Ask a Mid!

USNA2022_Mom said:

@Usnavy2019, thank you for starting this thread, and also for your willingness to help. We just visited USNA last week, and my son (who received an appointment but was undecided) accepted the offer right away after CVW. He's super enthusiastic about this journey, and he understands it is going to be challenging.

My question is about mentorship/counseling if there's such a thing, and I don't mean just for academics or career planning, which are of course crucial. I want to know if there is someone at the Academy that he can talk to in case he's feeling down or lost. Is it mostly an upperclass midshipman in his company that he would reach out to, or is there a center at USNA similar to what other universities have? May be I'm just being a worrisome parent, because really, what else would I do until June 28?

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For USNA2022_Mom: I'm a current plebe and I can try to chime in my experiences as well.

At USNA we have the MDC (Midshipmen Development Center). This center serves many purposes and is available for walk-ins or appointments. I know a few of my friends who go for different issues. Everything from traumatic experiences they are still dealing with pre-USNA to depression to just wanting to have someone to talk to. MDC is here for all midshipmen. They also provide nutrition plans for anyone interested. I have never visited myself (other than to use the free massage chairs!), but I have heard all great things.

I think it is a great resource to go to for anyone feeling down on themselves. Ultimately, no one here wants to see you fail. If you reach out to an upperclass or a fellow plebe, someone will help. This place is full of people who care and you just need to learn who to go to.

The Midshipmen Development Center is great. Chaplains are also an incredible resource, whether you're religious or not.

The Chaplain is someone to talk to.

Navyboy17 said:

USNA2022_Mom said:

@Usnavy2019,

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For USNA2022_Mom: I'm a current plebe and I can try to chime in my experiences as well.

At USNA we have the MDC (Midshipmen Development Center). This center serves many purposes and is available for walk-ins or appointments. I know a few of my friends who go for different issues. Everything from traumatic experiences they are still dealing with pre-USNA to depression to just wanting to have someone to talk to. MDC is here for all midshipmen. They also provide nutrition plans for anyone interested. I have never visited myself (other than to use the free massage chairs!), but I have heard all great things.

I think it is a great resource to go to for anyone feeling down on themselves. Ultimately, no one here wants to see you fail. If you reach out to an upperclass or a fellow plebe, someone will help. This place is full of people who care and you just need to learn who to go to.

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Thank you! That is good to know.

Navyboy17 said:

USNA2022_Mom said:

@Usnavy2019, thank you for starting this thread, and also for your willingness to help. We just visited USNA last week, and my son (who received an appointment but was undecided) accepted the offer right away after CVW. He's super enthusiastic about this journey, and he understands it is going to be challenging.

My question is about mentorship/counseling if there's such a thing, and I don't mean just for academics or career planning, which are of course crucial. I want to know if there is someone at the Academy that he can talk to in case he's feeling down or lost. Is it mostly an upperclass midshipman in his company that he would reach out to, or is there a center at USNA similar to what other universities have? May be I'm just being a worrisome parent, because really, what else would I do until June 28?

Click to expand...

For USNA2022_Mom: I'm a current plebe and I can try to chime in my experiences as well.

At USNA we have the MDC (Midshipmen Development Center). This center serves many purposes and is available for walk-ins or appointments. I know a few of my friends who go for different issues. Everything from traumatic experiences they are still dealing with pre-USNA to depression to just wanting to have someone to talk to. MDC is here for all midshipmen. They also provide nutrition plans for anyone interested. I have never visited myself (other than to use the free massage chairs!), but I have heard all great things.

I think it is a great resource to go to for anyone feeling down on themselves. Ultimately, no one here wants to see you fail. If you reach out to an upperclass or a fellow plebe, someone will help. This place is full of people who care and you just need to learn who to go to.

Click to expand...

Isn't there a negative stigma as far as talking with someone, especially regarding depression, while in the service/at the academy? I read on a thread a few months ago that a mid was separated in regards to something they had talked about with someone at the Academy, and he was due for graduation in a few months. Is the idea that talking to someone while feeling depressed will lead to a separation just a myth? I assume many people have been under that impression, and felt like they were being left in the dark... Thank you for the input.

Dylan7130 said:

Navyboy17 said:

USNA2022_Mom said:

@Usnavy2019, thank you for starting this thread, and also for your willingness to help. We just visited USNA last week, and my son (who received an appointment but was undecided) accepted the offer right away after CVW. He's super enthusiastic about this journey, and he understands it is going to be challenging.

My question is about mentorship/counseling if there's such a thing, and I don't mean just for academics or career planning, which are of course crucial. I want to know if there is someone at the Academy that he can talk to in case he's feeling down or lost. Is it mostly an upperclass midshipman in his company that he would reach out to, or is there a center at USNA similar to what other universities have? May be I'm just being a worrisome parent, because really, what else would I do until June 28?

