At the Risk of Sounding Sarcastic.......

I get the frustration of dealing with this. Did you read the application? Um, application? :rolleyes:

Now.... Why oh why does this whole process send emails to the candidate with critical information, must-do's, etc... DS's email is flooded (10,000+ emails in the last few months) right now with college recruiting offers, high school activities, advertising SPAM, tik tok notices, ugh everything and oh wait, there's an email from 3 weeks ago with links and info on how to start the DODMERB process. Woops! I never thought I'd have to teach the younger generation how to filter emails and ensure critical information is screened out. That said, I'd think a mailed letter would be better suited for official business request like this. Maybe use both email and snail mail. :bang:
 
Having left public education a year ago, I can agree with several posters here. If my students (high school) couldn't get the answer from a phone or a friend they were likely to just stare at me with a blank face.

I cannot tell you how many tests were turned in to me with 'IDK' as an answer. Or a sad face on a True / False (seriously, do the math, you have a 50/50 shot???).

When I took over mid-term for a very laid-back (not good) teacher that allowed cheating, late submittals, and only had one version of every test, which was simple multiple-choice, my kids were in for a change.

I introduced a seating chart, enforced phone policies, created 4 versions of every test, and penalties for late work. I had expectations for them. They acted and looked like they had been hit by a bus. I actually had tears, real tears from more than one student for about two weeks. You couldn't imagine their horror when I added modified true-false questions (requires thought and analysis, and ......writing!!!!) and short answer questions.

Oh, and they were really mystified and miffed when they learned that I required that they take notes and do their own work. Shocking!

I got sad faces on multiple-choice questions. Come on, throw a 'C' at it at least?<?!?!<!<>! Ugh.

I tried to teach them test-taking strategies, too, you know, like putting their name on it to start with. Don't even get me started on that concept. This is not a generation that plays chess, that's evident.

I showed them the series 'one strange rock' and after, asked that they write one page on their takeaways from the series. No real specific requirements, just tell me what they liked, were surprised by, impressed by, etc. They actually all did a really good job. Except one. She wrote, 'I don't like this assignment' repeatedly on college-ruled paper until she met the one-page requirement. So, so disappointing.

And the sad part is, they weren't embarrassed if I called on them for an answer during a lecture or review. They just shrugged. Somehow, many of this generation don't seem to value knowledge. Or earning it themselves as something to be proud of. There were a few exceptions each year, but not many.

@GWU PNS, I would have had to use the mute button for sure. Unfortunately, there is no mute button during parent-teacher conferences. I actually practiced my facial reactions in a mirror prior to them every year. That 'you have got to be $*@^!+*%$ kidding me face' doesn't usually go over well.
 
I read the application (as did my DD) and we selected that we were not interested in attending an MSISR school primarily because she is not in any minority group/classification but it did make me wonder...do you have to be a minority to get that scholarship or just willing to go to one of those schools? It would seem intuitive that the scholarships are intended for minorities but because the government can't openly discriminate against ANY race that anyone can check the box. Do non-hispanic white applicants actually get selected for these scholarships?
 
GWU PNS said:
So yesterday I received the first of what I am pretty sure will be several frantic calls from breathless candidates, as well as one agitated parent.

The call goes something along the lines of..... "OH MY GOD......OH MY GOD...... HELP!!!!! I found out I received the 4 year scholarship thing, but then there was this note about MSI something or other, and I have to go to one of those H Bee See something. I don't want to do that, and I didn't even apply for that. Can't I just go to my favorite school instead? What do I do? Why is this happening to me?"

My first reaction is to conduct a deep breathing exercise, assume the lotus position (not easy at my age), find my inner zen happy place, and then prepare the response. I usually ask if the person actually read the application while they were filling it out? Did they know what MSISR was when they clicked the little box stating they were interested? How many colleges did they actually apply to? (In this case, they only applied to their first choice. 😒) Depending on those answers, I decide whether or not I can take another sip of my coffee.

