Can USNA ever be fun?

cbasalt1

cbasalt1

USNA 27'
Joined
Mar 29, 2021
Messages
230
No one goes to the Naval Academy to have fun. One goes to be shapen into an officer. This process does not directly require fun activities.

I still however just wondered, as I am going through my application, does anyone have any particular things that they enjoyed at the academy?

I also guess that in the most case, you don't have time for "fun", and each person's definition of enjoyable things varys.

Just wondered what people have to say.'

Thanks
 
I had a blast at USNA once I figured things out academically. It’s a different fun than you have at regular university. You will never forget those Friday nights stuck in the hall as a Plebe doing ridiculous things or weekend duty as firstie trying to take accountability of drunk Mids. It’s a ton of fun in a weird way.
 
cbasulto1 said:
No one goes to the Naval Academy to have fun. One goes to be shapen into an officer. This process does not directly require fun activities.

I still however just wondered, as I am going through my application, does anyone have any particular things that they enjoyed at the academy?

I also guess that in the most case, you don't have time for "fun", and each person's definition of enjoyable things varys.

Just wondered what people have to say.'

Thanks
Click to expand...
Intramurals are generally fun. Hanging out with classmates, even during plebe year can be fun and typically will be remembered as fun when its in your rear view mirror.
I had a lot of fun with my sports team, we worked our butts off but made great friends.
Lots of the professional stuff can be fun if you let it - Weapons range, Obstacle Course, Damage Control (pipe patching!) and the like. PROTRAMID can be a lot of fun as each of the warfare specialties tries to lure you in.
Not sure how its done now but during Marine week, we spent lots of time in the woods attacking each other and we got to
play with explosives, even C4 (plastic explosives)
.
During Aviation week, we rode the Dilbert Dunker, Ejection seat trainer and then flew a jet and a Helicopter.

I had fun on my cruises - Youngster cruise in Norfolk was lots of partying with mids on my ship in Virginia Beach and First Class cruise was on a ship in the Mediterranean with good Liberty with several friends including one of my teammates.
 
A big factor in my DD's decision to verbally commit for her sport was her visit. She was thrilled to see how much fun they had. USNA was in her list of reach schools and she was blown away the coach was showing interest. The visit cemented her interest. Now she has to make it happen with 3Q and appointment. We know it is still a long road.
 
I would make these two observations:

--My DD graduated this past year. During her stay over Christmas break her academy yearbook appeared at the house. Each “Firstie” has their graduation picture and a paragraph written by their closest friends. What a pleasure to listen to my daughter regale a myriad of stories spun from so many memories of close associates and experiences. These attachments and memories were forged in the crucible that is the US Naval Academy.

--Additionally, remember you will have nine total months of summer vacation over the four years. Make the most of that time and the amazing opportunities available and you will have received essentially another year of college experience that no other college student at the traditional colleges can come close to mirroring.

Is the academy about ‘having fun’ or something more? You make the choice.
 
Our DS is a youngster. Even during the horrible plebe year and summer they had fun. They laughed, made memories, suffered together.
He’s been to Iceland for ten days, loved voluntary summer school on the Yard. Made memories I don’t know details of during Army Navy week and Air Force Navy week.
Summer training provided once in a lifetime moments.
He has a trip planned for spring break somewhere warm and beautiful we’ve never been. And he will spend it with fellow MIDN who will be lifelong friends.
He has time in labs and wind tunnels that cannot be matched. Research projects that may eventually reach outer space.
Mentors that are unrivaled.

He is loving it. It is hard. It is work. It is drudgery at times but he wouldn’t change it for anything.
 
USNA can absolutely be fun! For starters, you are a 30 sec walk from Downtown Annapolis (DTA). DTA is picturesque and has a ton of great restaurants. Plus, NYC, Philly, Baltimore, and DC are all very feasible weekend trips- especially your 2/C and 1/C year. Geographically, USNA has a great location.

