A different perspective as you prepare for Induction Day

Since my son is a college re-applicant, I am MUCH more confident in dropping him at USNA than I was at the college. It will be tougher on him this time, just maybe not for me.
I am in the same "boat" My DD is not a re applicant but she attended a "normal" college last year. She is my baby and that was a hard one. However, I did just watch a video of Iday and that big door of Bancroft Hall slamming shut. I flat out balled at my desk. So at least I thought I was ready.
 
DD was completely exhausted on Stribling at end of I-Day. Her response was "I had coaches yell at me harder than this". It is a right of passage and they will remember those big doors closing the rest of their lives. They are your Baby and no matter what age they always will be but they are now USN/USMC and adults
 
The focus of this thread has been I-Day, but the entering class should keep in mind that this is not a one-day sprint, but rather the beginning of a journey that gets tougher before it gets easy. The Plebe Detailers don't have high expectations for you I day; you are going to mess up, and you will get corrected. Learn from your mistakes, and don't make them again. The consequences of mistakes get more serious as you advance, but you will have a strong foundation to avoid those mistakes.
 
What a great posts, as well as the ones to follow. Truly, none of us know how it will go until "game time." Thank you for sharing.
 
Good Advise here; my daughter is a member of CL2020.


#1) I remember looking out over the class of 2020 as they stood in ranks waiting to go into Bancroft and thinking ---"Wow the smaller guys in this class look in pretty rough shape, while the larger Male Mids seemed to be taking IDay more in stride": DW made the same observation. Looking back it makes sense, the duffel bag plebes carry around all IDay is 50% of one kids weight and 20% of another’s. Taking the point further, it wouldn't hurt a plebe's perspective during IDay to have been yelled at by a HS football coach for a solid week in football camp, or to have completed a year at NAPS, or to have acquired one additional year of maturity at that Plan-B college.
Over Christmas break DD and I were talking and I asked if some plebes carry advantages into Plebe Summer. She stopped, thought and said "sure, anyone can get through PS, but definitively some plebes have it easier just based on body type or experience".

I am sure plebes2b and parents of Class 2021 have taken note of the advice from people who have "been there" that "YOU DON'T WIN PLEBE SUMMER".
I haven't been there, but I think its fair to add this: I'd want my son or daughter going into IDAY to have a strong understanding that different kids will have different advantages during IDAY and PS. In those first 5-6-7 days when I understand PS is its worst, I wouldn't want my 17yr-18yr old kid fresh out of HS to look around and figure that he/she wasn't gonna make it because they see physically stronger people around them, or NAPS kids who can hold-bearing while they can't, or 22yr old Plebes who are not as shaken-up by the life change of IDay. I would'nt want my kid to be embarrassed or feel weak because they cried and others didn’t. I know that PS stresses "Team" and works to reinforce that all plebes are good enough. I'm just saying I'd want my plebe to know on going into IDAY that others won't cry, others will test better, others will run faster, others will "hold it together" longer, others will be physically stronger. "Get ready to be in the bottom 25% of something---the Navy picked the whole package".


#2) Speaking of crying, pay attention to Hoops: "roughly 75% crying that first night". On IDAY as soon as we found some privacy for her, my DD cried. She wasn't scared, she wasn't angry, she wasn't frustrated, she didn't feel sorry for herself----it was just the shear enormity of the change in her life in a single day. She'd had a great childhood; and snap, that part of her life was over, and in 15mins she would wave goodbye to Mom and Dad as "Mom and Dad" forever. There are some times when anyone would "squirt a few" (If I had a DS I want that message sent loud and clear BTW).


#3) I have posted this before, but I think its would be helpful for some plebes2b and parents. https://jorules.wordpress.com/2013/07/08/some-words-for-the-cadre/
(hope I got the insert right --- if not, Google "some words for the Cadre"). It’s a look at how one detailer viewed PS, how seriously he took it and what it feels like on the Detailer side of things. I think the perspective is valuable; (same class as Hoops ....right?).


