In short: grow thick skin and don't act like an idiot.
The little stuff like hair regs (awful, especially the awkward period between the plebe chop and successful bunnage), earrings (gold balls only), and make-up (allowed, but use common sense) will fall into place as you move on beyond plebe summer.
Recognize that you're going to be in an excessively male dominated environment for at least the next nine years. Guys act differently and value different things than most girls. That doesn't mean to completely give up on acting like a girl (when appropriate), but it means you have to adjust your behavior a little in a way that's hard to explain. Don't worry too much about that, but here's a couple guidelines that worked out for me at USNA:
-NEVER use the female card, even when (frankly) it's warranted. It's the fastest way to torpedo your credibility among your peers. The obvious exception to this is if you feel you're subject to sexual harassment, but that's a whole different can of worms.
-Keep up at PT. In contrast to using the "female card," being physically tough is the fastest way to build your credibility initially during plebe summer. If you can keep up with the dudes even when you don't "have" to, your peers will recognize and respect that.
-Be aware that as a minority at the Naval Academy (females are only between 20-25% of mids), there's a certain spotlight on you that's not on all the white bread males. If you get in trouble or mess something up, it's not just your ass; it reflects poorly on all of your female peers. I want to make clear that I'm not complaining: I never minded the extra pressure (and the guys don't realize there is any) and just saw it as a motivator to work harder.
-Guys are gross. Guys talk about gross things. Have thick skin, but set your own boundaries and don't be afraid to enforce them. I'm very tolerant and laid back, but when the guys went too far I made it a point to talk to them later (privately) and let them know that what they said was not okay. Most of the time, guys honestly don't seem to realize that they say stuff that can be offensive. If you come to them and confront them about it in a straightforward and even-keeled manner, 99.99% of the time they'll respect that.
In general, the guys at USNA are great. Recognize that the qualifiers I added above for that are the exception. Don't freak out too much about the articles and stuff coming out about sexual assault at the Academy; it's not a rape factory.
The rules of success as a female are essentially the same as being successful as a male: work your ass off and look out for one another. I tried my best, with mixed results, to follow those rules and I graduated USNA with a group of friends, both male and female, who are as close to me as brothers and sisters. I know all of them would go to the mat for me, and I would for them.
If you have any other specific questions or something that's personal that you don't necessarily feel comfortable asking the general forum, please feel free to shoot me a PM or an email.
