How much sleep does an average SMC cadet get?

[TheMochiKid]

Specifically VMI and Citadel, but I'm also curious about the other four too. Also, does your sleep schedule change over the weekends or summer training?

 

[VMI2017+3]

Taps is at 2330 on “school” nights. As a Rat, I woke up at 0600. Rats aren’t allowed to stay up past taps for school work, but it happens sometimes.

As an upperclassman it varies a lot based on major, time management, and involvement with other things. I was an engineering major (we normally get the least sleep), but I almost always capitalized on my weekends to get lots of stuff done allowing me to be in the rack before Taps most nights. For people who like to have their weekend as a break, they got substantially less sleep. Some people also needed to take more time to learn things. I woke up around 0630-0645.

Full disclosure: I was an anomaly in getting this much sleep, but it’s possible and that was my experience.

 

[shadow18]

Citadel knob here. Taps are played at 2300. Unlike VMI we can stay awake as long as possible. First few weeks my time management sucked and I was not going to sleep until around 0300. Now I am usually in bed by 0000. I wake up at 0500. This is just for school days. It also depends on your roommate. My first semester roommate would stay on the phone till 0100 in the morning keeping me up with her. Sleep deprivation is a thing that you will experience here no matter what. As a knob you cannot be in your bed or even out of the uniform of the day until after taps.


On weekends of leave (when we have no duties) you do not even have to get up. You can sleep all day long if you desire.

 

[VMI2017+3]

Forgot to address weekends. Formations are still a thing on the weekends except Sunday morning. You could sleep in Sunday morning, but most Rats get up for church. Echoing the previous post, there’s no avoiding sleep deprivation the first year....

 

[G0navybeat@rmy]

Cadet at UNG, Taps is at midnight, and on M/W/F we wake up for PT around 0545 and around 0615 on T/R

 

[Landy91]

Citadel knob here. Unlike VMI we can stay awake as long as possible. My first semester roommate would stay on the phone till 0100 in the morning keeping me up with her.
On weekends of leave (when we have no duties) you do not even have to get up. You can sleep all day long if you desire.

@25Grad ^^^Big differences here. You won’t have a phone as a Rat and you most likely will only have part of Saturdays and/or Sundays off. VMI is a unique place, but no doubt the other SMCs have their own set of unique time management issues as well... Anywhere you go you will have to learn the magic of prioritization. For example, not spending hours each night polishing your brass/shining your shoes then doing 15 minutes of homework by flashlight! Instead, spend 15 minutes during the course of the day shining your shoes/polishing your brass, then allocating the most and PROPER time for studies. In my experience, cadets who learned early or planned ahead to manage their time properly were the most successful. Hope that helps.

 

[Very Petty]

Virginia Tech rat here,

We turn in 19 days. On an average morning I get up at 0630 to get ready for formation. Formation is at 0700 every morning.

At night, we are not required to go to evening taps. Although it is played at 2300, I am usually in bed by 0000. from 1900 - 2300 every weeknight we have ECQ (Evening Call to Quarters). This is time spent in our room dedicated to academics.

Most nights I do request Early Lights. This allows me to go to bed early. Usually you take early lights when you have PT at 0500 in the morning.

I would say that I get about 6 - 6 1/2 hours of sleep per night.

 

[Bushrod]

Virginia Tech rat here,

We turn in 19 days. On an average morning I get up at 0630 to get ready for formation. Formation is at 0700 every morning.

At night, we are not required to go to evening taps. Although it is played at 2300, I am usually in bed by 0000. from 1900 - 2300 every weeknight we have ECQ (Evening Call to Quarters). This is time spent in our room dedicated to academics.

Most nights I do request Early Lights. This allows me to go to bed early. Usually you take early lights when you have PT at 0500 in the morning.

I would say that I get about 6 - 6 1/2 hours of sleep per night.

This is really helpful, thank you.

Unrelated question. Hypothetically speaking, if someone were to show up at new cadet week with his own boots, what brand would not stick out?

 

[QC1]

Standard issue Army boots would most likely be what the Rats are issued. Recommend calling the VMI Quartermaster who can give you a definitive answer.

 

[Very Petty]

This is really helpful, thank you.

Unrelated question. Hypothetically speaking, if someone were to show up at new cadet week with his own boots, what brand would not stick out?

So,

If you are looking for some boots that would be good, I would get danner tachyon boots, they look pretty similar to the issue boots.

If you are AROTC/NROTC-MO, definitely get Danner Tachyon boots. (More support and firmness needed for rucking)
If you are NROTC/AFROTC, get Oakley Light Assault Boots. (Basically a brown tennis shoe, really comfortable, horrible for rucking)

That being said, I would wear the issue boots during new cadet week an then use your new ones after new cadet week. "Personal Boot Privilege" is something they give out. I do not quite remember when we got that privilege, but I do know that other rats in my company wore danner tachyons after New Cadet week and they did not catch shade.

But use the issue boots during NCW, they're not that bad, but not great. Just switch out after New Cadet Week.

Hope this answered you question.

Edit: I just checked and the boots issued to us were Propper series 100 f4508.

 

[Bushrod]

Thank you, Very Petty. Incredibly helpful!