can't keep your sanity. And so much more free time when not a Plebe. I rarely had a free period as my schedule had 7th period blocked for basketball. We had to be on the court at 3:45 ready to go. We also tried to make our "normal" travel days for conference blocked so we didn't miss class. And yes for anyone being recruited... read this. Throw in 3-4 hours of a sport to include practice time, weight room, film, time in the training keeping the body together and then back to studying.

I talked to a dad whose DD was cut from a sport as a plebe and he said after the initial shock wore off she thanked her lucky stars every day. Hats off to plebes who participate in a sport at USNA.

After 3 years my mid is still doing his sport but between that and a rigorous academic schedule, he admits that both
his athletic and academic standing have both likely suffered as a result of the demands of each other.

pleber16 said:

My guess is they haven't officially been released, but some midshipmen have found a back door way to find them. Happens every semester. They wouldn't be accessible from the "View Schedule" or whatever it was on MIDS, but they could be figured out from class section rosters.

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That's what my plebe said-there is a backdoor open that shows all of the schedules but he knows his could change. He has much the same as has been listed before but he is trying to decide whether or not to validate swimming. The swimming will be easy enough but the platform jump will be the challenge for him. Maybe he needs to trade favors-help others with their swimming and they can help him with his issues with heights.

pleber16 said:

My guess is they haven't officially been released, but some midshipmen have found a back door way to find them. Happens every semester. They wouldn't be accessible from the "View Schedule" or whatever it was on MIDS, but they could be figured out from class section rosters.

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Yep...my soon to be 2/c found them....all 22 hours of that physics major. I share in the amazement of it. Hell, I don't think I took a total of 22 hours worth of STEM classes in my whole life! (May of been closer to 15 if the truth be told)

As to the swimming, I can tell you My son's happiest day at the Academy was when he passed the final swimming test. Did it during Summer school so he could concentrate on it. I remember the day I got the text , "now I know I can graduate, just passed my swimming test!"

who would have thought with all those hard core classes that would be the one thing that worried him to death.

I depise heights. I hate them. I am terrified of them. Just stare straight ahead, walk forward and fall off the platform like I did. Don't hesitate, just go!

My grades definitely suffered due to sports. I wouldn't trade it though. The time management, life lessons and leadership I learned playing basketball was worth it. I would drop .5-1.0 on my QPR when the season started and it would increase when it ended. My professors were always baffled by that. Basketball is a special beast in its such a long season and covers Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Spring Breaks. Thank goodness for great sponsors and O reps who tried to help out by ensuring we didn't have to stay in the hall, got to enjoy home cooked meals and keep our sanity during those times.

DS and I have discussed the rigors of Academy life and everytime I show him a thread like this he says "That, that's what I want." I should record it for 2/C year and play it back. Lol

Save it for Jan 30th of Plebe Year. 2/C you are committed and know what is going on. Most are of age and can get in cars, go on weekends, and wear regular clothes. After a few weeks at home and going back to the dark ages when it will never seem to end was the roughest for me. Everyone has their days and weeks there, varies for everyone though.

NavyHoops said:

I depise heights. I hate them. I am terrified of them. Just stare straight ahead, walk forward and fall off the platform like I did. Don't hesitate, just

My grades definitely suffered due to sports. I wouldn't trade it though. The time management, life lessons and leadership I learned playing basketball was worth it. I would drop .5-1.0 on my QPR when the season started and it would increase when it ended. My professors were always baffled by that. Basketball is a special beast in its such a long season and covers Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Spring Breaks. Thank goodness for great sponsors and O reps who tried to help out by ensuring we didn't have to stay in the hall, got to enjoy home cooked meals and keep our sanity during those times.

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Congrats on playing BB in the Patriot league and graduating USNA.

DD passed on D3-D1 offers for SB. Looked at USMA but preferred USNA. She's planning on playing club ball at Navy which might be a reasonable level of commitment.

The plebes have picked their majors (or what they think they want.) What happens if during 3/c fall semester they really hate their choice? Can they switch majors? At PPW , I was talking to a EE major ( now a 1/C ) at the display booth because DS was thinking about majoring in EE. The 1/C said that EE for years has been considered one of the toughest majors and that usually only a small group (50-100 per year) choose it.

It can be done. It's easier to switch a major in the same group, Group 1 to another Group 1, especially the further they progress. There will be some 3/C who decide that engineering isn't for them and move to group 2 or 3. In the rare exception, a few Mids could be moved to general engineering or general science, but that usually doesn't happen except in extreme cases 2/C or even 1/C years and done by USNA (those majors are not selectable).