Here is a list of some of my funniest experiences at USNA. In pretty close to chronological order.
- Watching the fireworks over the Chesapeake Bay during Plebe Summer.
- Attending a Minor League baseball game with my company mates during Plebe Summer.
- Getting randomly invited on a 30 million dollar yacht
- Spending time with my loving sponsor family (you can find information about this program using the search function on this website)
- Friday night pick-up basketball and ultimate frisbee as a plebe when I wasn't allowed to leave the yard on Friday nights.
- Going to the Army-Navy game 4x
- Taking a "field trip" to the Holocaust and the USMC museum
- Going on a USNA sponsor Spring Break hiking trip on the Appalachian trail.
- Traveling about 8 weekends a year with the Ultimate Frisbee team (lots of clubs travel)
- Sea Trials (16 hours of continuous fun physical training where midshipmen get to pretend they are Navy Seals going through BUDs)
- Climbing Herndon with my best friends
- Going to Busch Gardens with a few of my company mates
- Touring a Submarine
- Spending the summer in Norfolk, VA on a ship. I got to spent a lot of time having fun in Virginia Beach while on this training.
- Running the Marine Corps Marathon with my company mates.
- Traveling to the South Bend, IN to watch the Norte Dame vs. Navy game on the academy's dime.
-Traveling to Memphis, TN to watch Navy's Bowl game on the academy's dime
- I almost got a chance to study abroad in Africa if it wasn't for COVID. (I assume this would have been very fun) This opportunity would likely be available if you attended USNA.
- Living at Saint Johns College while attending USNA ............. lots of stories
- Camping at Assateague Beach, where wild horses roam around your tent
- Flying off an aircraft carrier in a MH-60 Seahawk and C-2 Greyhound
- Spending time in a Nuclear Reactor
- Helping develop the Class of 2025 as a plebe summer detailer
- Getting invite to have dinner with several high ranking officers in their homes
- Going to a popular California National Park with a company mate
- Traveling across the country over winter leave to visit a company mate
- Hearing lots of great speakers talk about leadership and the future of or military
- Traveling to NYC with my company mates on 3 separate occasions.
- Finding several influential mentors & finding mentees that I enjoy mentoring

I could double this list- if not triple. Attending USNA has definitely shaped me into a better leader and person. It has also given me many cool experiences I would not have had if I stay at my prior civilian college. It is often challenging, but there is still plenty of time to have fun. Every mid's experience is a little different so if you talk to another midshipmen they would likely mention many cool experiences I didn't have. One thing I would like to emphasize is that USNA will allow you to travel, and go to cool places, but many of my best memories are simply with my company mates fooling around in Bancroft Hall.
 
People figure out ways to have a little fun wherever they are. Penitentiary inmates might have fun playing cards. I bet if you were stranded on a desserted island you’d figure out ways to entertain yourself. Part of being human and a way of embracing the suck. I think some posts further above are talking about that sort of fun. You’ll encounter stressors and annoyances, but you’ll be in it with your classmates so you’ll just laugh about it.

But under a simpler definition of fun, activities that you’ll actually really enjoy, it depends on what you like to do. But I’d probably say not a whole lot, though there are definitely some moments like Temple described. But those are the exception to a typical day.

For example on a weekday you can’t just decide you’re gonna go meet people from class to study and chat during lunch. Until your 2/C year you won’t go out to bars on the weekends, if that’s your thing. Even if you don’t have a class until 11, you won’t stay up late watching TV with your friends because you need to wake up for formation at 6:45. Dating isn’t as common as at other colleges. And you have limited time for extracurricular clubs. Basically the time commitments on you cause you to have less opportunities to do whatever you want.

I’d say the focus is much more on becoming friends with the people in your company and then trying to see the positive in the stuff you’re forced to do. Enjoy playing intramural flag football. Complain about parade practice. Wake up early for a workout. Then take what little free time you do have on the weekends and dictate your own fun. If you’re lucky enough not to have duty on the weekend, plan a trip to DC or NYC.
 
Kierkegaard said:
People figure out ways to have a little fun wherever they are. Penitentiary inmates might have fun playing cards. I bet if you were stranded on a desserted island you’d figure out ways to entertain yourself. Part of being human and a way of embracing the suck. I think some posts further above are talking about that sort of fun. You’ll encounter stressors and annoyances, but you’ll be in it with your classmates so you’ll just laugh about it.

But under a simpler definition of fun, activities that you’ll actually really enjoy, it depends on what you like to do. But I’d probably say not a whole lot, though there are definitely some moments like Temple described. But those are the exception to a typical day.

For example on a weekday you can’t just decide you’re gonna go meet people from class to study and chat during lunch. Until your 2/C year you won’t go out to bars on the weekends, if that’s your thing. Even if you don’t have a class until 11, you won’t stay up late watching TV with your friends becayse you need to wake up for formation at 6:45. Dating isn’t as common as at other colleges. And you have limited time for extracurricular clubs. Basically the time commitments on you cause you to have less opportunities to do whatever you want.

I’d say the focus is much more on becoming friends with the people in your company and then trying to see the positive in the stuff you’re forced to do. Enjoy playing intramural flag football. Complain about parade practice. Wake up early for a workout. Then take what little free time you do have on the weekends and dictate your own fun. If you’re lucky enough not to have duty on the weekend, plan a trip to DC or NYC.
Click to expand...
A reminder to find your people and spend time with them. Find your tribe. The peeps that relax like you do, chill out like out you. Find your study group. Find your runaway off campus tribe.
 
My DD is 4C at CGA and had her best day yet last weekend when the campus closed for snow and covid. They made forts, slid down hills, lots of goofy snowmen, huge snowball fights and generally carried on before second semester started back up. One of her roomies had never seen snow so the NH and MN buddies got to introduce her. You just have to keep your eyes open for the moments that present themselves.
 
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