Current Female Plebe - AMA

[SA25]

I know a year ago I was checking this page religiously to gleam any addition information to help me make my decision on attending USMA, so I would like to offer the opportunity to share my experience so far. I also remember having questions specifically about being a female at a largely male school. Please feel free to ask me anything.

 

[Swimmergirl2029]

How do you deal with the monthly problem during beast? (if you know what I mean) Also what is your daily schedule like?

 

[scout11005]

What would you say are the most important tips to prepare for Beast in your opinion? I know running and physical training are super important, but is there anything else you recommend?

 

[TiTiger]

For Beast, do you think it is better to have shorter hair (just past shoulder) and put it in a ponytail or longer hair to do a braid or bun?

 

[prospective2019]

How do you deal with the monthly problem during beast? (if you know what I mean)

I have stuck to a piece of advice I received during my time at SLE almost four years ago:
"Find and use the biggest tampon you can and suck it up."

Unfortunately there is not much sympathy here for menstrual cramps/issues. It is something you will learn to handle. Your CBT cadre will carry tampons/pads and you will be allowed to use the restroom as needed. Ibuprofen is regularly available. Everyone is mature about it. It's not fun, but it is something you will figure out. Thousands of women in the Army have.

 

[F4EF15]

@OP
Thank you for your consideration!
There are some great input about boots and socks in this SA forum. But all the recommendations are for Men's boots complying with AR670-1.
Do you have any recommendations for new female cadets in terms of good boots for CBT?

The following list for boots recommended by SAF members.

1. Garmont Men's T8 Bifida
2. Belleville Men's Khyber TR550
3. Reebok Men's Sublite Cushion RB8808
4. Nike SFB Gen 2 8" Leather
5. Oakley Men's Light Assault 2

Socks:
1. Fox River Socks
2. Darn Tough Tactical Boots Socks

Any recommendations would be highly appreciated.

 

[SA25]

How do you deal with the monthly problem during beast? (if you know what I mean) Also what is your daily schedule like?

Periods during Beast:
Honestly, I didn't find dealing with periods to be a big deal. I would plan on bringing plenty of tampons because you will be moving around constantly. All of the cadre (the upperclassmen who are in charge of you) are super understanding when it comes to anything health related such as periods. I remember the cadre pulled all the girls aside and told us if we ever need a tampon or need to go to the bathroom to deal with period problems to just ask. Even the male cadets were super open, casual, and helpful about it. Feel free to DM me if you have more specific questions.

Daily Schedule (during Academic Year):
Everyone's daily schedule is going to vary slightly based on what activities you are involved in. For me, I wake up around 05:50 to get dressed for plebe duties at 06:00. Then the plebes have to call minutes (basically act of the upperclassmen's alarm clock) around 06:40 for formation at 07:00. Plebes have mandatory breakfast from 07:00 - 07:20. I typically then go to my first class which starts at 07:40. Everyone has lunch formation and lunch at 12:00 - 12:20. I have class most of the day, but usually am done by 15:30. Typically after my school day is done is when I go workout. A lot of cadets go to practices for their teams right after school. Dinner is optional; it it a buffet that goes from 17:30- 20:00. Most days I go to bed between 22:30 and 23:00.

 

[SA25]

For Beast, do you think it is better to have shorter hair (just past shoulder) and put it in a ponytail or longer hair to do a braid or bun?

This is a big personal preference one. I had long hair my senior year of high school and decided to cut it short for Beast (a pixie cut). One of the big deciding factors for me was I hate wearing my hair in buns. I have thick hair so I get a headache if I leave it pulled in a tight bun all day. But the regulation has changed to allow braids and pony tails, so if I knew that coming in I'm not sure if I would have cut my hair or not. Honestly, it made my life super easy during Beast. I got a couple extra minutes of sleep than my roommate and had one less thing to worry about. I would just roll out of bed and be ready to go. I was concerned about being judged for cutting my hair, but no one care. They couldn't care less about whether you have long or short hair.
As far as long hair vs shoulder length hair I would recommend shoulder length. The pony tail will save you time compared to the braid or bun and will be easier to deal with when in the field.

