hello-there
Navy '26
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- Jul 7, 2021
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This is the one weekend where I'm not busy so if anyone has any questions ask away! I remember at this time I had a lot I was wondering about.
Ask me anything plebe
- Thread starter hello-there
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Swimmergirl2029
Member
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Did you take AP Chemistry in highschool? If so, how does it compare to the plebe chemistry course? Also, I terms of highschool classes, how many AP’s did you take each year?
Mainly questions about plebe summer...
Thanks for taking the time to help all of us stressed out plebes-to-be and good luck for the rest of your plebe year!!
- Are you allowed to bring anything besides what you are wearing? If so, is there anything you brought that was useful or that you wish you would have thought of? Also, are you allowed to take cough syrup and over the counter meds, like Advil?
- What are some of the biggest milestones during PS? It seems like it would be nice to have some things to look forward to along the way.
- What was the hardest part of PS for you personally? Was there anything you liked about it?
- Do you have any insight on how Varsity athletics work during PS? I am recruited for track and am wondering what that will look like.
- Were you given any information about your roommate or the other people in your company prior to I-day?
Thanks for taking the time to help all of us stressed out plebes-to-be and good luck for the rest of your plebe year!!
trad2026
usna '26
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- Jun 15, 2021
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- 91
Not the OP but also a plebe and will offer some opinions and advice.
1. @Swimmergirl2029 I did not take AP Chem and just took regular Chem. The regular chem class I took in freshman year was very helpful and actually prepared me well for first semester plebe chem. Second semester has been a lot different however. Friends who took ap chem were able to validate out of first semester chem but most have to take the second semester (test is given during plebe summer).
I took 2-3 APs per year junior and senior year and just one sophomore year. Not as many as some but also more than others. Take as many as you can do well in. It’s nice to have a strong foundation and validate out of classes to study abroad or just take more electives in the future while you’re here but not necessary. Most people only validate 1 or two (usually calc 1, government, or English) if that many.
@txrearea
1. Yes you can bring other things but I only brought my phone and paperwork. My parents sent a package the first week with pre-addressed letters and stamps. They also sent OTC meds (yes you can have them - vitamins etc. but if it looks suspicious or could contain caffeine etc it can be taken from you). You really don’t need anything else though.
2. Big milestones for me were the fun evolutions like the obstacle course and endurance course and confidence course. Also sailing is very fun and damage control. After the first few weeks you get a bit of freedom every day with sports period too. (Will talk more about this later)
3. Hardest part… it’s different for everyone but personally I hated the mornings. I’ve never been a morning person so having to wake up and run out of my rack at 0530 was a struggle everyday but it only gets better from there. I enjoyed all the physical evolutions. I like running and push-ups so anytime we were getting stronger was a fun time… you will have lots of time to “get stronger”.
4. This goes back to the sports period thing I mentioned. So every day (after the first few weeks) you will have designated sports period in the afternoon when you get to go and workout with any sport you want. As a recruit you will go with the track team which meets on the track and does drills and workouts. The coaches are usually there too. I know several recruited runners and ran with the team over the summer (most sports are open for all to go and attend or tryout).
5. No and you won’t be. People share on here or on Instagram if you’re following so I knew of people in my company but not roommates or anything more specific.
1. @Swimmergirl2029 I did not take AP Chem and just took regular Chem. The regular chem class I took in freshman year was very helpful and actually prepared me well for first semester plebe chem. Second semester has been a lot different however. Friends who took ap chem were able to validate out of first semester chem but most have to take the second semester (test is given during plebe summer).
I took 2-3 APs per year junior and senior year and just one sophomore year. Not as many as some but also more than others. Take as many as you can do well in. It’s nice to have a strong foundation and validate out of classes to study abroad or just take more electives in the future while you’re here but not necessary. Most people only validate 1 or two (usually calc 1, government, or English) if that many.
@txrearea
1. Yes you can bring other things but I only brought my phone and paperwork. My parents sent a package the first week with pre-addressed letters and stamps. They also sent OTC meds (yes you can have them - vitamins etc. but if it looks suspicious or could contain caffeine etc it can be taken from you). You really don’t need anything else though.
2. Big milestones for me were the fun evolutions like the obstacle course and endurance course and confidence course. Also sailing is very fun and damage control. After the first few weeks you get a bit of freedom every day with sports period too. (Will talk more about this later)
3. Hardest part… it’s different for everyone but personally I hated the mornings. I’ve never been a morning person so having to wake up and run out of my rack at 0530 was a struggle everyday but it only gets better from there. I enjoyed all the physical evolutions. I like running and push-ups so anytime we were getting stronger was a fun time… you will have lots of time to “get stronger”.