Click to expand...

For USNA2022_Mom: I'm a current plebe and I can try to chime in my experiences as well.

At USNA we have the MDC (Midshipmen Development Center). This center serves many purposes and is available for walk-ins or appointments. I know a few of my friends who go for different issues. Everything from traumatic experiences they are still dealing with pre-USNA to depression to just wanting to have someone to talk to. MDC is here for all midshipmen. They also provide nutrition plans for anyone interested. I have never visited myself (other than to use the free massage chairs!), but I have heard all great things.

I think it is a great resource to go to for anyone feeling down on themselves. Ultimately, no one here wants to see you fail. If you reach out to an upperclass or a fellow plebe, someone will help. This place is full of people who care and you just need to learn who to go to.

Click to expand...

Isn't there a negative stigma as far as talking with someone, especially regarding depression, while in the service/at the academy? I read on a thread a few months ago that a mid was separated in regards to something they had talked about with someone at the Academy, and he was due for graduation in a few months. Is the idea that talking to someone while feeling depressed will lead to a separation just a myth? I assume many people have been under that impression, and felt like they were being left in the dark... Thank you for the input.

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Absolutely not! The culture in the military has definitely changed for the better regarding depression. There are multiple mental health resources available to you and you are encouraged to seek them out when you need to. USNA takes an emotional toll on you regardless on who you are. Some people talk with their buddies about rough stuff, some do the Midshipman Development Center, some do the Chaplains, some do all. On the topic of getting separated for depression, what most likely happened is that the midshipman in question most likely was dependent on anti-depressants. Not like they were addicted to them, but he/she couldn't function normally without taking them. There are too many liabilities with something like that. Also, taking medication for depression is disqualifying in some communities such as Aviation.

FeartheGoat22 said:

Hi, I'm one of the upcoming plebes for this year. I've found loads of advice for this summer, but almost none for plebe academic year. What advice would you give for it?

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There's an SOP during Plebe Summer. In other words, there's only so much the Detailers can do to you punishment wise during Plebe Summer. Those restrictions get lifted during the Ac Year. It's not super bad, but there will be some annoying punishments you'll have to deal with. Academics wise, hit the ground running and start off on the right foot. It is a whole lot easier to start well and maintain your grade than to dig yourself out of a hole. Chem and Calc are killers to most Plebes. If you're good at either, help your classmates out. It's part of being a good dude/dudette. Being a good mid is mostly being a good person, being helpful, and being decent at the military stuff. Also, you will have to task shed to some degree. You WILL NOT have enough time to do all your plebe stuff, read/study/do homework for all of your classes, work out, etc., etc. in one day. This will teach you to prioritize the most important stuff. If you're good at history and have a quiz, but also have a calc quiz and you're not doing so well, study for calc and take the hit in history.

Professionally, if you have a career that you're interested in, set up a meeting or two with an officer in your desired career. All the officers here love talking about their job.

Physically, work out on the regular. You work out with your company mates during the mornings as a Plebe, but hit the gym, go on a run, make fitness a habit because every year there are people who get out of shape as upperclass because they aren't forced to workout anymore. It would really suck to not be able to spend a night away from the Academy for a semester for failing a PRT.

Lastly, it's on you to manage your schedule and show up to where you need to be and what uniform to be in. Also, it's on you to follow the syllabus in your classes. Your profs aren't going to remind you that you have homework.

I'm going to try and walk on to the Hockey team this year. How am I supposed to get my pads there? I'm a goalie, so there's a lot to lug around and it all weighs ~40 pounds, not to mention, it's all oddly shaped.

ngordo said:

I'm going to try and walk on to the Hockey team this year. How am I supposed to get my pads there? I'm a goalie, so there's a lot to lug around and it all weighs ~40 pounds, not to mention, it's all oddly shaped.

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Are your parents coming out for PPW? That’s going to be your best bet. By that time you’ll be familiar with the hockey facilities and upper class/grads from the team who can help out getting them into the locker room or storage until the ac year starts.

They don’t lay down the ice until the end of the summer, so you won’t need them before then.

pleber16 said:

ngordo said:

I'm going to try and walk on to the Hockey team this year. How am I supposed to get my pads there? I'm a goalie, so there's a lot to lug around and it all weighs ~40 pounds, not to mention, it's all oddly shaped.

Click to expand...

Are your parents coming out for PPW? That’s going to be your best bet. By that time you’ll be familiar with the hockey facilities and upper class/grads from the team who can help out getting them into the locker room or storage until the ac year starts.

