Just Some Academy Life Questions

TexMex2022

TexMex2022

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Nov 2, 2017
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** Disclaimer: None of the answers will affect my current decision to join USNA I just want to get a feel for what I am in for / things to look forward to
PS: I am a big money and budgeting guy so I know the bits I've read from the Budget Book 2016-17 but I don't know much else of USNA **

I. I heard there is a rank structure in the Academy; could someone elaborate on what they entail and mean as a MIDN?

II. When I visited there were many different types of rooms within the Company. Would someone care to explain the typical Compamy rooms / accommodations?

III. I heard of places on Yard like "Drydock" and the "Mid Store" that I did not see during my visit. I looked them up but why would a MIDN spend money in those places? (I may not yet know the struggles of MID life that would justify this)

IV. Lastly, how do MIDs afford stuff as I've seen around campus--with a EOM pay of only $50--and;
IVb. If I were by some miracle able to recieve $8,500 in scholarships to pay off the ACE Loan would I see the returns in EOM or would it be Held until a later day?

Thank you all who could answer any part to this thread and feel free to post any questions of your own I cannot ask what I do not know and I do not know everything so every bit of info helps.
 
Freshmen through seniors are Plebes, Youngsters, 2/C, and Firsties. Each year comes with more privileges and responsibilities. Firsties also hold midn officer ranks, MIDN ENS through MIDN CAPT. Those ranks are attached to different jobs or billets one might hold.

Generally you have 2, 3, and 4 person rooms. Theres a few odd ball 6 person rooms which from what I remember are essentially two 3 person rooms that are joined. Each company does rooming differently, but generally upperclasses get first choice of good rooms, plebes are almost always assigned rooms and often assigned roommates for the ac year.

Dry dock has stuff like pizza and sandwiches and whatnot. Mids go there for they’re tired of King Hall on some nights where meals aren’t mandatory. The mid store is your typical college store with stuff like snacks, drinks, school supplies, etc.

What kind of stuff are you referring to? Your first three years your monthly pay will be 100, then 200, then 300. Firstie year is a little more complicated but I remember it generally being around 700 a month. Some mids use the 2/c loan for stuff you might be talking about. Also, some mids come from wealthy families and might have ties to home still.

If you did pay off the ace loan you wouldn’t see any benefit for the first 3 years, it would be held. But Firstie year you’d have a higher monthly pay than those who did not pay off the ace loan.
 
Great deckplate info above from @pleber16 - Navy term for “solid.”

If you have not read every page, dropdown and link on USNA.edu, I recommend it. Much info is to be found there.

It is never a bad thing to think about money and budgeting.
 
TexMex2022 said:
** Disclaimer: None of the answers will affect my current decision to join USNA I just want to get a feel for what I am in for / things to look forward to
PS: I am a big money and budgeting guy so I know the bits I've read from the Budget Book 2016-17 but I don't know much else of USNA **

I. I heard there is a rank structure in the Academy; could someone elaborate on what they entail and mean as a MIDN?

II. When I visited there were many different types of rooms within the Company. Would someone care to explain the typical Compamy rooms / accommodations?

III. I heard of places on Yard like "Drydock" and the "Mid Store" that I did not see during my visit. I looked them up but why would a MIDN spend money in those places? (I may not yet know the struggles of MID life that would justify this)

IV. Lastly, how do MIDs afford stuff as I've seen around campus--with a EOM pay of only $50--and;
IVb. If I were by some miracle able to recieve $8,500 in scholarships to pay off the ACE Loan would I see the returns in EOM or would it be Held until a later day?

Thank you all who could answer any part to this thread and feel free to post any questions of your own I cannot ask what I do not know and I do not know everything so every bit of info helps.
Click to expand...


Drydock is a restaurant in Dahlgren Hall. The Mid-store is a multi level store that sells clothing, souvenir type items, and items that mids may need. There is a school supply section and a toiletries section. IIRC, there is also a small food snack section. There is also a section where ceremonial swords can be ordered as gifts . The proceeds from sales go directly back to support the Brigade. Parents love the mid-store -it is fun and quite addicting to shop there, from a parent's POV. It takes several hours in the mid-store to see everything.
 
Sandydesert said:
. Parents love the mid-store -it is fun and quite addicting to shop there, from a parent's POV.
Click to expand...

Hint to the wise --avoid Midstore on Friday /Saturday of major Reunion weekends --its packed ! I spend hours (and $$) when I get back every 5 years. (Of course, that includes talking with all the Classmates you run across there). The Midstore is huuuuge now, with every conceivable variation of Navy logo attire and geedunk.
 
DS saw a Moscow Mule Mug branded with the logo while at the Midstore. Guess what I got as an early Christmas present? He did say what Old Navy mentioned - branded almost everything!
 
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DS got the Mug too on his visit last weekend, as a gift for his sister. He Christmas shopped there with me helping with sizes, etc via facetime. THAT is a NICE store!

A question: should one expect to need additional monies than those provided? I haven't done much looking into it, but my understanding is that they should have enough to manage their needs. Wondering from a parent perspective as to how much they would could expect to need?
 
justdoit19 said:
DS got the Mug too on his visit last weekend, as a gift for his sister. He Christmas shopped there with me helping with sizes, etc via facetime. THAT is a NICE store!

