Prepping for the plebe killer classes

azmilmom said:
I believe in order to be exempted from a class, such as the Chemistry class my son was able to exempt out of, you must get the syllabus from the professor. That one proved a wee bit difficult as the professor was no longer at the university, but DS was able to track down a copy somehow and was successful. So, be sure to have your son keep them just in case.

I also believe that there are only a few classes for which you may gain exemption--and others, like @kpmom2013 mentions, require placement tests, and you are put in different sections based on the results. For my son, it just lightened the load a wee bit for one trimester.

P.S. Proud Syracuse Orangeman graduate here 🍊
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If you are expemt from a class, is it just a free slot in the trimester or does a different class fill that slot?
 
CkzErz said:
6 weeks sound great! Here in NY, high school goes through end of June and they report to KP on July 9th. Not much of a last summer.

Although, that may turn out to be fine by me as trying to keep my son in bubble wrap to prevent injuries is nearly impossible and giving me anxiety!
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Oh, man. And on my first Monday after graduation, someone t-boned me while I was driving. At least it was on the passenger side. Sucked not having a car for two of my six weeks. . . . Just relax and let it happen. I won't tell you just how dangerous a maritime career can be, or how many times I was injured at sea. . . and after.
 
airbornedaddy said:
I'm looking for more like...these are the areas of each subject that I would bone up on prior to coming:

Calc...integrations, derivatives, etc...

Chem...molarity, etc...

Physics...Newton's law, etc...

DS wants to sharpen saw and stay fresh over the 8 weeks after high school graduation and I day. Thanks.

Maybe a current of previous midshipman could weigh in...I wish that I had went over XYZ prior to attending or I'm glad that I knew XYZ prior to attending. Thanks!
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I'm going to agree with the parents. Keep your fitness level up so that's not an issue during indoctrination, but just enjoy those 8 weeks. Visit with family and friends. Clear your head. Enjoy your mom's meals. Stay out of trouble. If you really want to bone up on subjects that will help you, read a few articles about time management techniques and coping with stress. When it comes down to it, most people who fail classes do it because they don't manage their time well. People who struggle to adapt overthink everything rather than role with the stressors.
 
KP Eng said:
For me it was just a free slot. I used it to study, shine shoes, learn plebe knowledge, sneak a nap with my head down at the desk, typical plebe things.
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As long as you maintain a minimum number of credits. I had to take a class I didn't need once in order to maintain 12 credits and remain a full time student.
 
KP Eng said:
For me it was just a free slot. I used it to study, shine shoes, learn plebe knowledge, sneak a nap with my head down at the desk, typical plebe things.
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Exactly. I remember Drafting (Mechanical Drawing) Class. I took two quarters of it in high school. Oddly enough, most of my classmates had not, and they struggled. I would finish my assignments and run back and do just what you described.
 
I’ve heard stuff about being exempt from plebe courses with AP credits at KP but haven’t heard anything about IB credit. How does that work?
 
Is it true that usually 280 people enter the academy and only 190 people will graduate? Do people drop out of the academy because they couldn’t handle the academics or is it some other factors?
 
aburita1127 said:
I’ve heard stuff about being exempt from plebe courses with AP credits at KP but haven’t heard anything about IB credit. How does that work?
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IB works the same as AP, but some departments are not as familiar with IB.
 
mattl09 said:
Is it true that usually 280 people enter the academy and only 190 people will graduate? Do people drop out of the academy because they couldn’t handle the academics or is it some other factors?
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Yes, but there will be additions back to the class due to setbacks from the year or two ahead. Many mids leave either voluntarily or involuntarily due to academic issues, some realize after sea year that it's not the right fit, some are disenrolled due to honor code issues, some cannot pass the PRT or make weight standards. There are more reasons, but those are the most common. It's a tough journey for most midshipmen all four years.
 
Let me preface this by saying, YES I agree to keep up with your physical fitness and just enjoy the time with family and friends in that short window between graduation (or end of the academic year) and Indoc. BUT, if you want to brush up on these two plebe-killers, here are the two textbooks that are used:

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Calc book is now 8th edition, but the same concepts are contained in earlier editions. I would recommend getting the solutions manual as a companion to the text. I mentioned in my earlier post, that our son just brushed up on Calculus with a tutor and used the companion solutions manual for testing as he did a year at college before applying to KP and hadn't taken Calc BC since high school. The physics book may be tough to come by because it a custom publication, but you may be able to find one online at Amazon or one of the other used book vendors.

@airbornedaddy and @CkzErz hope this helps! ⚓
 
What is something that I can start working on right now besides physical fitness? Usually when do admissions send the reporting instruction booklet?
 
The text books listed above are still in use, however, the 8th edition is in place for Calc. The best thing you can do is to get a college level tutor and go through the first 8-10 chapters of each. Even if you've had AP or IB Calc or Physics, I would not recommend testing out of either Calc 1 or Physics 1. The trimester schedule makes getting through the subject matter difficult since plebes carry 18-21 credits per trimester and a trimester is several weeks shorter than a normal college semester. Take the entry level class and get a feel for how academics are taught at KP. Chances are the work will be easy for you and you'll get into the weeds with the higher level material soon enough.The material only gets harder as you go on so if you can get great grades early, it may save you some heartache later. Get the Solutions Manual for the Calc book. It will be a lifesaver since it shows you how to solve the problems. You won't find one for the Physics text because it's a custom publication. Time management is key. Learn how to use a planner since you may not have your phone when you first arrive. Don't miss class or assignments and the minute you don't understand something, go to the professor for help - even if you think he/she's a terrible teacher. It goes a long way. Also get to know CDR Aquaro and the staff at the Academic Center for Excellence since they set up tutors for students. One more thing- don't get too caught up in things like shining your shoes and such. I've never seen any student kicked out because they hadn't shined their shoes, but I've seen many forced to leave because of academic failures. This is not a forgiving place.
 
theodore.broosevelt said:
I found some study guides on the USMMA Southern States Parents website- are these tailored to the USMMA curriculum or simply general course overviews of Calc, Chem, Physics, and Stat? Are there other study guides that I am not seeing available that are geared specifically to KP?
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DS's study guides came today. They include a nice little "Tips for Success" sheet as well. Thanks USMMA Southern States
 
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