Just finished NROTC NSI Cycle 2... Ask Me Anything

How much did you have to remember (like paragraphs or stuff like that)? I just did AIM. How much did you run? How much did you yell and when? Did you take classes? What are meal times like? This is more out of curiosity but is the food good?
 
I can also speak to the experience, as I also just graduated cycle two. Bravo 1st Platoon for the win!

I must say, ROM was the worst part. I was preparing myself for a much more intense physical onslaught, but the true killer of NSI seemed to be the "psychological warfare" of surviving two weeks of doing nothing.
 
Alreadymade said:
How much did you have to remember (like paragraphs or stuff like that)? I just did AIM. How much did you run? How much did you yell and when? Did you take classes? What are meal times like? This is more out of curiosity but is the food good?
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We received a Gouge Book with about 50 pages of content we were actually expected to know. About a quarter of that is gouge that you have to be able to recite verbatim. This includes USN and USMC rank structures, general orders, leadership qualities, chain of command, Anchors Aweigh and The Marines Hymn, the constitutional paradigm and hierarchy of loyalties, the sailor's creed. I feel like I have only a slightly above average memory, but the majority of our ROM (Restriction of Movement) was spent standing at attention with gouge books in our faces studying, so it was doable. Being able to keep bearing and perform under pressure is the most important aspect of it. Even if you didn't know the answer, being able to sound off (yell) and give a proper response might be enough to get you (and your shipmates) off the hook. But if it was wk 2 or 3 and you didn't know your gouge, you would get blasted. If you're a "nonhacker" (can't perform under pressure) you won't have a fun time.

As for running, we did actual run events 3 different times. But they make you move with urgency (powerwalk) all over the place. We only got to take our masks off during actual PT, and I can't count the number of times we got IT'd (doing punishment exercises) or had to power walk up the stairs and back into our barracks and I felt like I was going to die because I couldn't breathe because we had to keep our masks on.

Yelling....if you don't know how to use your diaphragm to sound off, you better learn now. It was genuinely frustrating to me to listen as my shipmates struggled with this. You are expected to always sound off.

Classes, yes during ROM we received daily (sometimes more) briefs from NROTC grad Ensigns on a variety of topics. You were expected to take notes, and a lot of that knowledge was on our final exam.

Food was average. Not outstanding, but not awful. During ROM, portions were small. We always had just enough time to eat, but you had to do it quickly. Don't listen to what anyone else says, the MREs were the best meals we had.
 
The_DeLorean said:
We received a Gouge Book with about 50 pages of content we were actually expected to know. About a quarter of that is gouge that you have to be able to recite verbatim. This includes USN and USMC rank structures, general orders, leadership qualities, chain of command, Anchors Aweigh and The Marines Hymn, the constitutional paradigm and hierarchy of loyalties, the sailor's creed. I feel like I have only a slightly above average memory, but the majority of our ROM (Restriction of Movement) was spent standing at attention with gouge books in our faces studying, so it was doable. Being able to keep bearing and perform under pressure is the most important aspect of it. Even if you didn't know the answer, being able to sound off (yell) and give a proper response might be enough to get you (and your shipmates) off the hook. But if it was wk 2 or 3 and you didn't know your gouge, you would get blasted. If you're a "nonhacker" (can't perform under pressure) you won't have a fun time.

As for running, we did actual run events 3 different times. But they make you move with urgency (powerwalk) all over the place. We only got to take our masks off during actual PT, and I can't count the number of times we got IT'd (doing punishment exercises) or had to power walk up the stairs and back into our barracks and I felt like I was going to die because I couldn't breathe because we had to keep our masks on.

Yelling....if you don't know how to use your diaphragm to sound off, you better learn now. It was genuinely frustrating to me to listen as my shipmates struggled with this. You are expected to always sound off.

Classes, yes during ROM we received daily (sometimes more) briefs from NROTC grad Ensigns on a variety of topics. You were expected to take notes, and a lot of that knowledge was on our final exam.

Food was average. Not outstanding, but not awful. During ROM, portions were small. We always had just enough time to eat, but you had to do it quickly. Don't listen to what anyone else says, the MREs were the best meals we had.
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My DD just graduated as well! (Bravo 2)

She agrees that the power walking was miserable. She was one that had a hard time eating fast. From what she said, be prepared to move fast (5 min showers, 12 min to eat). ROM was terrible she said. The absolute worst.

As far as food, she said breakfast during ROM was great - wasn't super healthy though... pancakes and french toast. You didn't like that?? LOL

I was glad to read in her letters that she got to a point where she realized that getting yelled at didn't necessarily mean that you did anything wrong. It is an "indoctrination" after all. Sometimes you get yelled at just to get yelled at.

Congratulations to you and the other MIDN. You're no longer candidates! :)
 
Alreadymade said:
How much did you have to remember (like paragraphs or stuff like that)? I just did AIM. How much did you run? How much did you yell and when? Did you take classes? What are meal times like? This is more out of curiosity but is the food good?
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You had to remember quite a bit of knowledge. You had to remember a lot of important dates and facts about the USN and USMC, you also had to know the general orders of a sentry(look up) verbatim. You had to “know” about 50 pages worth of stuff, but only a few things verbatim.