The sport thing at USNA is interesting. My DD has spent around 22+ hrs a week at her sport through the school year (note: 20hrs in practice per NCAA reg + travel; events; walk to practice; shower/change). Athletes do get some relief from Plebe activities, but according to DD "you get about 12mins reduction in duty for each hour of practice time". She still did most of the plebe stuff because she wants to be part of her company/platoon because thats her "other team".

So, a couple of months ago, I get a call from DD and she says she is so excited she can barely talk; "Dad I've found it! I've found what I want to study, and what I think I want to do with the next 10 years----maybe the next 30years". She went on to tell me about some discussions with her instructors and some "upper class mentors". Since then she has been steady in her vision of a career in the Navy and increasingly regrets missing opportunities to attend the "extra briefings/networking/Etc.". She has never studied much, (even as a Plebe she's had a relaxed attitude toward studying). Having decided her path, she figures she will need to sit at/near the top of her class to get the duty she wants----and she is just flat interested in the study opportunities available to her. She loves here sport,----really loves her sport, and her team, but she is wondering what to do next year.

You never want to see your kid leave a sport; its way too much fun to watch them compete and you hate to see them quit anything. That said, USNA is "Not College". These kids are in an acedemic competition every day, and they are in a very rich learning environment. What does a kid do when each hour of soccer practice is one less hour he has to study in a direct competition for seats in flight school? Or that hour of practice causes him to miss a guest speaker he really wanted to hear, (maybe even talk to in person)? I don't think kids leave NCAA teams at USNA because its "too hard" I'd bet that in most cases its because, (unlike "College"), the road into the future is so brightly lit in front of them and you can't be in two places at the same time.

Hoops, I wouldn't presume to give you a writing assignment, but I'd really like to get your thoughts on this. DD hasn't asked me for input, but I know she will be mulling this over during 1,2,3 blocks.

.

No problem Just Dad. Every Mid is different with sports. In my opinion most quit because they realize they aren't good enough or realize its a ton of effort to not see the field or even make a travel roster. USNA brings in alot of "recruits." They can vary in level of being recruited from blue chip status to I emailed the coach and they told to try out if I got in/walk-ons with hopes to making a team. With NAPS and direct admits you are talking big recruiting classes for the big sports like football and basketball. The attrition rates are big 50-75% for many sports. An appointee doesn't think they will be the guy to quit or walk away. They all think they are good enough to make it and get playing time. The football team usually starts 60-70 Plebes. Senior day is around 20-30. Of those we may have heard about half of their names called frequently as the others might not even be on the travel squad. That is alot of time to put into something and you don't even get to suit up for a game. NCAA rules used to limit to 25 hours a week (not sure what they are now) but that doesn't include training room time, locker room time, extra work or even game day travel. I would estimate if I was pushing through an injury and maybe in a shooting slump that could equal another 10 hours a week easily in rehab and trying to get myself out of a slump. As a basketball player we missed Thanksgiving, Christmas and Spring Break every year.

There are some Mids in your daughter's position who start to re-prioritize things. I obviously have no idea what is going on in her head, but from seeing others go through this it is usually one of a few items. 1) they lose the fire, 2) it just isn't fun anymore, 3) it becomes less of a priority than it used be or 4) they just don't want to do the grind anymore. Even if they are getting playing time and love the team, some just lose that burning passion that propelled them to that level. I saw it with a few team mates. As you know D1 sports are a business and very cut throat. This can lead to many athletes who just hate that aspect and lose that drive because it can feel like a business at times. For others they decide they want to focus on other things as they have become a higher priority. I am a huge believer in you make time for what you is important to you. It sounds like this passion she has developed for her future and to learn and prepare for it is a priority right now. I lived with all non-athletes my entire 4 years. All of them after about 2 months of living together all agreed that what "we got out of" compared to what put into our sport and all the things that went with that weren't even comparable. I missed out on things as an athlete... liberty, leave, time in the hall, class time, study time, etc. But I also gained a ton as an athlete. It all depends on priorities, passion, future. Not sure I answered the question or provided anything you didn't know, but I did write a novel!

Thank Hoops, I really appreciate a perspective I don't have. For DD I think I see the passions shifting more than anything else, and wanting more time to study towards a new career vision (a new priority). I think the other piece is how she feels about her team-mates (huge for her). I know that she wouldn't leave because its too hard, or becuase she wouldn't "see the field" (I've seen her address those hurdels before). She hasn't made up her mind on this at all, and I haven't been consulted (much). I will probablay watch from the bleachers on this one, but I know more than I did 5 mins ago.