 

[SA25]

@OP
Thank you for your consideration!
There are some great input about boots and socks in this SA forum. But all the recommendations are for Men's boots complying with AR670-1.
Do you have any recommendations for new female cadets in terms of good boots for CBT?

The following list for boots recommended by SAF members.

1. Garmont Men's T8 Bifida
2. Belleville Men's Khyber TR550
3. Reebok Men's Sublite Cushion RB8808
4. Nike SFB Gen 2 8" Leather
5. Oakley Men's Light Assault 2

Socks:
1. Fox River Socks
2. Darn Tough Tactical Boots Socks

Any recommendations would be highly appreciated.

My biggest recommendation as far as boots go would be to try them. There was not a military base close to my home town to go try all the different types of boots on, so I ordered multiple pairs to compare them and then returned all but my favorite. I found that certain boots that people raved about fit my feet in weird ways. For example, the most common boots here are the garmonts but when I tried them on they dug into my ankle bone. I have Rocky's which I love, but everyone's foot is different. For socks, those are both great options. I would not underwrite the importance of good socks. They make such a difference. I wore Fox River socks for most of Beast and they worked great.

 

[MidCakePa]

My biggest recommendation as far as boots go would be to try them.

+10 to this. Don’t go by what your fellow cadets say. Go by what your feet say. The army lives on its feet (along with its stomach). DS is on AROTC scholarship and it’s not unusual for morning training to include an 8-mile ruck at 14-minute pace. Your feet must be happy, or you’ll be miserable.

 

[sunnysqui]

What physical activity do you take part of? I'm very active but not going as part of any athletic team and am unsure what teams to join/try out for, especially since intramural sports are more guy dominated.

 

[F4EF15]

My biggest recommendation as far as boots go would be to try them. There was not a military base close to my home town to go try all the different types of boots on, so I ordered multiple pairs to compare them and then returned all but my favorite. I found that certain boots that people raved about fit my feet in weird ways. For example, the most common boots here are the garmonts but when I tried them on they dug into my ankle bone. I have Rocky's which I love, but everyone's foot is different. For socks, those are both great options. I would not underwrite the importance of good socks. They make such a difference. I wore Fox River socks for most of Beast and they worked great.

Thank you so much! My child will join the CBT this June. We have not thought about the returns. It's smart to use the Amazon Prime with free return policies. Thank you!

 

[SA25]

What physical activity do you take part of? I'm very active but not going as part of any athletic team and am unsure what teams to join/try out for, especially since intramural sports are more guy dominated.

Once the academic year starts there will be a club night. I would highly recommend attending and talking to as many clubs as possible. Most will require an insane physical tryout that is intended to weed out the people who don't truly want to be there. I've been rock climbing for almost six years, so naturally I tried out for the mountaineering team. I managed to get through the physical tryout and make the team (despite not being the best performer in the physical tryout, often they look more for your willingness to keep going through the suck). I absolutely love the team and the culture.
Intramural sports are definitely male dominated. All NCAA sports teams and some competitive club teams will get you out of intramurals (we call them company athletics) but otherwise they are required. Since the mountaineering team doesn't compete I am still required to participate in company athletics (which is typically for about 2 month in the fall and 2 months in spring and 2 days a week). Honestly, it is a fun a way to get to know your company as long as you go into it with a positive attitude.

 

[SA25]

What would you say are the most important tips to prepare for Beast in your opinion? I know running and physical training are super important, but is there anything else you recommend?

There are a couple pieces of advice I received before Beast that helped my gain confidence going in that I am going to share with you.
1. First piece of general advice: Never break the honor code and never quit, any other mistake you make is miniscule compared to either of these effort based things.

2. The Army is going to make you into what they need. Yes, your experience will be a lot more pleasant if you arrive in great physical shape, but that being said if you don't arrive in peak physical shape you will be molded into the soldier they want. What I mean by that is you can arrive as a slow runner and be just fine. It will suck because you will be pushed to reach your peak running ability but you can make it.