#4) Parents of plebes2b, the opportunity that the USNA provides is absolutely awesome, but it comes with a price for many parents. Your kid gets a unique education, he/ she won't study 'International Tree house Construction Standards' their first year, they learn to Box. If they get an A in boxing, (mark me), it will come with a ton pride. My DD can take a punch---and she knows it; a huge advantage for her relative to other young women. The trade-off is that all this growth happens very quickly and far away from your oversight/participation. While you marvel at the growth, you may also find that specific inquiries and offers of advice are met with "its really not your concern". You don't get 3-4 years to grow into/adjust to this new reality----you get a couple of months. I know my DD is doing well not because she felt the need to tell mom and dad; I just happened to find her name published in a Google search. Big changes for parents too. You just have to Roll with it, but I'd feel free to vent here you will find support from other parents in the same boat.


GOOD LUCK AND CONGRATS------USNA CLASS OF 2021
 
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Not my class. Actually don't know who wrote this article. The picture of the young man straining to do push ups is a buddy of mine and we served in the USMC together (different classes). Some of those plebes in the background are now senior officers who have or are commanding battalions, squadrons and war ships. Heck their detailers are now wearing Eagles on their collars. Trust me every time we see those pics on our class Facebook page we always wonder where the time went? How did we become old enough and senior enough to be in charge? Do they know what we did as Mids? If they only knew! Before you know it the soon to be Plebes will be a CO of a war ship dealing with Pirates and Iranians playing stupid games. Before you know it they will be the detailers who look so old and confident that you see next week.

And yes, as a detailer I saw very few tears in person. Walking the halls on night one you hearing crying in every single room. It's unspoken about. You really don't hear it after that. It's the first time you stop moving on Day 1 and have enough time to think, 'what the heck did I just do?'
 
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Sorry Hoops,
I had posted the article before and thought I recalled you mentioning a connection, (I quess it would be the guy doing push-ups). My bad.
 
I always thought Mustangs were great officers. See General Mattis (bet he has a good conduct medal).
 
Don't believe he does. Checked his medals and his list of awards. He enlisted in the reserves and did ROTC according to his bio, appear to overlap, so not really sure. Don't believe he has a reserve ribbon either, so not sure if he enlisted in reserves then was picked up for ROTC immediately. Many mustangs make great officers, so do many Academy, ROTC and OCS. Someone from my TBS company did the data for those who picked up 0-5 and also command... I believe about 75% of those still in and picked up 0-5 were ROTC or USNA from my TBS company. I think a lot of this has to do with many MECEP hitting 20 years at 0-3 or 0-4 and retiring. Then again we only had 1 person kicked out of TBS for cheating... MECEP. Two companies ahead of us had a major cheating scandal... all MECEP or priors.
 
And yes, as a detailer I saw very few tears in person. Walking the halls on night one you hearing crying in every single room. It's unspoken about. You really don't hear it after that. It's the first time you stop moving on Day 1 and have enough time to think, 'what the heck did I just do?'

This bothers me but I'm sure if you expounded upon the thought you'd say they all show up the next morning ready for the next day.
 
They do all get up the next day in a slight daze wondering what hit them and they take it minute by minute and adjust as each day comes along. Within about 3-4 days they all shake off the initial wave of shock and adapt to their new world. USNA has been doing this a long time. It's not the end of the world that they shed a few tears or lay in bed night 1 what the heck did they just do. It's a natural part of a very long, stressful, emotional day.
 
Some great insight on these pages and definitely reflects the differing perspective of the plebe summer experience for the individuals plebes. However, I think for our family the biggest surprise may have been how it impacted us, not just our plebe. First of all our plebe had attended Summer Seminar and taken a CVW and understood what was coming to a great degree. However, there was a look in his eye on Stribling walk that day i did not expect to see. It wasn't doubt, when i asked him about it his response was "that its just a little different being on this side of the wall and knowing that your life has been changed forever, it is a big change. "

He was our first to leave the nest and going to a military academy.... its not like dropping your kid off at college, and if its your first I think its a little harder anyway. The impact on us may have been greater because suddenly this life force that this kind of person brings to their family, friends and community goes a different direction and you see and hear less from them then you are used to experiencing. Your life has changed forever too.