They don’t lay down the ice until the end of the summer, so you won’t need them before then.

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Thanks! They are in fact coming for PPW.

Old Navy BGO said:

Pallen92X.... your dolly schtick is getting old. I'm all in favor of good natured rivalry between Service Academy's, and will admit, I don't like the dollys, but I don't see anything in your profile that suggests that you are a grad or cadet, or even offered an appointment to West Point or any other Service Academy. There is an unspoken rule among veterans -- you can crack on the other Services as much as you once, but woe betide any outsider (non-veteran) who disparages any service. I would suggest that sentiment applies to Service Academy rivalry as well.

If you are a Service Academy grad or cadet, you have earned the right to crack on other Service Academies, but keep in mind there are limits. I often counsel my Candidates that inter-service rivalry is a good thing, but keep in mind we are all on the same team (except for one afternoon in December each year when Navy gets to beat up on Army!)

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For the record, yes, I was admitted to USMA and plan on joining the c/o 2022.

Yes, even at my age, I do know the limits to these inter-service rivalries. It would be in extremely poor taste to mention any incidents where death/injury or national attention occurred (ie. ships colliding, getting lost in Iranian territory, etc).

To someone who has grown up learning about the Army and where we stand in global defense, I just find the concept of toting dollies to be ridiculous. Admittedly, I must confess that my behavior is not necessarily driven by the Army-Navy rivalry as I am not yet a cadet. It's really about my perception of what's tough (notice I didn't say masculine) versus weak/feeble. By the way, there is no gender-affect being mentioned there. My future service branch had females graduate U.S. Army Ranger School, one of the toughest military schools out there. I am very proud of them all...female, male...all races/religions, & LGBT!

Seriously, what would a group of Marine Corp Drill or Navy BUD/S Instructors say about the dollies???...and I don't care if you say they are "walking expeditiously" with them.

Point taken...No more dolly cracks from me...

pallen92x said:

For the record, yes, I was admitted to USMA and plan on joining the c/o 2022.

Yes, even at my age, I do know the limits to these inter-service rivalries. It would be in extremely poor taste to mention any incidents where death/injury or national attention occurred (ie. ships colliding, getting lost in Iranian territory, etc).

To someone who has grown up learning about the Army and where we stand in global defense, I just find the concept of toting dollies to be ridiculous. Admittedly, I must confess that my behavior is not necessarily driven by the Army-Navy rivalry as I am not yet a cadet. It's really about my perception of what's tough (notice I didn't say masculine) versus weak/feeble. By the way, there is no gender-affect being mentioned there. My future service branch had females graduate U.S. Army Ranger School, one of the toughest military schools out there. I am very proud of them all...female, male...all races/religions, & LGBT!

Seriously, what would a group of Marine Corp Drill or Navy BUD/S Instructors say about the dollies???...and I don't care if you say they are "walking expeditiously" with them.

Point taken...No more dolly cracks from me...

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Lol, your only a candidate? Go worry about getting through Beast before you start to try to get in on the Army-Navy rivalry.

P.S. please don't smash your fellow plebes in the head with a kevlar stuffed in a pillow case. Army seems to have a problem with that.

pallen92x said:

I just find the concept of toting dollies to be ridiculous.

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-- Trust me, I get it... I will be the first to give a Class of '21 graduate a hard time about the dollys. However, it will be good natured, because I know the poor members of the Class had no say in the matter. I've heard the explanation (I think its on this forum somewhere), and frankly, it was probably the right answer to a problem that didn't exist. If you serve in the military long enough, you will find that well meaning staff officers often create and solve their own problems. Personally, I would have used the situation as a learning tool and left it to the Midshipmen to see how they could get 1200 plebes from Point A to Point B with all their issued gear as efficiently as possible. However, someone with a lot more information and authority than me felt that efficiency was more important than learning teamwork or preserving public appearances.

pallen92x said:

It's really about my perception of what's tough (notice I didn't say masculine) versus weak/feeble

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I remember when I was young, and thought that being tough meant being to run fast, lift weights, and endure pain. With age comes wisdom, and realization that working smarter and using available resources is a heck of a lot smarter than brute force. Don't think for a moment that Army is tougher than Navy, or Navy is soft. I respect the hell out of the Army troops sitting in outposts on a mountain in Afghanistan, but you should also recognize the "toughness" necessary to land an aircraft on a pitching carrier deck, driving a nuclear submarine into Russian territorial waters, or running a destroyer into the Black Sea. All of services (even Air Force!) earn their keep, and have their own brand of toughness. It is the mutual respect that the Services have for each other that leads to the rivalry that can be so much fun...when done right.

pallen92x said:

I was admitted to USMA and plan on joining the c/o 2022.

