Sea Year
- Thread starter kpdad2023
- Start date
beyond
10-Year Member
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2010
- Messages
- 577
I think no one has the answer to this question except for a few folks in Wiley Hall because of the intent to switch to Quarters from Trimesters.
In the current system, Trimesters he'd be "A Split," which means on campus for all of plebe year, 1st & 3rdt tri 3/C year, 1st tri 2/C year, and all of 1/C year. I was an a-splitter and missed all of the major holidays 2/c and 3/c year, it wasn't really the end of the world to me or my parents, they were excited that I was seeing the world and haggling with line boatmen in the Suez. 1st tri ends Octoberish and 2nd Tri Begins February-Marchish, so out to sea 3/C year from October-March, 2/C year would be gone from October until July.
In the quarter system he would be gone 3rd and 4th quarter 2/C and 3/C year, so basically January-July.
The reason no one knows for sure about any of this is the move to quarters. The talk is transitioning to the quarter system next year (for the class that reports July of 2020). How that switch happens no one knows yet. Maybe they move the entire regiment to quarters, maybe they only move the freshmen and leave the rest of the regiment on Trimesters...? No one is exactly sure what it looks like, and I don't think the people in Wiley Hall have decided, because they don't have all the facts yet, there are a ton of moving parts.
My speculation; I think it is entirely possible that they will start the freshmen next year on quarters and leave the rest of the regiment on Trimesters, this would be a huge pain, having two different systems running concurrently. However, the class that starts this July will be ridding on the coast guard approval letter that spells out their curriculum being in trimesters, certain classes assessing certain STCW competencies etc. Getting all of the things done to satisfy all of the requirements at KP is rush, Captain Hall used to call it being on the highway, and once you get off it is very hard to get back on. Changing mid-curriculum would be like construction, which I don't think the curriculum has the flexibility to support. 180 Credits in 4 years is hard.
With all of that said, it is wayyyyy to early to be even dreaming about what first sailing may or may not look like. Maybe the football team has a great year (...stranger things have happened, but not many) and goes to the play offs so they keep the football players on campus until thanksgiving. Maybe your son fails calc and physics and then gets setback. Maybe he blows out knee and isn't cleared medically for sea, and becomes a C splitter. Maybe he happens to be between two ships first sailing and comes home for Christmas. Maybe he gets on a ship on a steady domestic run, and the captain lets him take a week off to go home for the holidays. Maybe he's on restriction plebe year and can't come home for Thanksgiving. Maybe he finds out about the waterfront and decides to not play the sport he was recruited for (I'm looking at you @Lynpar).
There are a TON of things that can happen between now and then, and your son will understand all of these issues once he is boots on the ground at KP. He'll know what applies to him and what he can expect.
Until then, have fun, enjoy senior year and the freedom that comes with it, stay healthy, worry about getting through calc and physics, and enjoy the ride! Sea Year will be here before you know it, but only worry about what you can control between now and then.
In the current system, Trimesters he'd be "A Split," which means on campus for all of plebe year, 1st & 3rdt tri 3/C year, 1st tri 2/C year, and all of 1/C year. I was an a-splitter and missed all of the major holidays 2/c and 3/c year, it wasn't really the end of the world to me or my parents, they were excited that I was seeing the world and haggling with line boatmen in the Suez. 1st tri ends Octoberish and 2nd Tri Begins February-Marchish, so out to sea 3/C year from October-March, 2/C year would be gone from October until July.
In the quarter system he would be gone 3rd and 4th quarter 2/C and 3/C year, so basically January-July.
The reason no one knows for sure about any of this is the move to quarters. The talk is transitioning to the quarter system next year (for the class that reports July of 2020). How that switch happens no one knows yet. Maybe they move the entire regiment to quarters, maybe they only move the freshmen and leave the rest of the regiment on Trimesters...? No one is exactly sure what it looks like, and I don't think the people in Wiley Hall have decided, because they don't have all the facts yet, there are a ton of moving parts.
My speculation; I think it is entirely possible that they will start the freshmen next year on quarters and leave the rest of the regiment on Trimesters, this would be a huge pain, having two different systems running concurrently. However, the class that starts this July will be ridding on the coast guard approval letter that spells out their curriculum being in trimesters, certain classes assessing certain STCW competencies etc. Getting all of the things done to satisfy all of the requirements at KP is rush, Captain Hall used to call it being on the highway, and once you get off it is very hard to get back on. Changing mid-curriculum would be like construction, which I don't think the curriculum has the flexibility to support. 180 Credits in 4 years is hard.
With all of that said, it is wayyyyy to early to be even dreaming about what first sailing may or may not look like. Maybe the football team has a great year (...stranger things have happened, but not many) and goes to the play offs so they keep the football players on campus until thanksgiving. Maybe your son fails calc and physics and then gets setback. Maybe he blows out knee and isn't cleared medically for sea, and becomes a C splitter. Maybe he happens to be between two ships first sailing and comes home for Christmas. Maybe he gets on a ship on a steady domestic run, and the captain lets him take a week off to go home for the holidays. Maybe he's on restriction plebe year and can't come home for Thanksgiving. Maybe he finds out about the waterfront and decides to not play the sport he was recruited for (I'm looking at you @Lynpar).
There are a TON of things that can happen between now and then, and your son will understand all of these issues once he is boots on the ground at KP. He'll know what applies to him and what he can expect.
Until then, have fun, enjoy senior year and the freedom that comes with it, stay healthy, worry about getting through calc and physics, and enjoy the ride! Sea Year will be here before you know it, but only worry about what you can control between now and then.
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2009
- Messages
- 1,457
No travel plan survives first contact with sea year. To add on to Beyond's post ...
Even once your son is on a ship, schedules can change. Things can break your ship, things can break on the ships in the port you are trying to get in to, weather can get in the way and port congestion can happen.
My first sea year I ended up delayed and didn't get back to school until three days after classes started. I expected to miss Thanksgiving but not Christmas and New Years.
Even once your son is on a ship, schedules can change. Things can break your ship, things can break on the ships in the port you are trying to get in to, weather can get in the way and port congestion can happen.
My first sea year I ended up delayed and didn't get back to school until three days after classes started. I expected to miss Thanksgiving but not Christmas and New Years.