ACCEPTANCE TO NAPS

Also met mine since she was working Veterans Affairs Assistant on work study program and I was Veteran. Ain't the Government great. Forty One and counting. DD met her own at TBS. Strange things do happen. Happy the Plebe that has a NAPS roommate.
 
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Congratulations! My daughter is at NAPS now and I can see how she has changed from a fun outgoing young lady to a passionless person.
 
I happen to know Newport quite well. My bride and I meet there 30 years ago when she was at S. Regina University. We live within 40 min. and go there often. From Providence to Mystic there is a lot to do and see.

I have seen the NAP’s kids at TF Green when I pick up my son when he flys in and out. Looking at them you can clearly see that the foundation year prepares them well. Congratulations!
 
Trackgirl, I am sorry to hear that. I guess a few things jump to mind. It takes some longer than others to adapt to the new environment. Or is USNA the right place for her? Only she knows all these answers. Although I never attended NAPS I have spent some time around there. It is a unique beast and it is not USNA. If USNA is where she wants to be and become an officer, then stay the course. USNA is a much bigger environment with many more women also. If USNA is where she wants to be, then she will be well prepared for it.
 
Trackgirl1999 said:
Congratulations! My daughter is at NAPS now and I can see how she has changed from a fun outgoing young lady to a passionless person.
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Ditto NavyHoops.

It can be hard going at NAPS, and if she is home now for the holidays, the prospect of going back to the grind, in the dark and cold of the bitter wind whistling off Narragansett Bay, visiting with friends from HS who are living “the good life” at State U, still too early to know if she’ll get into USNA - well, it’s a tipping point. If she really wants to serve as a Navy or Marine Officer via USNA, then she holds every card in her hand to get herself there.

USNA believed in her enough to essentially save her a seat in the class and give her an extra lick and polish to ensure she succeeds. NAPSters do very well at USNA - they have dealt with being away from home, lived in a military environment and learned about about routines, culture and language, gained a ready-made set of friends and much more.

I am guessing track might be her sport. Time to break out the sports psychology, dig deep, envision the joy of gaining an appointment, then, 4 more years of grind alongside her classmates, then she can be one of those tossing her cover in the air with relief, pride and excitement on her Commissioning Day. She will have done what she set out to do.

These challenges will test her ability to manage stress and her own mood and her self-discipline.

I am fond of recommending some lectures by VADM James Stockdake, who got himself through his time as a Vietnam POW by focusing on what he could actually control and keeping himself focused on one thing - surviving. I heard him speak several times, and the transcripts of his lectures are very readable.

https://www.usna.edu/Ethics/_files/documents/stoicism1.pdf

https://www.usna.edu/Ethics/_files/documents/Stoicism2.pdf

If your daughter wants to be a warrior, this is her path - it’s hard, not at all like a recruiting video, and nothing like what her friends are doing.

I hope she finds her happy self again, embraces the suck and becomes determinedly cheerful. And fierce!
 
Trackgirl1999 said:
she has changed from a fun outgoing young lady to a passionless person
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+1 Hoops and CAPT MJ -- NAPS can be tough...I almost failed out, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Your daughter will find her passion. There is nothing better than NAPS graduation, except graduating USNA, and leaving Newport /Annapolis in the rear view mirror that first time -but both are a whole lot better after you've been gone awhile.

Also keep in mind, the first semester away from home, whether it be NAPS, USNA or a "normal" college is a time of change for all kids. I've had two daughters attend and graduate from college, and recall that first Christmas break can be trying for all involved. Focus on the positive, love your kids, and send them back with positive vibes -- going back to Newport this time of year can be really depressing.
 
Newport in the Winter can be a cold and dreary place. I think it is five degrees this morning.
 
Yip right around 5 this morning but so much warmer than yesterday with the wind chill at -3. For adults a trip to the Brick Alley Pub for an Irish coffee would be helpful.
 
Many a time I rode my bike out past the New York Yacht Club and Coast Guard Station to Bretons Reef and Park and back past the Mansions to Salve. The Cliff Walk and kite flying at Breton Park was always great with the kids.
 
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