Current AFROTC senior (AS400/engineer) with a few advice
1. Time management is KEY
- Treat ROTC as your second job (primary being a student). You will have less time to pursue other things (social or academic) unlike your peers. Realize this early on and take care of yourself, but also make sure you are utilizing every possible resources you are offered. Calendars, reminders, alarms are few things you need to use effectively and efficiently. Welcome to expectations and responsibilities.
- My first year joining AFROTC and balancing it with electrical engineering curriculum (graduating in 4 years) was a struggle until I reached the conclusion that I need to use my time effectively. Set goals and expectations of yourself in milestones. You don't have to share this with anyone but keep it true to yourself (i.e. finish class 1 HW by Mon, review class 2 materials by Tues noon, send email to X by Wed evening etc)
2. Communication is KEY
- I personally didn't have much problem with this, but I see so many freshmen (and upperclassmen!) being so bad with this. The expectation in the Air Force is when you receive a correspondence (email, text, call etc), you reply within 24 hours, if not earlier depending on the urgency of the situation. As a supervisor, I hate having to send reminders and admonish the cadets I'm in charge of when they forget to either get back to me or miss a suspense. If you foresee a problem meeting a deadline, you need to let your supervisor know. They aren't mind-readers.
- Set push notifications on your phone or computer. If this bothers you, learn to check your phone very frequently for any urgent messages from ROTC. Our detachment constantly does recall exercises and it's embarrassing when a cadet fails to answer his/her phone and gets back to us 24+ hours later.
- When I interned for a major defense contractor this past summer, I realized 90% of the "engineering" work wasn't engineering - in fact, you only use ~10% of the "academic" knowledge but the other 90% is communication skills. Be good with it, be prompt, and be efficient.
3. Work Ethic is KEY
- Half-assing your job is no longer tolerated. Not only will the cadre and the POC, as well as other members in your GMC class see through this, but you are cheating yourself. If you made the choice to go through training to become an officer in this USAF, you need to step it up and ensure you give your absolute best. Excellence in All We Do
- You are being evaluated 24/7 as a cadet. You will stand out if you go above and beyond to serve the detachment (think special projects, helping out the POC/cadre etc)
- The MINIMUM GPA shouldn't be the goal. Your goal should be a PERFECT GPA. Don't set a threshold where you will be complacent - this goes for academic, FA, etc
- On tangent to the GPA, a lot of PDT (Professional Development Training) opportunities require a minimum GPA much higher than 2.0/2.5. Now that ALL of AFROTC cadets have to participate in AFROTC authorized PDT programs, make sure you are keeping up your GPA. Remember. You are a student first, cadet second (no degree, no commission). Some examples of PDTs that require a min GPA: LEDx (3.0), NRO internship (3.5).
- Scholarships also require a minimum cGPA & tGPA
I apologize if I made it a bit intimidating, but we're in the business of securing our nation's defense. This comes at a cost. I laud your decision to join AFROTC - thank you. Please let me know if you have any additional questions.