We loved his time at USNA and were close enough to visit a couple times a year for a football game, or to celebrate a birthday (usually not on the actual birth date) but in our minds we knew that the direction he was headed was one where ultimately we would be seeing much less of him in the future.

He was happy at USNA , loves the community he is in now and would not change a thing about his choice.

I wish all those families that are getting ready to send their sons and daughters off to IDay a great 4 years. Look forward to PPW which was a lot of fun, I day? Not so much.
 
They do all get up the next day in a slight daze wondering what hit them and they take it minute by minute and adjust as each day comes along. Within about 3-4 days they all shake off the initial wave of shock and adapt to their new world. USNA has been doing this a long time. It's not the end of the world that they shed a few tears or lay in bed night 1 what the heck did they just do. It's a natural part of a very long, stressful, emotional day.

So so true. I recall very little from I-day but I'll never forget it. When I crawled into bed that first night I was one of the 90% who cried. However, it wasn't stress or uncertainty or fear or frustration or anger or grief. It was something different. See, when you're going to I-day as a 17-, 18-, 19-year-old, you read about it, you understand what's going to happen, you prepare as much as you can, but you have no life experience and therefore NO idea what really happens there until you do it. And by "what really happens there" I don't mean the issue points and yelling and new white works. I mean: YOU are responsible. There is nowhere to hide. There is no break. The noise is ever-present and urgent. You are exposed all the time and you are expected to be able to respond. Childhood and leisure are over. It's one of life's major transitions, and one you cannot really prepare for because you lack experience and the mental conversation to manage it while it's happening.

That is the shock, as nearly to the memory as I can describe.
 
This is one of my favorite videos about I-Day - it's a longer one, but takes you on the full journey in a feel-good way. Great montage of mini-clips that builds to a final strong image that marks the boundary line for the change.

 
He needed three years of active duty as enlisted. Forgot the "active duty" part.
 
Thanks for this. It hits different kids differently. My DS handled it pretty well. Here are two mental hacks that he used to keep going.
1. He didn't think about getting through the whole summer. He didn't even think about getting through the whole day. he focused on getting to the next meal. Somehow that made it not seem like time was so slow. Seems kind of weird but it worked for him.
2. He decided he would consider any time that he was sitting, or not being counted or timed at something as "good time". Again this was his little mental game that kept him humming along at first. He also was amazed at the high caliber of people that surrounded him. He bonded quickly with his company and did not want to let them down.

Honestly I think adjusting to the academics in the fall were harder on him than plebe summer.
 
Thanks for this. It hits different kids differently. My DS handled it pretty well. Here are two mental hacks that he used to keep going.
1. He didn't think about getting through the whole summer. He didn't even think about getting through the whole day. he focused on getting to the next meal. Somehow that made it not seem like time was so slow. Seems kind of weird but it worked for him.
2. He decided he would consider any time that he was sitting, or not being counted or timed at something as "good time". Again this was his little mental game that kept him humming along at first. He also was amazed at the high caliber of people that surrounded him. He bonded quickly with his company and did not want to let them down.

Honestly I think adjusting to the academics in the fall were harder on him than plebe summer.


THIS is really important too. Plebe summer is nothing, nothing like ac year. College freshmen everywhere will go through the adjustments to academics very differently. Some few will do it with grace and little trouble, and some small few REALLY struggle to adjust to almost everything about academics. The majority - MAJORITY - of incoming freshmen struggle with a course or two, or some aspect of the course: writing 6-page papers, or completing the lab, or different testing expectations and formats, or just the volume of college coursework compared to most high schools - even AP and IB courses. Add to that the unique demands of a SA - military, sports, training - and you have even greater demands on these new freshmen. Parents, encourage your plebes not to wait to ask for help. Do not wait for the first D on an exam, or the first C- on a lab report, or the first 62 on a chem test (etc.) The moment you hear "chemistry is really hard," ask whether they're going to office hours or EI (extra instruction) or tutoring, because they should be! Not everyone will heed the advice, of course, but some will, and they'll be the ones who pull up their next exam score after that 62 to a 78, and the third one to a 91. Do not repeat what isn't working! Ask for help!
 
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