And so, at the risk of sounding sarcastic, the NROTC team makes certain assumptions at the beginning of the scholarship season. And some of those assumptions are:
-- The applicant is a functionally literate person.
-- Taking the first bullet to the next step, that you have utilized your functional literacy and actually read the application as you were filling it out. *** Special note......"My mom read it, or my recruiter told me what to do........." those are not very good answers.
-- The applicant understands that while they make a list of 5 potential universities, the NROTC team is not going to apply to those universities for you. As a matter of fact, we cannot, by law, apply to any university on your behalf.
-- We assume when you state your interest in an MSISR scholarship, you understand what it is that you are saying you are interested in.
-- We assume you realize that you are not guaranteed the first choice on your list. This means you should really, really, think about applying to more than one university to ensure you meet the deadlines of the universities.
-- We assume that if you have any questions, you will employ one of several resources, which include Google, BING, your recruiting officer, this fairly extensive forum, or other possible resources as yet undiscovered.
-- Lastly, we assume that if you did none of the above, you try to understand that the potential loss of your scholarship offer is, regrettably, due, in part, to your own personal failure, rather than an institutional problem.

Ok, now I feel better. Even if no one reads this, or reads it and disregards it. (Or reads it and thinks, this is not a good time to call him and ask for help with my application)

We will now resume our regular programming..........
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Well said, and it needed to be said. The application is part of the test of executive function and attention to detail.

And a crisp salute and cheery aye-aye is due to you. This may not help anyone this cycle, but will undoubtedly help the next round of applicants.


1682441648885.gif
 
USMC8993 said:
I read the application (as did my DD) and we selected that we were not interested in attending an MSISR school primarily because she is not in any minority group/classification but it did make me wonder...do you have to be a minority to get that scholarship or just willing to go to one of those schools? It would seem intuitive that the scholarships are intended for minorities but because the government can't openly discriminate against ANY race that anyone can check the box. Do non-hispanic white applicants actually get selected for these scholarships?
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You ask an excellent question here, although to be candid, you have completely ruined the mood of a bunch of jaded whiney people and are asking a logical question. But I will answer.

The MSISR scholarship does seek to broaden opportunities for minority students to attend universities in a setting where they "may" feel the institution has a different focus. But there is an additional purpose in mind, which is to extend an opportunity for students who wish to experience a different style of university even if they don't have that minority background. This upcoming year, I have 4 students heading to Howard University that do not identify as.minority students.

So if a person checks the box for MSISR, they will be considered for that option.

Now......let's get back to the ranting and raving 😁
 
USMC8993 said:
I read the application (as did my DD) and we selected that we were not interested in attending an MSISR school primarily because she is not in any minority group/classification but it did make me wonder...do you have to be a minority to get that scholarship or just willing to go to one of those schools? It would seem intuitive that the scholarships are intended for minorities but because the government can't openly discriminate against ANY race that anyone can check the box. Do non-hispanic white applicants actually get selected for these scholarships?
Click to expand...
You do not have to be a minority to receive the MSISR scholarship. You might be surprised at the schools that meet the criteria. HBCU, HSI, ... criteria. 21 of the 23 California State University Campus' meet the Hispanic serving institution criteria. Texas Tech and University of Houston too. They meet the criteria as HSI.
 
USMC8995 said:
I get the frustration of dealing with this. Did you read the application? Um, application? :rolleyes:

Now.... Why oh why does this whole process send emails to the candidate with critical information, must-do's, etc... DS's email is flooded (10,000+ emails in the last few months) right now with college recruiting offers, high school activities, advertising SPAM, tik tok notices, ugh everything and oh wait, there's an email from 3 weeks ago with links and info on how to start the DODMERB process. Woops! I never thought I'd have to teach the younger generation how to filter emails and ensure critical information is screened out. That said, I'd think a mailed letter would be better suited for official business request like this. Maybe use both email and snail mail. :bang:
Click to expand...

This is a good teaching point for anyone. Important things like scholarship applications, job searches and applications, and employer contacts need to have their own “official” email address for exclusive use. The Tik Tok, Facebook, Yarn of the Month Club, and various Work-from-Home scams can all share a different email address that is reserved for that silly stuff. This way, important things don’t get overlooked.

