18 days...
StarsandSnipes, some of my classmates (and others) have already said it, but USAFA is not a normal college. A typical academic year weekday might go like this.
600-get up and change into your uniform. Make sure your room is neat and all your padlocks are locked. Also brush your teeth/shave/do whatever you usually do for morning hygiene.
620-line up in the hallway or meet in the SAR (a briefing room) with the other freshmen for minutes. Depending on your training officer and/or how well you and your squadmates have been doing lately, minutes could include everything from pushups/PT to AFSC presentations (delivered by you to your classmates) to standing in the hallways reciting knowledge and Checkpoints.
645-form up in the hallways for Morning Accountability Formations. This pretty much involves standing at attention with the rest of your squad for about 5-10 minutes while your uniform and those of your squadmates are inspected.
700-go to breakfast by running along the marble strips on the Terrazzo. All commuting between locations on the Tzo is accomplished via the strips.
730-1st class begins. Class periods are 53 minutes long, leaving 7 minutes to get between classes. This can be tricky during the first couple of weeks before you know how to get around Fairchild. I was late to a couple of classes before I figured out where everything was.
1123-4th period ends (last class before lunch)
1135-Noon Meal Formation on the Tzo. Make sure to drop off your backpack in Mitchell Hall first. Also, don't forget to carry your backpack in your hand wherever you go. You can never put it on unless you leave the Cadet Area. I would say that it generally weighs around 10 lbs--maybe more depending on how many textbooks you need to bring with you.
1155-lunch begins. C4C's may sit at ease, but some elements (1 element to a table) may require freshmen to memorize news articles or know other random knowledge.
1230-report to the SAR for a briefing from squadron leadership, or (depending on the day) begin 5th period
1330-6th period begins
1523-7th period ends. Better hurry back to squad, because:
1545-training session begins. Change into ABU's and hurry because you don't want to be late!
1730-training session ends. You may be very tired/dirty depending on how physical it was.
1800-go to dinner (if you are still clean enough after the training session, otherwise shower first)
1845-arrive back in squad. Shower and start your homework. You can close your door after 1950.
2300-TAPS. Go to bed if you can, but realistically:
2400-100-go to bed. Don't forget to set your alarm for 600 (or 620 if there are no minutes the next day).
This is not a hard-and-fast schedule. Many days don't have training sessions or minutes (or both), which gives you a little extra time. Weekends are generally super chill, and you will have time to sleep during the day (although you may have some type of training or a SAMI in the morning if it's a silver weekend). Most of the time you will also be able to sign out overnight on Friday and Saturday, if you can find a car to borrow.
I guess what I am trying to say is this: you are not a "normal person" if you go here. Normal college students don't march to lunch every day, take a physical test which counts toward their overall class ranking, or memorize what the cafeteria is serving for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They can leave campus whenever they want. They get to choose their classes and teachers instead of having them assigned. The list goes on and on.
But there is another list. Normal college students generally don't get to fly gliders and jump out of perfectly good airplanes into football stadiums. With some exceptions, they probably don't have as many close friends as cadets do--an effect of the squad environment. They don't get PAID to go to school. They don't have a guaranteed job and career when they graduate.
As a candidate, you really need to seriously analyze both of these lists and make sure USAFA is something you want to do. You don't necessarily have to like everything--nobody likes minutes or push-ups--but it's important that you are willing to accept it as a means of achieving your goal. I have found freshman life extremely challenging, but it has been equally rewarding. (And I haven't even been through the "best" part of it yet!
)
One more note I should probably add: Yes, you can date at USAFA, and it's not uncommon. However, upperclassmen can only date upperclassmen and freshmen can only date freshmen, even after Recognition. This rule is actually a pretty big deal and is not something any doolie (or upperclassman, for that matter) should mess with if they value their status as a cadet here. After the firsties graduate, though, everyone who's left is fair game.
Good luck to you. I would also encourage you to do more research about the Academy and talk to current cadets before deciding whether or not to come here (assuming you are appointed). It is a huge commitment, and you should definitely learn everything you can about USAFA before deciding. Congrats on making it this far!