4. This goes back to the sports period thing I mentioned. So every day (after the first few weeks) you will have designated sports period in the afternoon when you get to go and workout with any sport you want. As a recruit you will go with the track team which meets on the track and does drills and workouts. The coaches are usually there too. I know several recruited runners and ran with the team over the summer (most sports are open for all to go and attend or tryout).
5. No and you won’t be. People share on here or on Instagram if you’re following so I knew of people in my company but not roommates or anything more specific.
Did you go to CVW or summer seminar? What are some critical things that you didn’t get from those experiences that you think it’s important candidates know about life at USNA in order to prepare?
If someone is struggling in a course or you get sick and get a little behind, what kind of academic help is available?
Has it ever been hard texting/talking to high school friends who went to regular colleges and universities hearing all of what they’re doing (parties, boy/girlfriends, free time, etc)? Does it feel hard to maintain those friendships?
Do you have friends you hang out with when (if!) you have free time? Was it easy making friends?
What would be the best first care package you can think of? And when would it arrive?
So you’re heading toward your first summer vacation. What are you doing this summer - can you get a summer job or go on family vacations? Or how much time do you have off? What are the USNA related commitments.
Is it hard coming home for the first time? Like Thanksgiving or Christmas break. If so, what would make that transition easier?
If someone is struggling in a course or you get sick and get a little behind, what kind of academic help is available?
Has it ever been hard texting/talking to high school friends who went to regular colleges and universities hearing all of what they’re doing (parties, boy/girlfriends, free time, etc)? Does it feel hard to maintain those friendships?
Do you have friends you hang out with when (if!) you have free time? Was it easy making friends?
What would be the best first care package you can think of? And when would it arrive?
So you’re heading toward your first summer vacation. What are you doing this summer - can you get a summer job or go on family vacations? Or how much time do you have off? What are the USNA related commitments.
Is it hard coming home for the first time? Like Thanksgiving or Christmas break. If so, what would make that transition easier?
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No doubt our generous plebe is getting some rack time or is running an “outer” on a beautiful sunny but cool morning.
I’ll help out a bit, as much can be found by just reading every page, link and menu item on usna.edu. The OP can provide “color commentary.”
The summer period is divided up into training blocks and a leave block. Some of the training is mandatory; some is elective. Some midshipmen will be assigned mandatory summer school to re-take a failed class (yes, some of those who were straight A academic marvels in HS will fail classes, way more than you would think). Some will choose voluntary summer school to lighten their regular academic year load or pursue a double major or for other reasons. Yes, you can go on family vacations during a leave period, but you won’t know your summer schedule until spring AND there is always the possibility of your leave block getting switched around. Welcome to AD.
Summer Training
Summer Training Info page for Training at USNA.edu. Updated Fri Jan 26 11:58:27 EST 2024.
www.usna.edu
Academic help - all kinds. Professors have office hours (go by and see them with questions) and extra instruction (EI) sessions. There are informal tutoring groups in companies. Your chain of command keeps a careful eye on your academic standing. There is a full range of support and service from the:
and
Midshipmen Development Center
MDC Home page for Midshipmen Development Center at USNA.edu. Updated Fri Jan 26 11:16:35 EST 2024.
www.usna.edu
I’ll leave the fun questions to the OP. Keep in mind as you become a young adult, you may start to choose leave time spent with friends doing other things in other places than going home.
Lastly, anyone who has ever joined the military, at any level, via any program, realizes they have crossed over a bridge others cannot follow or even comprehend at times. Military people learn to edit their stories around civilian friends; what is normal talk among military people (“yeah, we had this great port call in Singapore for 4 days…”) can come across as boasting to those who have not and are not likely to travel the globe and experience the range of experiences you will, much less encounter actual danger by going in harm’s way.
One way to think about friends is that you have friends of an age, friends of a stage and friends for a lifetime. I have 2 HS friends I still talk with several times a year, some 60 years later. There are friendships from “stages” of my life that have gone dormant. Friendships can have long lifecycles or short; this is a normal part of life. My friends of a lifetime? Priceless, and each of them were fellow military. What you might lose in childhood friendships you will gain in rock-solid, there-for-you-through everything friendships with your company mates, shipmates, wingmates, battle buddies.
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So much this!
I have friends of a kind from different eras and locations of my life and I hear/connect with many of them on social media but the closest and dearest are my fellow military shipmates/companymates/classmates.