I’m a runner, so I didn’t think the running was bad. We did a 3.5 hour “run” where we stopped every 45 seconds to do push-ups and planks etc, which was nuts. I enjoyed it though. That was during the first day of non-ROM, and a bunch of people Dropped the training after the run.

you were yelling 24/7. Every response was “aye aye midshipman(or gunnery sergeant/chief etc)” at the top of your lungs.

we had a few lectures, I would say almost every day we sat down for a brief on something. Also before evolutions like swimming and firearms we were in the classroom for a little. It was nice to be off your feet and be in a non-stressful environment.

3 square meals a day. On days where we did PT(almost every day) we had trail mix at like 2:30. During rom the meals were small, so you were hungry, but during the real NSI you had as much as you want. Food was really good too.
 
How long is ROM? Then, after ROM what is the length and outline of the rest of NSI?
 
@Flyer1700 you did a nice job giving insights without divulging too much information. Sounds like a really good program (Covid precautions, notwithstanding....). Well done completing this first phase of your Navy/Marine Corps ROTC training.
 
NJROTC-CC said:
How long is ROM? Then, after ROM what is the length and outline of the rest of NSI?
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ROM was 2 weeks long, then the following 2 weeks were "the real NSI"

We would get up at 0430, go to PT, march to chow, then from about 0730-1200 we would be doing a "training evolution", like swim qualifications or marksmanship training. Then from 1200-1730 we would go to chow and do drill practice with the gunnery sergeants pretty much for 4 hours. After dinner show at around 1800 the rest of the day was in the barracks cleaning, doing uniform stuff, a lot more laid back stuff.

ROM sucked, second 2 weeks didn't
 
Curious how many started / finished in this year’s NSI Cycle 2. Did about 10% drop like prior sessions? Was there a graduation video? They usually highlight these details in that ceremony. Thanks!
 
Herman_Snerd said:
Curious how many started / finished in this year’s NSI Cycle 2. Did about 10% drop like prior sessions? Was there a graduation video? They usually highlight these details in that ceremony. Thanks!
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If I remember correctly, it was something like 348 started and 316 graduated. My DD said most were due to medical issues. A couple injuries that she knew of so not sure if they will actually be DOR'd but recycled (from what she heard). Although I'm not sure how that would work. Hopefully they will be well enough to join their unit for NSO.
 
Flyer1700 said:
Title! The craziest experience of my life, by far. Can't wait to share
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Congratulations, where are you going to school? MO? my hopes of NSI got shot down when they said SMC students don’t get to go. Out of the 4 kids that got nrotc scholarships only 1 went to NSI
 
csNuke said:
Congratulations, where are you going to school? MO? my hopes of NSI got shot down when they said SMC students don’t get to go. Out of the 4 kids that got nrotc scholarships only 1 went to NSI
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Too bad everyone does not get to go. But SMC students get a lot more extra training during their four years. Even NJROTC students get way more training in four years of high school than new mids get in 2-4 weeks of NSI. Only so much training can be given in the short time of NSI. What you missed you will catch up on. So don’t worry. There will plenty of opportunities to train.
 
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csNuke said:
Congratulations, where are you going to school? MO? my hopes of NSI got shot down when they said SMC students don’t get to go. Out of the 4 kids that got nrotc scholarships only 1 went to NSI
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Seems like a bunch of peoples units had the same phenomenon. Going to uRochester, but haven’t heard of anyone else from my unit that went. Glad I went though, greatest thing that I’d never do again!
 
kimchee432 said:
If I remember correctly, it was something like 348 started and 316 graduated. My DD said most were due to medical issues. A couple injuries that she knew of so not sure if they will actually be DOR'd but recycled (from what she heard). Although I'm not sure how that would work. Hopefully they will be well enough to join their unit for NSO.
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Lots of people faked injuries and illness throughout the training, unfortunately. You had to complete 8 out of the 10 training evolutions in order to graduate. So some didn’t complete that mark
 
My daughter cut her hair to above collar to not have to mess with the bun dynamic. I will defer to the female Midshipmen to weigh in their thoughts. Apparently, it was quite challenging to have to burn precious time to keep the bun right.
 
CGAUX said:
My daughter cut her hair to above collar to not have to mess with the bun dynamic. I will defer to the female Midshipmen to weigh in their thoughts. Apparently, it was quite challenging to have to burn precious time to keep the bun right.
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My daughter has short hair but after NSI she decided she wants to grow it out. I think she's having a hard time only using 2 visible bobby pins and figuring out how to make it look acceptable without it going shorter than she wants. I know the girls woke up extra early to make sure they had time to do their hair. From what she said, I'm not sure that shorter was necessarily easier (at least in my DD's case).
 
Flyer1700 said:
Lots of people faked injuries and illness throughout the training, unfortunately. You had to complete 8 out of the 10 training evolutions in order to graduate. So some didn’t complete that mark
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REALLY?!? That surprises me. I guess some people wanted to use that as an excuse to leave instead of just admitting that they couldn't handle it or they decided it wasn't the life for them.
 
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