Senior Military Colleges are not for everyone. The SMC environment is hard, structured, stressful, mentally and physically challenging with the goal of producing military officers. And while many SMC graduates do not pursue a military career, they are trained as military officers (Senior Military Colleges).
When my son decided to attend an SMC I told him that if HE decides to attend to do his research, make sure it is what HE wants and if HE decides HE wants to attend don’t call me wanting to quit because of the so-called hazing. I told him it is all a game. IGNORE it and drive onto the objective. If you make the decision learn from the experience be a man and see it through.
He spoke to SMC alumni and they told him that “academics comes first and the best thing to do is to blend in and learn how to be a team player. It is a game. When you’re being ripped into cuss them to yourself, laugh at them in your mind, but don’t let them beat you it is a game.” All of the alumni he spoke with would do it all over again and he spoke to many alumni from different SMCs.
On his overnight trip he was told a bunch of stories about what to expect. To many people the stories of what cadets endure have no place in modern society. But the cadets joke about it, they know the upper classman are playing a game that is part of the system and say that working with their classmates to get through has created a strong bond, helped them build team building skills and learn leadership skills. They also told him “academics come first and the best thing to do is to blend in and learn how to be a team player. It is a game. When you’re being ripped into cuss them to yourself, laugh at them in your mind, but don’t let them beat you it is a game.“ See the trend.
Like in every institution not just colleges, there are some bad apples that take things to the extreme. SMCs administrations work hard to provide a safe environment, have checks and balances in place and they work to ensure that isolated incidents are handled in the right manner. I have researched and I have not found SMCs to have larger incidents of HAZING than other institutions. Again SMCs aren’t for everyone and one man’s hazing is another man’s learning experience.
Do your research beforehand and if you or your parents are not comfortable with the so-called SMC hazing then don’t attend an SMC. There are many good not military institutions. My son found SMC to be a challenge that will prepare him to be successful in life and in the military.