Stealth_81 (can be reached at stealtheightyone@yahoo.com <—— important stuff)
 
Along the same line of “these darn clueless kids”, DS has a friend who missed out on an opportunity for a full ride scholarship (academic not military) to the University of Miami because he didn’t check his email. He was chosen to apply for a limited number of these scholarships given to high achieving/financially-in-need students, and he just had to fill out an application and write an essay. By the time he saw the 2 separate emails, the deadline had long passed, but he applied anyway. Obviously, got a “sorry, it’s too late.”
 
Stealth_81 said:
This is a good teaching point for anyone. Important things like scholarship applications, job searches and applications, and employer contacts need to have their own “official” email address for exclusive use. The Tik Tok, Facebook, Yarn of the Month Club, and various Work-from-Home scams can all share a different email address that is reserved for that silly stuff. This way, important things don’t get overlooked.

Stealth_81 (can be reached at stealtheightyone@yahoo.com <—— important stuff)
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I will forward this email to my tiktok influence team. 😎
 
IggyMom23 said:
Along the same line of “these darn clueless kids”, DS has a friend who missed out on an opportunity for a full ride scholarship (academic not military) to the University of Miami because he didn’t check his email. He was chosen to apply for a limited number of these scholarships given to high achieving/financially-in-need students, and he just had to fill out an application and write an essay. By the time he saw the 2 separate emails, the deadline had long passed, but he applied anyway. Obviously, got a “sorry, it’s too late.”
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My son recently had a giant wake up call because he applied for a military connected scholarship, decided to hit submit without some careful once over despite offers from us for help. His life, he’s got to do it but if you want some help, we’ll just double check. But no, had other things he wanted to do and hastily submitted a week before the deadline. A school week passes, when counselors are at work, and then on the deadline he was contacted by a retired Commander that he had a very strong package but was in fact missing his official transcripts. Being a teenager who knows all the things, he thought he could pull a copy off the website and send that in. Nope, not official. He sent every urgent request possible to the counselors but guess what, they don’t work on weekends. The Commander gave him a bit of a lecture on learning from this and VERY graciously decided to give him a few extra days to right his wrong because he’d initiated the requests by the deadline. DH and I were SO happy, not for the extension but for the lecture and constructive criticism, which essentially matched everything we’d been saying all along. But we’re parents so we’re dumb.

As for the rest of this thread, there is so much I could say. Sigh… I shall not. But, yes, yes…. and yes. In some ways I’m glad we’re not alone in seeing these things. Still feel like we’re headed for “and get off my lawn!” status. I have to show this whole thread to DH. He will appreciate it so.

ETA we still don’t have paper oconus orders for anyone tracking. 51 days until PDD and counting…
 
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Gnarlygoat27 said:
My son recently had a giant wake up call because he applied for a military connected scholarship, decided to hit submit without some careful once over despite offers from us for help. His life, he’s got to do it but if you want some help, we’ll just double check. But no, had other things he wanted to do and hastily submitted a week before the deadline. A school week passes, when counselors are at work, and then on the deadline he was contacted by a retired Commander that he had a very strong package but was in fact missing his official transcripts. Being a teenager who knows all the things, he thought he could pull a copy off the website and send that in. Nope, not official. He sent every urgent request possible to the counselors but guess what, they don’t work on weekends. The Commander gave him a bit of a lecture on learning from this and VERY graciously decided to give him a few extra days to right his wrong because he’d initiated the requests by the deadline. DH and I were SO happy, not for the extension but for the lecture and constructive criticism, which essentially matched everything we’d been saying all along. But we’re parents so we’re dumb.

As for the rest of this thread, there is so much I could say. Sigh… I shall not. But, yes, yes…. and yes. In some ways I’m glad we’re not alone in seeing these things. Still feel like we’re headed for “and get off my lawn!” status. I have to show this whole thread to DH. He will appreciate it so.

ETA we still don’t have paper oconus orders for anyone tracking. 51 days until PDD and counting…
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I have lectured my DD about what is going to be expected of her in the Marines and how woefully unprepared she currently is and how bad her habits are and she says...well obviously Dad! I'm not a Marine yet, if I was then I would be all those things, so that's why I'm going. Then my wife says...she needs to choose the pre-law branch.
 
Great posts above - funny stuff!

I feel the same gob-smacked stunned feeling when a midn or their upset families fail to read the instructions or pay attention to filling out their preference sheet for service selection. Below is me talking to a parent who called me in tears about her son’s service assignment last Fall.

