NSI - My kid will no longer be Top Dog

[JohnMcLane]

My kid will graduate from NSI in two days. Prior to NSI, he was the best at everything. Number One. There wasn't an award or recognition he didn't get. Many out of the blue.

Now he is in a pool of exceptional kids who achieved as much as he did, many achieving much more. I hope he can rate at least average in such an accomplished group. This will be the first time in years that he won't be called up to the podium for special recognition. I think this will be the first time for most of the kids attending NSI to be "average". This is a transition but a good thing. It is still very much quite an accomplishment when you look at their peers.

So, welcome to the Major Leagues. Just getting here is the Award! I am grateful he will be surrounded by such exceptional people...it will make him better in every way possible.

 

[USNA_STEM_Prof]

I essentially had the same thing happen to me, at least academically. I was always the "smart" kid in my small and rural country town. I enlist as a nuke and even then, on the initial math test in 'A' school I had the second highest score, so things are proceeding as they "should" in my mind. But then we had a basic electrical theory test and I couldn't rely on residual knowledge from high school, since we were all learning this stuff for the first time. My recall is strong, as evidenced by the math test, but I've come to discover that I don't take on new material that quickly.

The result? I was the score closest to failing that didn't actually fail, with most of the class doing better than I did. My entire sense of self shattered in that moment and it was psychologically challenging for me. I obviously survived and thrived, but that was a strange and challenging time in my life. Good luck to your son as he navigates these waters.

 

[MidCakePa]

So, welcome to the Major Leagues. Just getting here is the Award! I am grateful he will be surrounded by such exceptional people...it will make him better in every way possible.

The thing DD is learning, after four years of USNA and one year of AD, as I’ve learned myself over the decades: Never, ever underestimate someone’s ability because they don’t fit the stereotype in your mind. (And it’s usually under-, not over-, that happens. We humans tend to be full of ourselves in that way.)

 

[justdoit19]

A really impactful high school teacher once said (during a conference with us when our oldest son for some reason wasn’t doing amazing….)

“Everyone eventually hits a brick wall” and the problems arise when they don’t ask for help. They aren’t used to needing help.

Its a great lesson.

 

[TBVADAD]

I essentially had the same thing happen to me, at least academically. I was always the "smart" kid in my small and rural country town. I enlist as a nuke and even then, on the initial math test in 'A' school I had the second highest score, so things are proceeding as they "should" in my mind. But then we had a basic electrical theory test and I couldn't rely on residual knowledge from high school, since we were all learning this stuff for the first time. My recall is strong, as evidenced by the math test, but I've come to discover that I don't take on new material that quickly.

The result? I was the score closest to failing that didn't actually fail, with most of the class doing better than I did. My entire sense of self shattered in that moment and it was psychologically challenging for me. I obviously survived and thrived, but that was a strange and challenging time in my life. Good luck to your son as he navigates these waters.

You had me at Nuke. ;-)

 

[Ihavenoidea]

My kid will graduate from NSI in two days. Prior to NSI, he was the best at everything. Number One. There wasn't an award or recognition he didn't get. Many out of the blue.

Now he is in a pool of exceptional kids who achieved as much as he did, many achieving much more. I hope he can rate at least average in such an accomplished group. This will be the first time in years that he won't be called up to the podium for special recognition. I think this will be the first time for most of the kids attending NSI to be "average". This is a transition but a good thing. It is still very much quite an accomplishment when you look at their peers.

So, welcome to the Major Leagues. Just getting here is the Award! I am grateful he will be surrounded by such exceptional people...it will make him better in every way possible.

My DS also just graduated NSI, and I have seen a big difference in his motivation of the Navy, NROTC, and college. He was motivated before NSI, but I think being around like minded people all going for the same goal really lit a fire inside him. We are not a military family, and he wasn't exposed to many people his age that were going a similar route he was his senior year and this summer. Now that he sees there are many others in his same boat (pun intended) and goals, he is super excited about NROTC this year. He's ready to volunteer for everything he can. Some of that will die down as the semester and NROTC starts, but it is fun to see him excited.

 

[MMM3]

My kid will graduate from NSI in two days. Prior to NSI, he was the best at everything. Number One. There wasn't an award or recognition he didn't get. Many out of the blue.

Now he is in a pool of exceptional kids who achieved as much as he did, many achieving much more. I hope he can rate at least average in such an accomplished group. This will be the first time in years that he won't be called up to the podium for special recognition. I think this will be the first time for most of the kids attending NSI to be "average". This is a transition but a good thing. It is still very much quite an accomplishment when you look at their peers.

