going to Aim
My daughter went to AIM 2 years ago and just finished her first year at the academy. I am a college instructor at a public university so I am very familiar with your feelings.
If you were admitted to AIM and you think you might want to go to the USCGA, you really need to attend AIM. It gives you a VERY good idea of what the academy is like. This isn't a program where they are trying to convince you to attend the Academy, instead they are showing you what life will be like there. And it is a VERY different life than that at a civilian college....not better or worse, just different.
Only you can decide if this is the type of environment you wish to be in for the next 4 years. And you won't know till you attend AIM. It's the best way to find out. Too many college students (civilian and military) have no idea what they are really getting into when they go to college. The USCGA does a good job, and should be commended, for not sugar coating things......AIM lets you know what it will be like.
Some people find they don't like the service academy life, just like some students find they don't like civilian college. Others decide then and there that this is the life for them. This is a great chance to find out.
And don't worry about what everyone else is like and how you compare to them. You got admitted to AIM, so the USCG thinks you have what it takes...and I am sure you do. This is all about you...how you feel, what you want.....your feelings and expectations.
Getting into a life changing situation like a service academy is a big decision, and you need all the information that you can gather. Books, forums, websites, etc.. are a great way to gather some of that information, but AIM is where you really feel what it is like.
My daughter really looked forward to going to AIM......but at the end of it she wasn't so sure..... On the long drive home (14 hours), and for the rest of the summer she thought about what was good and bad, and decided for herself that she really wanted to attend the USCGA. She applied and was eventually admitted, (2 medical denials and 2 waivers needed!). She would not have been able to make such an informed decision without attending AIM.
Her first year was tough, but she knew what to expect (having attended AIM), and learned to fit in. She soon realized that this is where she belonged and where she wanted to spend her college career and beyond......and it all started with AIM. She is now convinced it was the best decision she ever made!
So realize that you should be nervous, but don't let that stop you. Everyone is nervous when facing the unknown.....and realize that at AIM you aren't really being tested, you aren't being compared to others.....you are learning what it will be like if you choose to attend the USCGA......
Whether you enjoy it or not, and whether or not you ever attend the Academy, you will learn much about the USCGA and about yourself when you attend AIM. So if you are seriously interested in the Academy, I would suggest you attend AIM. And if you decide not to attend the Academy that's fine too.......you sound like an intelligent student.....you just need to find the college/lifestyle that works for you.
You don't want to turn down ur appointment and then regret down the road that u arent putting forth ur 100% Don't you want to see what your made out of, really test yourself,and(no comments) "be all you can be"? I'm glad i made the choice to go to The Citadel, and i cant wait to really test myself this August. I was scared, but now im not. I'm excited, and you should be too.