3. Be a good teammate. The people in your squad and platoon during beast will be the same people you will be living side by side with during the school year. Focus on being a good teammate to everyone and giving them the benefit of the doubt. Everyone is going to be stressed; sometimes people behave poorly under stress. I would urge you to remember that and be generous in your judgments of people during the first few weeks. In addition, make an active effort not to burn any bridges. You will probably have disagreements will your classmates but make an effort to forgive and forget. You will be living with these people for much of your cadet career and possibly working with them for your entire Army career.

4. Consider how you will feel when things get tough. You're going to be hungry and tired at some point. I would take time to reflect on the emotions you are going to feel in that moment and how you are going to motivate yourself to keep going. This was something I didn't do before Beast and wished I did. When your tired, lonely, and hungry it easy to consider quitting, so I encourage you to write down why you chose to came to WP. Write down your "why" and remember it in those moments when it sucks.

 

[Pops44]

There are a couple pieces of advice I received before Beast that helped my gain confidence going in that I am going to share with you.
1. First piece of general advice: Never break the honor code and never quit, any other mistake you make is miniscule compared to either of these effort based things.

2. The Army is going to make you into what they need. Yes, your experience will be a lot more pleasant if you arrive in great physical shape, but that being said if you don't arrive in peak physical shape you will be molded into the soldier they want. What I mean by that is you can arrive as a slow runner and be just fine. It will suck because you will be pushed to reach your peak running ability but you can make it.

3. Be a good teammate. The people in your squad and platoon during beast will be the same people you will be living side by side with during the school year. Focus on being a good teammate to everyone and giving them the benefit of the doubt. Everyone is going to be stressed; sometimes people behave poorly under stress. I would urge you to remember that and be generous in your judgments of people during the first few weeks. In addition, make an active effort not to burn any bridges. You will probably have disagreements will your classmates but make an effort to forgive and forget. You will be living with these people for much of your cadet career and possibly working with them for your entire Army career.

4. Consider how you will feel when things get tough. You're going to be hungry and tired at some point. I would take time to reflect on the emotions you are going to feel in that moment and how you are going to motivate yourself to keep going. This was something I didn't do before Beast and wished I did. When your tired, lonely, and hungry it easy to consider quitting, so I encourage you to write down why you chose to came to WP. Write down your "why" and remember it in those moments when it sucks.

Excellent advice!!!

 

[USMA*DAD*2026]

There are a couple pieces of advice I received before Beast that helped my gain confidence going in that I am going to share with you.
1. First piece of general advice: Never break the honor code and never quit, any other mistake you make is miniscule compared to either of these effort based things.

2. The Army is going to make you into what they need. Yes, your experience will be a lot more pleasant if you arrive in great physical shape, but that being said if you don't arrive in peak physical shape you will be molded into the soldier they want. What I mean by that is you can arrive as a slow runner and be just fine. It will suck because you will be pushed to reach your peak running ability but you can make it.

3. Be a good teammate. The people in your squad and platoon during beast will be the same people you will be living side by side with during the school year. Focus on being a good teammate to everyone and giving them the benefit of the doubt. Everyone is going to be stressed; sometimes people behave poorly under stress. I would urge you to remember that and be generous in your judgments of people during the first few weeks. In addition, make an active effort not to burn any bridges. You will probably have disagreements will your classmates but make an effort to forgive and forget. You will be living with these people for much of your cadet career and possibly working with them for your entire Army career.

4. Consider how you will feel when things get tough. You're going to be hungry and tired at some point. I would take time to reflect on the emotions you are going to feel in that moment and how you are going to motivate yourself to keep going. This was something I didn't do before Beast and wished I did. When your tired, lonely, and hungry it easy to consider quitting, so I encourage you to write down why you chose to came to WP. Write down your "why" and remember it in those moments when it sucks.

Fantastic. Well written