Research prior posts - lots of details. Overall - come in fit, and mentally resolved that you will not quit - no matter how tired you are, no matter how you were at a breaking point six hours ago, and you have six hours ahead of you before lights out. Be ready to learn, be ready to work with others in a team to complete a high number of tasks. Be ready to memorize and recite. Be as prepared as you can to not stick out for anything but top performance. It's a grind, with long days and nights. Look up Great lakes boot camp videos on youtube to get a sense of what you will walk into - starting on minute one. Be ready to deal with mental and at times physical exhaustion. Do not come in overconfident - that in early years of the program seemed to be a top killer of participants. If you're among the candidates who know they've let their physical condition lapse since taking the PRT / maybe finishing up a fall sport, do not wait until April to get it in high gear - start now. Each year (the ceremonies are public/ posted) you see a number of terribly out of shape persons who probably fudged the PRT scores struggle, some of which do not make it- the others have a lot of individualized attention on them and again, you don't want to stand out unless it's for outstanding performance. Don't start out with that disadvantage. Keep your mouth shut unless directed to not do so - again in speaking with medics and NROTC Mids who returned as leaders there are people who just feel the need to pushback when getting "instruction" and it doesn't go well. Follow the packing list and instructions for how to bring funds with you to the letter. ensure your bloodwork, medical information is processed long before it is needed. Bring a backup copy of that too.
Learning them at NSI is part of the experience. In some sense you will lose something by knowing too much before you go in.
I already know my 11 Orders to the Sentry, Armed Drill Manual, how to pass an inspection etc . Not because I studied it independently, but it was required of me as I was in JROTC. So should I for lack of better words, "forget" all that or otherwise pretend to not know any of it so as not to appear as a show off?
You can simultaneously best prepare yourself but also not be a show off... I'd definitely be buying reef points early if I went to USNA, why not go in ready to lead?
That was my thought process. I figured most MCs would be studying the basic stuff, just like they are preparing for PT... At least that was what seemed most prudent to me. My intention was to use all my experience to help the other MCs out, because Lord knows that its a pain in the butt to memoerize all that stuff in such a short period of time.
Being prepared is good, but don't over prepare. You might have previous experience, but do you have previous experience in completing the tasks how the MI's want you to do it? You might think you do, but you could be wrong. NSI is not about you having a opportunity to lead. You are there to learn how to follow. Often in stressful situations. You can learn all you want to before NSI, but be prepared to unlearn alot of it if the MI's tell you different. As said before...be a good teammate and just get through it. NSI will be life changing for most MC's at the time, but in the grand scheme of your future career, it is a very small stepping stone.
Others nicely responded that you can be well prepared without being a showoff. I will share that in the beginning iterations of NSI, there were a number of candidates who were prior top dogs at JROTC, with medals and ribbons out the wazoo, sky-high confidence, who walked around like they were already Rear Admirals/destined to be one soon, and these candidates DOR'd/ quit because they came in overconfident they were better prepared than the average participant. Some of their parents proudly put up their pictures in a facebook group, showing them with 15 medals etc. One of the Mom's from the SE. who's DS dropped by the way within a week of this comment btw, shared with my wife that she'll be praying for our son to get through (knock knock, who's there? Arrogance, that's who). All JROTC parents seemed to be expecting with a certainty that their young adults would dominate NSI/ NROTC. This is not a sprint, but a marathon over approx 3 weeks that few been challenged that long/ intensely previously in their young lives. It's one thing to excel in a 4 hour window, or triple sessions in football for a week, or even a 2 day event. It's another to grind it out / be under this intensity for say 21 days in a row. I share this caution as I feel those with a military interest and accomplishment should be armed with the right information so that you DO succeed and soon stand shoulder to shoulder as leaders with other members of the Navy's fighting force. I want the best to thrive - so, just consider this feedback as you consider your approach. Seek to survive in NSI, be a good teammate, and get through it. Not everyone who starts will finish, and that is ok, but sometimes pretty sad to see. Good luck.
Plebes that finished Reef Points somehow would get Ships and Aircraft instead. You bet they held the book in the same position on the bulkhead.
You’re right, and there’s a lot of intangibles that are important to be a good follower and leader, which cannot be simply learned from a book. It wasn’t my intention to encourage egotistical ‘help’ or overconfidence, but I do think someone can prepare to the best of their ability. To your point, yep, I’ve seen firsthand what people that come into an organization thinking they know it all do (they fail).
Once again, NSI is a team game. You can (and should) leverage your knowledge to help your fellow candidates and ensure they perform well. You won't be faulted for knowing things beforehand or having some experience with JROTC, but you will then be expected to use what you know to help your peers. Additionally, if your knowledge allows you and your fellow candidates to succeed in certain areas of NSI, the MIs will find something you don't know or aren't good at and break you down using that.