Ask Us (current cadets) Anything

AFrpaso said:
I only remember it being a very late notification. May sounds about right.

As for my major, initially I was Astro. I switched to Math going into my junior year because I realized I did not want to be a developmental engineer for the AF but rather an analyst. There were a lot of factors which contributed to my decisions but the main points are that I wanted a foundational degree in something techy which the AF would want enough to all but guarantee that my AFSC will be analyst after graduation. Analysts often attend graduate school, which is another goal of mine, and make a comfortable living in the civilian sector after they separate.

I learned that I was not pilot qualified near the end of sophomore year.
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What sorts of things make you 'not pilot qualified ' at the academy ?
 
Are cadets allowed to have braces when entering the Academy/Prep School or allowed to have them while there?
 
Re: braces, my recollection is that you can't have them when you inprocess, but you can have them while you're there if dental lets you. Don't quote me on that and reference the most current appointee info.

For me, the worst part about ESET was boredom. The material they teach isn't incredibly difficult (especially if you have any experience being outdoors), and there's a lot of down time.
 
How limited are 4 degrees in terms of what they can have in their rooms? For example, I like to study with noise cancelling headphones on. Would I be allowed to have them shipped to me after BCT?
 
You can have the headphones, but your ability to actually use them will probably be limited by 4* media policies. It just sort of depends year by year
 
Sportsmom4 said:
What was the hardest part of ESET?
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It's not difficult. Just exhausting. I really enjoyed ESET except for the parts where we had nothing to do for hours. I suggest sunscreen if you're fair skinned..
 
FutureFalcon2 said:
Are cadets allowed to have braces when entering the Academy/Prep School or allowed to have them while there?
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Braces must be removed prior to I day. You may bring retainers, but that's it. Look on the DoDMerb sit FAQ for your answer.
 
Question about running shoes. My DD is a pronator and she buys running shoes that are great for her feet. Does it matter what color the shoes are? She needs a new pair and it is very hard, if not impossible to find a neutral color, especially in women's. Will it matter? Even the gray or silver shoes have some sort of neon or bright colors.
 
FalconsRock said:
Question about running shoes. My DD is a pronator and she buys running shoes that are great for her feet. Does it matter what color the shoes are? She needs a new pair and it is very hard, if not impossible to find a neutral color, especially in women's. Will it matter? Even the gray or silver shoes have some sort of neon or bright colors.
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My DD has the same issue which causes shin splints and rolled ankles. Interestingly, she never got shin splints during BCT because they wore boots for most of the time. The boots kept her ankles lined up properly when running.

DD was issued running shoes. When they were allowed to buy their own, it didn't matter the color. I don't know if the rules have changed regarding whether they issue shoes or you bring your own. I would think, like most things, it's squadron dependent.

Edit - I do recommend that she bring inserts to put into the boots/shoes to help with pronating ankles.
 
Thank you USAFA83GradWife. And yes, she already has her inserts in her boots.

If any current cadet has the inside scoop, I would really appreciate your comments.
 
What do the appointee instructions say about shoe color? From my discussions with BCT group staff, as long as items brought follow the guidance given, the basics should be good to go...

Let me know if there's any lingo about shoe color and I'll hunt for clarity when I'm back to school.
 
A question about parents weekend: if your parents can't make it, are you allowed to leave anyway, as in stay in town? Or must you remain on campus? Thank you!
 
BlahuKahuna said:
What do the appointee instructions say about shoe color? From my discussions with BCT group staff, as long as items brought follow the guidance given, the basics should be good to go...

Let me know if there's any lingo about shoe color and I'll hunt for clarity when I'm back to school.
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Thank you for taking the time to help out BlahuKahuna. The appointee instructions do not address running shoes. It is strongly recommended that they bring a pair of broken in AF sage green boots, molded cleats for intramural sports and wear "comfortable walking shoes" to I-day. She plans to wear her running shoes to report on I-day. It says nothing about color or style of running shoe.
 
FalconsRock said:
Question about running shoes. My DD is a pronator and she buys running shoes that are great for her feet. Does it matter what color the shoes are? She needs a new pair and it is very hard, if not impossible to find a neutral color, especially in women's. Will it matter? Even the gray or silver shoes have some sort of neon or bright colors.
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Basics will be issued a new pair of white/blue running shoes that they will all wear.

The first time your DD will get to wear her regular running shoes will be after BCT ends, at which point, there aren't any rules about color.
 
AFrpaso said:
Life at USAFA Prep is relatively similar to life at USAFA. The main difference is the size of the school. Everyone knows everyone at the prep school. Academics are focused on three areas: math, English and chem. Class ends at 12 pm. You still have room inspections and take the PFT/AFT. A year at the prep school is NOT meant to be an extra freshman year. People have a lot of free time and make a lot of great friends. Those friends are awesome to have as you struggle through freshman year up on the Hill. My advice would be to accept an offer of appointment to USAFA Prep. I don't regret it at all.
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why do you think you got accepted to the prep school instead of the academy first? Was it your test scores or gpa or something like that?
 
LFry94 said:
Basics will be issued a new pair of white/blue running shoes that they will all wear.

The first time your DD will get to wear her regular running shoes will be after BCT ends, at which point, there aren't any rules about color.
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Thank you LFry94. Good to know.
 
Is there a seven chew rule?

I worry about this because I barely pass the DoDMERB weight requirements and don't want to go below the required amount.
 
Stonewall said:
Is there a seven chew rule?

I worry about this because I barely pass the DoDMERB weight requirements and don't want to go below the required amount.
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Not since before my time here, at least. Basic cadets losing weight is a HUGE deal, if you're on the edge and/or losing weight, you'll get nutritional supplements and additional monitoring on a weekly basis. This has been an emphasis item for the last few years, it's not uncommon at all to struggle with weight during BCT. I have fond memories of carrying massive boxes of Boost (the supplement) around every few days last summer.

Some personal advice from the basic and cadre perspective: you're given a TON of time to eat, honestly. If you get meal decorum (basically posture and some random tasks at the table) down quickly, you can actually eat a decent amount of food at each meal. A lot of times the basics who struggle to eat are too scared during meals to really put food down, so just focus on the little things and you can mitigate the weight loss you're probably risking with what I'm assuming is your fast metabolism.
 
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