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Congratulations and best of luck to you. May you always sing first. BEAT ARMY !

PS -- If you are creative, you should develop a jody (chant used to keep cadence when marching or running in formation) incorporating the dolly thing...might be popular at West Point. It will be particularly special when you run your PT wearing the neon yellow PT belts, which in my opinion are a hell of a lot worse than the one time use of the dolly at USNA.

Old Navy BGO said:

I've heard the explanation (I think its on this forum somewhere), and frankly, it was probably the right answer to a problem that didn't exist. If you serve in the military long enough, you will find that well meaning staff officers often create and solve their own problems.

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We have all these dollies and they MUST be put to good use!!! America's tax payers demand it!

I have been lifting weights for years now and have a pretty strict routine.. I know plebe summer is exhausting and all, but I doubt it will be the type of stuff done in an actual gym. I’m just wondering if there’s any way I can still lift regularly during plebe summer, because I would very much prefer to not stop for 6 weeks this summer. Thanks!

You won’t have time nor a gym available to lift during Plebe Summer. Every waking moment is planned for you. The only exception are some sports teams such as football will get some lifts in during sport period.

Stud_muffin722 said:

I have been lifting weights for years now and have a pretty strict routine.. I know plebe summer is exhausting and all, but I doubt it will be the type of stuff done in an actual gym. I’m just wondering if there’s any way I can still lift regularly during plebe summer, because I would very much prefer to not stop for 6 weeks this summer. Thanks!

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One of your first skills as a military member is to roll with the punches and be adaptive. I don’t believe you’ll get any time to independently go to the gym during PS, but I’m sure a current mid or recent grad will comment.

You’ll be using other muscles this summer, so I hope you are running daily, on hard surfaces, building up the ability to fend off shin splints and increasing stamina.

Once ac year starts, if a lifting routine is important to you, you will figure out how to wedge it in.

There will also be many times during your career where the circumstances aren’t conducive to certain routines. That’s why I mentioned being adaptive.

Navy SEALs use pliometric bodyweight exercises to stay in shape and keep muscle strength, no gyms to hand. Adaptive is their middle name. There are any number of websites on these. I use some of these exercises when I travel, when the hotel gym is poorly equipped.
http://www.stack.com/a/no-excuses-bodyweight-workout

Stud_muffin722 said:

I have been lifting weights for years now and have a pretty strict routine.. I know plebe summer is exhausting and all, but I doubt it will be the type of stuff done in an actual gym. I’m just wondering if there’s any way I can still lift regularly during plebe summer, because I would very much prefer to not stop for 6 weeks this summer. Thanks!

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As said above, plebe summer will give you no time to lift. You will be working out consistently, though. Personally, I valued weight lifting immensely before USNA, but following plebe summer's incorporation of body weight workouts, I have adapted my workouts to mainly utilize body weight. A lot of the interesting plebe summer "punishments" have become solid workouts for me during the ac year.

A side note: don't be that guy who complains about how plebe summer is "easy." Some people naturally crush plebe summer, but you need to know that not all of your classmates will be cruising. Some will struggle. If you are succeeding, slow down and help them along, in whatever it may be. My plebe summer consisted of a classmate who was a PT stud, but constantly complained about how he "was falling out of shape because his personal workouts were much more difficult." DON'T BE THAT GUY.

Navyboy17 said:

Some people naturally crush plebe summer, but you need to know that not all of your classmates will be cruising. Some will struggle. If you are succeeding, slow down and help them along, in whatever it may be.

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Great advice.. Many Midshipmen were the Big Man (Woman) on Campus in high school, competitive and used to winning. That's a good attribute, and there is certainly a time and place for competition during Plebe Summer (particularly with respect to inter-platoon/company). However, be careful when it comes to showing up your Company-mates. DON'T BILGE YOUR CLASSMATE. There is no prize for winning Plebe Summer

Sure, some people are going to adapt quicker, or perhaps they come from NAPS or the Fleet. Detailers are pretty good at identifying the guy/gal who is cruising, and will create additional stress to even the field a little.

Old Navy BGO said:

Personally, I would have used the situation as a learning tool and left it to the Midshipmen to see how they could get 1200 plebes from Point A to Point B with all their issued gear as efficiently as possible.

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FWIW, IDay is already like hearding cats to begin with. As I’m sure you know, there are about a million things that need to get done between that first plebe arriving and the swearing in ceremony. It’s already simply organized chaos. Heck, I got lost in Bancroft on IDay because a detailer figured I could get back into our company area on my own.

That learning tool you describe does actually exist, but at the end of the summer when all the plebes move from plebe spaces to their new companies. And by then they’ve acquired significantly more than the single bag worth of gear.