PS: Missing Christmas, Thanks giving and Spring Break -------- Wow

Thanks again, (I knew you'd respond )

We also missed 25 days of class more than any other team one season. It's a long season. Thank goodness for O reps, ac advisors and the ability to sleep anywhere. Try taking out a navigation map out in a hotel lobby. You get some odd looks. I can remember playing in Colgate one year and driving back to Syracuse after the game. Arrived at hotel around 10 pm. 4 am wake up for a 6:30 am flight back to BWI. We got back to the yard around 9 am. The bus then made rounds to drop us off at our classes. Yeap, full day of class, then back on the court as we had a road game on Saturday (it was Thursday at this point). My room mate said it was awesome living with me as she essentially got to live alone. Christmas we usually got a whole 3 days off. Honestly the best part is the coaches have a black out period during finals they sort of can't touch us. We usually had a short Captain led practice where we got our legs moving, got some shots up and made sure we didn't get too rusty on those 4-5 days we got 'off'.

As bb O-Rep, I traveled with the team and can attest to the exhaustion, as well as respect for the books, notes and problem sets that came out on the long bus rides or in hotel rooms. In my case, it was get off the bus at 1 AM, walk to my quarters on Worden Field, and be back in Bancroft by 5:45 because of a conduct adjudication being squeezed in, meeting with Batt Commander, grading Ethics papers to hand back at 3rd period, and catching up with what went on during 2-3 days on the road before 7:30 daily meeting with DepDant and other BattOs. In general, trying to be even-keeled and competent while my eyelids craved being glued together. Of course, the military trains you to function despite feeling like crap, and I was known to take a combat nap on my gym towel with my office door locked for 15 minutes. Since I always posted my handwritten schedule outside my door on a small whiteboard with a dry-erase pen, the mids got a kick out of seeing that. Commonly called a nooner, JORP, SORP, FORP or GORP... (Junior Officer Rest Period, Senior Officer Rest Period...)

Many mids, including those recruited for NCAA sports, choose to drop their sport and sample club or intramurals, to give better balance and flexibility to their lives. They weigh the pros and cons and make an adult decision. The coaches are used to it.

One of the more interesting examples I watched was a USNA sponsor daughter, a volleyball recruit, who just got burned out after two years as a regular player then starter. As a History major who wanted to go subs, she knew she needed to really ace her STEM courses. After one semester off from her sport, she tried out as a walk-on for women's varsity track, and became a hurdler, making it to the traveling team and contributing for her last 3 semesters. She had been one of those all-around HS athletes. She confessed she missed the hard practices and challenge of Div I competition, saying she actually functioned better with a demanding regimen. No surprise, she is doing very well in her sub career after performing near the top of her class throughout the pipeline. She laughed and said she probably would have done a bit better there, but she decided to join a Tri Club and take up a new sport during her free time. I fully expect to see her on American Ninja Warrior one day.

metsycats said:

My family and friends are encouraging me to take the lightest load possible at school next fall (12-15 hours) in order for me to get good grades my first semester and to make it easier for me to transition to life at a senior military college... But my heart and brain are looking to resubmitting my naval academy app next december and I know I need to be taking 18-19 hours. Thoughts on this?

I don't think this will happen but concerning my USNA application,what will happens if I can't take calculus my first fall semester and have to take it in the spring?

Sorry to hi-jack the thread (just kidding, no I'm not) but as I'm simultaneously planning for my degree and reapplying to the academy, some insight from grads & parents who have gone through the college reappliation process would be helpful
Thank you in advance

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I think your question may get lost in this thread. You might want to either start a new thread or add to a thread about reapplying.

At most senior military colleges, there should be many sections of calculus, so you ought to be able to get into that class, unless you are having trouble placing into it and need to take a pre-calc first.

You don't need to overload in your first semester, but you also need to keep your eye on what will progress you towards graduation and degree completion, and also what is recommended by USNA for college applicants. If you are also looking at a Navy ROTC scholarship that could be used at your SMC, then you would also need to be getting through calculus, and later through physics.

For some majors, there isn't much flexibility in the first year courses. For example, at Virginia Tech, students who intend to complete engineering degrees (including Computer Science, which is in the College of Engineering) start as General Engineering majors with a slate of required courses. They can request a change of major after completing 24 required credits. I think they have 3 semesters to complete those courses.

ETA: You might see if your SMC has a summer program for new students. VMI and Virginia Tech have the option of attending a summer session and doing 1-2 courses before the beginning of the new cadet program. This lets students get familiar with the campus and also get some of their initial coursework done. Could be an option for you.