So, welcome to the Major Leagues. Just getting here is the Award! I am grateful he will be surrounded by such exceptional people...it will make him better in every way possible.

Maybe, maybe not, my DD was at session 2 and said many kids in her compartment could not complete runs during PT and IT or do many (if any) push-ups. She was pretty shocked at how many kids there were not in shape and unable to follow pretty simple orders during trainings.

 

[cb7893]

My kid will graduate from NSI in two days. Prior to NSI, he was the best at everything. Number One. There wasn't an award or recognition he didn't get. Many out of the blue.

Now he is in a pool of exceptional kids who achieved as much as he did, many achieving much more. I hope he can rate at least average in such an accomplished group. This will be the first time in years that he won't be called up to the podium for special recognition. I think this will be the first time for most of the kids attending NSI to be "average". This is a transition but a good thing. It is still very much quite an accomplishment when you look at their peers.

Congratulations to your son for his many accomplishments, both past and future. You will have many more proud moments.

So, welcome to the Major Leagues. Just getting here is the Award! I am grateful he will be surrounded by such exceptional people...it will make him better in every way possible.

This is not the Major Leagues. Your son earned an all expense paid walk-on spot at the tryouts of a Minor League Farm club. The scouts like what they saw, but can he hit the 90 mph slider.

My DS, AROTC, commissioned in 2015. All of his instructors, cadre, had at least one deployment in Iraq and/or Afghanistan. The senior Cadet, the Cadet Commander, already had his long tab when he started college. These folks taught him his most important lessons about life after commissioning.

Wish him the best of luck1

 

[JohnMcLane]

Congratulations to your son for his many accomplishments, both past and future. You will have many more proud moments.


This is not the Major Leagues. Your son earned an all expense paid walk-on spot at the tryouts of a Minor League Farm club. The scouts like what they saw, but can he hit the 90 mph slider.

My DS, AROTC, commissioned in 2015. All of his instructors, cadre, had at least one deployment in Iraq and/or Afghanistan. The senior Cadet, the Cadet Commander, already had his long tab when he started college. These folks taught him his most important lessons about life after commissioning.

Wish him the best of luck1

I'll stick with my definition that being surrounded by like-minded, vetted, committed, and talented individuals all striving for the same goal whom USN/USMC has committed funding and resources to commission as active-duty officers as sufficient to qualify for the "Major Leagues".

You could literally spin in a circle incrementally increasing your standard for "Major League" until you pass out and the only one left in the "Major Leagues" is the Commander of SEAL Team 6 (not all SEAL Team 6 commanders, just the ones in 2004-2007 and again 2009 when it was tough).

There's a lot to do in the Majors besides just getting there if you want to stay and get playing time let alone make the play-offs, by the way.

 

[Herman_Snerd]

Fun post to share perspectives through. I think it's a good thing to be surrounded by talented people. in California they allocate funding to school districts based on standardized test scores. Our kids moved to a new school in Silicon Valley, and promptly rocked the curve, scoring in the top 1 or 2 percent each of several categories and overall each were considered among the top performing students in the state for their respective grades. This Super was jubilant, called our home, called our kids them "ringers", thanked us for moving there. My honest reaction was to feel a call to action to get my kids back to the East Coast where they wouldn't stand out as much, which we did within a couple of years. Back in the east they still stood out but they had 20+ kids in each grade nipping at their heels and depending on what was being measured sometimes my kids instead of being at the top were just top 2%, and I was pleased. I think the competition is better/ made them stronger adults. My Ds had his choice of where to train to be an officer, and I'm glad he chose the Navy - sure there are some knuckleheads, fer sure, but overall there are some really talented people too.

 

[Ihavenoidea]

Maybe, maybe not, my DD was at session 2 and said many kids in her compartment could not complete runs during PT and IT or do many (if any) push-ups. She was pretty shocked at how many kids there were not in shape and unable to follow pretty simple orders during trainings.

In speaking with my new MIDN from NSI 3 and being on this board, it appears to me that NSI is more about teaching candidates basic war fighting skills and introducing them to stress management. Many if not most of these candidates had not really been in stressful situations. Especially situations were they had to make choices and complete tasks in stressful situations. This type of environment can make people operate in less than optimum performance.

A perfect example. My DS ran his PFT run at NSI much slower than he has done before at home and for the scholarship run last November. His push up count was also less. I beleive it was because of the stress environment he was in at NSI and not something he was use to day in and day out. That will change with age and experience.

There will always be "knuckleheads" that will be not as motivated or smart about what they should be doing, but most of this now MIDN's that maybe weren't as good at NSI will get much better with age and experience I think.