When we took out first cruise, literally the last one that went out before COVID it was with a bunch of my USNA classmates. I haven't been to one of my High School's football games in over 20 yrs but but went to Army/Navy a couple of months ago to hang out with a dozen of my companymates. Later today, I'll be participating in a commemoration of the Four Chaplains and one of my companymates is making time to attend with me.
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DH meets up with classmates in the local area every anniversary of their I-Day. They visit Memorial Hall to pay respect to classmates’ names. They go over to the columbarium and toast (yes, with liquid) classmates now resident there, as well as up on the hill in the cemetery. They go to lunch. A half-century plus tradition of theirs.
hello-there
Navy '26
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- Jul 7, 2021
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- 46
I did not take AP chem, but I did take a college prep chem course that was very similar to what the academy offers. I probably took 2 APs a year, but I also did dual enrollment so my junior and senior year (and summers) I was mostly taking community college classes.
hello-there
Navy '26
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I brought sunscreen (bc I sunburn easily), medicine, extra shoes, compression shorts, and some toiletries but you really don't need anything bc they give you a lot. I would probably just bring pain medicine like Advil but they might take it. For me, each of the phone calls we got (3 total) were huge and I looked forward to them a lot when it got bad. The baseball game is also really nice, and once sports period starts (after two weeks) it gets a lot better bc you can do something you love. The hardest part of plebe summer for me was: for the first half missing my family and home, and for the second half getting along with a really awful roommate (I also started laughing a lot towards the end bc it was almost over). For the summer you'll go to track for about an hour or two and practice with your team. That's really nice bc you can be normal around your teammates. I didn't know my roommates but my company made an insta group chat so you could definitely do that but not necessary. All of my friends now I barely even knew over the summer.
hello-there
Navy '26
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- Jul 7, 2021
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I did a CVW, but not summer seminar. The CVW was interesting for me bc it was after I already accepted, and at the very end of my plebe's plebe year, so it gives me an end goal to look forward to now when plebe stuff gets bad. I did do AIM (the Coast Guard version of summer seminar) and it was super helpful and got rid of the shock of plebe summer (I thought AIM was harder than plebe summer bc AIM was hard to get through but during plebe summer I never even considered quitting). There is SO much academic help here its crazy. Every teacher has EI, theres group study, tutors, professors who are just there to help people who struggle, and you'll have friends here who can help. It is kind of hard to talk to people back home just bc I'm so busy, but I'm still close with all my boys and it isn't really that weird if you've been to parties in high school bc you know that you're not missing that much (and you can party here sometimes). I have a really close group of 5 or 6 in my company and we hang out literally all the time. Its weird bc over the summer we weren't friends at all (hard bc we were in different squads), but we got close really fast during the ac year. Just be yourself and don't be weird about the plebe stuff (it doesn't really matter just do your job) and you'll make great lifelong friends. I think the best care package would be a lot of handwritten notes and photos, protein bars, and maybe some snacks as well as icy hot and pain medicine. Over the summer you have at least two training blocks and one leave block (split into thirds). This year our training options are limited, so I'm doing PROTRAMID (trying out all the communities - aviation, swo, subs, marines) and probably summer seminar. For my leave block I'm going home, but you could also go on vacation. Summer jobs usually aren't allowed unless its approved high up. It was really hard coming back from Thanksgiving and Christmas. There isn't really any way to make it easier, just know that you'll see your family and friends again, and after a day or two you'll be happy to be back with your academy friends.
IronmanDaremo
What, me worry?
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Son still has all of his stuff in his room at home. We made him clean up the room and pack most of it up when he went to regular college last year. So, when he came home from the Spring semester and was getting ready to report for I-Day, he didn't have a lot to pack when he left for N*ot college.
momofusna1
Member
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- Apr 26, 2022
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Short answer: NOTHING
My daughters (1 at USNA, 1 at USCGA) still come home and have their rooms. They occasionally go through their stuff and get rid of things, but for the most part, they have their space when they're home. If you need the room, I can see packing stuff up and using the space.
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Don’t worry about this until you get to USNA. When the time comes during plebe summer, you’ll have discussions with the advisors and faculty to understand your best path forward. There’ll be cases in which you can validate and should — and cases in which you can validate and should not. It’ll all be made clear then.
(Apologies to @hello-there for hijacking their thread. I’m bugging out!)
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hello-there
Navy '26
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- Jul 7, 2021
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I would try and validate. I took calc one two and three in high school but didn't validate bc I wanted a lighter load and I wish I had just validated so it would be easier later on.
hello-there
Navy '26
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- Jul 7, 2021
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My parents kept most of mine and I have some stuff here. My brother also took a bunch of my nice clothes tho lol
Very informative and helpful information ... both for new plebes and their parents. Thanks!