Other Parent: I can't believe this happened. They put him as a NFO.
HS: Did your son have SNFO selected on their preference sheet?
Other Parent: Well yes, second on his sheet, behind SNA. But he's on the Dean's list, and took really hard courses, and should have been offereda pilot slot.
HS: So he received his second choice, and he is devastated?
Other Parent: But he really wanted pilot. NFO is such a long commitment if he’s not going to be a pilot, but he loves aviation so if he couldn’t be a pilot he wanted to serve in aviation as an officer somehow.
HS: So he got one of his two top choices, is going to be an officer in aviation like he wanted. I think the NFO role is pretty cool - he'll earn his wings, play a key role...
Other Parent: (Getting defiant)… He’s very upset. He WANTED to be a pilot. (voice now shaking): Well no one told him to not list NFO! You have no idea how upsetting it is seeing my son who is the hardest working Midn in his unit getting scr*w*d like this is. He--
HS: (interrupts) Oh no - I was just watching the news and there was an oodles of noodles factory explosion near the thing. Very sorry, I’ve gotta go... the pigeons... [Click]

Feel welcome to borrow the oodles of noodles factory explosion line - it's been my standard excuse to end a call since adolescence – used only about 4 times in 40 years but it never fails me). I'll avoid eye contact with said parent at the upcoming commissioning ceremony:)

Sigh.
 
Sadly, the lack of attention to detail and failure to act on significant deadlines is not limited to cadets and midshipman. IME sometimes military officers/NCOs, ROTC Cadre, instructors, and civilian employees have issues too. This was also true in my time on active duty. Some of it can be excused with inexperience as they are new, not in the position for a significant period of time, or that the program application awaiting action is only done every few years from the unit, but not always.

I only met or spoke with the Professor of Military Science twice - leaving a hospital post surgery and at commissioning. I chose not to vent.

My cadet did learn early to 'manage up' or bypass human barriers when necessary to meet deadlines, save a limb, or get paid.
 
Herman_Snerd said:
Great posts above - funny stuff!

I feel the same gob-smacked stunned feeling when a midn or their upset families fail to read the instructions or pay attention to filling out their preference sheet for service selection. Below is me talking to a parent who called me in tears about her son’s service assignment last Fall.

Other Parent: I can't believe this happened. They put him as a NFO.
HS: Did your son have SNFO selected on their preference sheet?
Other Parent: Well yes, second on his sheet, behind SNA. But he's on the Dean's list, and took really hard courses, and should have been offereda pilot slot.
HS: So he received his second choice, and he is devastated?
Other Parent: But he really wanted pilot. NFO is such a long commitment if he’s not going to be a pilot, but he loves aviation so if he couldn’t be a pilot he wanted to serve in aviation as an officer somehow.
HS: So he got one of his two top choices, is going to be an officer in aviation like he wanted. I think the NFO role is pretty cool - he'll earn his wings, play a key role...
Other Parent: (Getting defiant)… He’s very upset. He WANTED to be a pilot. (voice now shaking): Well no one told him to not list NFO! You have no idea how upsetting it is seeing my son who is the hardest working Midn in his unit getting scr*w*d like this is. He--
HS: (interrupts) Oh no - I was just watching the news and there was an oodles of noodles factory explosion near the thing. Very sorry, I’ve gotta go... the pigeons... [Click]

Feel welcome to borrow the oodles of noodles factory explosion line - it's been my standard excuse to end a call since adolescence – used only about 4 times in 40 years but it never fails me). I'll avoid eye contact with said parent at the upcoming commissioning ceremony:)

Sigh.
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But that’s quite real! Google “oodles of noodles factory explosion.” I knew it couldn’t be a “googlenope,” something that can’t be found or is new to google. Somewhere in the world, oodles of noodles have exploded or caught fire.
 
GWU PNS said:
Remember professor, if the final grade is an "A" you will here the student proclaim, "I GOT AN "A" And if they fail........."That old fart professor gave me an "F"
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Ha! My FIL is a physics professor and often reminds his students,"Oh no, you earned that F. I did not give it to you." The end of semester pleading from both students and parents floors me.
 
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