A question: should one expect to need additional monies than those provided? I haven't done much looking into it, but my understanding is that they should have enough to manage their needs. Wondering from a parent perspective as to how much they would could expect to need?
Click to expand...

They have all the money they need. Even as a plebe, they will have enough to buy necessary supplies, with a little left over for occasional fun. If you like, you might help them with trips home. I paid for my flights back home, but I also avoided going home for Thanksgiving and other opportunities because of the expense.

IMHO, giving them money is unnecessary and actually hurts the maturing process that needs to occur.
 
justdoit19 said:
DS got the Mug too on his visit last weekend, as a gift for his sister. He Christmas shopped there with me helping with sizes, etc via facetime. THAT is a NICE store!

A question: should one expect to need additional monies than those provided? I haven't done much looking into it, but my understanding is that they should have enough to manage their needs. Wondering from a parent perspective as to how much they would could expect to need?
Click to expand...

In our years of sponsoring mids, we have seen all kinds of approaches to mid-funding by families - everything from paying for phone plan and car insurance, handing over a credit card with no spending limit, putting cash on the Yard Card to YOYO (you’re on your own.). Mids have to learn at some point to live within their means and understand recurring expenses and personal discipline. The approach I like best is those parents who have spent time with their mid on basic financial management, the difference between wants and needs, how money can get frittered away at Starbucks and pizza delivery - and helped them set up a budget in an app such as Mint, which is powered by Intuit.

One of the best gifts my parents gave me when I went off to college was The Budget Talk. They bought a basic meal plan all 4 years I was there, so no matter how uncool it was to eat at the school or how institutional the food, I could always get a meal. A scholarship took care of 100% tuition, fees, books. They took care of my dorm and deposited $250 in my checking account each semester, mine to use, but that was it. I made plenty of mistakes when wants overtook needs, and I learned to delay spending when I didn’t have the funds. They had told me years earlier they would not buy me a car, as they said I would appreciate it more when I bought my own. Bikes are amazingly handy in that situation. I chafed and grumbled, but I owe them an eternal debt of gratitude for the disciplined habits that have helped me to enjoy a comfortable life now.

There may come a time when your mid wants to do a NOLS course in the summer, which are not inexpensive, or some other leave block fun thing or other activity requiring funds. That’s something to reserve funds for as a treat.
https://www.nols.edu/en/coursefinder/course_search/

You can send gift cards to places like Kilwin’s as a surprise treat for weekend liberty. Set up a mid account at The Big Cheese Deli on Randall St. near Gate 1, and your mid can enjoy a great sandwich on your dime on a Saturday. Ask for Judy or Bob, the owners.
http://thebigcheeseannapolis.com/
 
Capt MJ said:
justdoit19 said:
DS got the Mug too on his visit last weekend, as a gift for his sister. He Christmas shopped there with me helping with sizes, etc via facetime. THAT is a NICE store!

A question: should one expect to need additional monies than those provided? I haven't done much looking into it, but my understanding is that they should have enough to manage their needs. Wondering from a parent perspective as to how much they would could expect to need?
Click to expand...

In our years of sponsoring mids, we have seen all kinds of approaches to mid-funding by families - everything from paying for phone plan and car insurance, handing over a credit card with no spending limit, putting cash on the Yard Card to YOYO (you’re on your own.). Mids have to learn at some point to live within their means and understand recurring expenses and personal discipline. The approach I like best is those parents who have spent time with their mid on basic financial management, the difference between wants and needs, how money can get frittered away at Starbucks and pizza delivery - and helped them set up a budget in an app such as Mint, which is powered by Intuit.

One of the best gifts my parents gave me when I went off to college was The Budget Talk. They bought a basic meal plan all 4 years I was there, so no matter how uncool it was to eat at the school or how institutional the food, I could always get a meal. A scholarship took care of 100% tuition, fees, books. They took care of my dorm and deposited $250 in my checking account each semester, mine to use, but that was it. I made plenty of mistakes when wants overtook needs, and I learned to delay spending when I didn’t have the funds. They had told me years earlier they would not buy me a car, as they said I would appreciate it more when I bought my own. Bikes are amazingly handy in that situation. I chafed and grumbled, but I owe them an eternal debt of gratitude for the disciplined habits that have helped me to enjoy a comfortable life now.

There may come a time when your mid wants to do a NOLS course in the summer, which are not inexpensive, or some other leave block fun thing or other activity requiring funds. That’s something to reserve funds for as a treat.
https://www.nols.edu/en/coursefinder/course_search/

You can send gift cards to places like Kilwin’s as a surprise treat for weekend liberty. Set up a mid account at The Big Cheese Deli on Randall St. near Gate 1, and your mid can enjoy a great sandwich on your dime on a Saturday. Ask for Judy or Bob, the owners.
http://thebigcheeseannapolis.com/
Click to expand...


One of the highlights of DS/s visits was meeting the host family of his Midshipmen. Bless you for what you do for these young adults. DS thought it was so neat to meet and spend some time hanging out!!
 
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