Question about BEAST!?

J

jonafox94

5-Year Member
Joined
Jul 29, 2011
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57
Im a pretty phsically fit guy and I love hard challenges. I enjoyed the pains of football practice, basketball practice, cross country practice, and working out. I watched a national geographic special about west point and BEAST seemed to be fun to me. IF accepted into West Point I think I will enjoy BEAST. Am I in way over my head?
 
I'm not quite sure what you're asking but I'll try to provide an answer. Also, I'm just a candidate like you so take what I say with a grain of salt. That being said, my grandpa (USMA c/o 1954) always tells me about his summer training and, even back then when things were done WAAAAY differently, the point of it all is not to break you; it's to make you. They don't want you to drop out of CBT (Beast Barracks). In fact, by admitting you, they feel you have what it takes to make it through the entire West Point experience.

Now, I also watched that series and it almost made Beast sound like special ops training (that's TV's job). It's probably challenging, but not to the level of Ranger School or SFAS. After all, it is basic training.

Bottom line: I think if you can get an appointment to USMA then you're not getting in 'over your head'; it has been done by thousands before and it can be done again. :thumb:
 
jonafox94 said:
Im a pretty phsically fit guy and I love hard challenges. I enjoyed the pains of football practice, basketball practice, cross country practice, and working out. I watched a national geographic special about west point and BEAST seemed to be fun to me. IF accepted into West Point I think I will enjoy BEAST. Am I in way over my head?
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To be quite honest, all the things you say you enjoy are physical challenges, and Beast is not all that physically challenging.

Beast is more a challenge to your ability to adapt to changes and a surrounding that is probably different from any other you've been in before. Your character and your ability to think, adapt, and overcome difficult tasks (like how to get food passed down the table without being able to say anything, or how to organize a group of the untrained to do something both they and you have never done before without hurting themselves or failing) will be tested more than your body will be.

Good character and a brain that you use are more important for West Point than physical ability. Everyone here has physical ability. It's part of how we get in. Once you get here no one really cares about how physically fit you are unless you're deficient (IE can't pass the APFT). Outside of that people want to know that you're competent, not an idiot, can use your brain and have good character (and not necessarily in that order).

West Point graduates aren't famous for their physical ability, they're famous because they can be thrown into a random unfamiliar strange and difficult situation and adapt, improvise, and improve the situation all the while maintaining impeccable character.
 
Just to chime in again - if you like physical suck and being pushed to your limit, you may want to look into Sandhurst when the academic year rolls around.
 
TheKnight said:
To be quite honest, all the things you say you enjoy are physical challenges, and Beast is not all that physically challenging.

Beast is more a challenge to your ability to adapt to changes and a surrounding that is probably different from any other you've been in before. Your character and your ability to think, adapt, and overcome difficult tasks (like how to get food passed down the table without being able to say anything, or how to organize a group of the untrained to do something both they and you have never done before without hurting themselves or failing) will be tested more than your body will be.

Good character and a brain that you use are more important for West Point than physical ability. Everyone here has physical ability. It's part of how we get in. Once you get here no one really cares about how physically fit you are unless you're deficient (IE can't pass the APFT). Outside of that people want to know that you're competent, not an idiot, can use your brain and have good character (and not necessarily in that order).

West Point graduates aren't famous for their physical ability, they're famous because they can be thrown into a random unfamiliar strange and difficult situation and adapt, improvise, and improve the situation all the while maintaining impeccable character.
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If beast is everything that you say it is, yet again, I believe I will love it. Thank you for your help. And everyone else too thanks a lot.
 
jonafox94 said:
If beast is everything that you say it is, yet again, I believe I will love it. Thank you for your help. And everyone else too thanks a lot.
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I guess it's time to start hunting down an appointment then! Good luck! :thumb:
 
This thread...

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TheKnight said:
To be quite honest, all the things you say you enjoy are physical challenges, and Beast is not all that physically challenging.

Beast is more a challenge to your ability to adapt to changes and a surrounding that is probably different from any other you've been in before. Your character and your ability to think, adapt, and overcome difficult tasks (like how to get food passed down the table without being able to say anything, or how to organize a group of the untrained to do something both they and you have never done before without hurting themselves or failing) will be tested more than your body will be.

Good character and a brain that you use are more important for West Point than physical ability. Everyone here has physical ability. It's part of how we get in. Once you get here no one really cares about how physically fit you are unless you're deficient (IE can't pass the APFT). Outside of that people want to know that you're competent, not an idiot, can use your brain and have good character (and not necessarily in that order).

West Point graduates aren't famous for their physical ability, they're famous because they can be thrown into a random unfamiliar strange and difficult situation and adapt, improvise, and improve the situation all the while maintaining impeccable character.
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plus, you don't get to go home or take it easy because you had a hard day.

A challenge of BEAST is lack of control, starting 0520 hours to 2330 hours, your life will be controlled by your cadre. You are told what to wear, where to be, what to eat, what to read, when to take a shower, and etc.

What's the longest sport practice you participated in?
 
MemberLG said:
plus, you don't get to go home or take it easy because you had a hard day.

A challenge of BEAST is lack of control, starting 0520 hours to 2330 hours, your life will be controlled by your cadre. You are told what to wear, where to be, what to eat, what to read, when to take a shower, and etc.

What's the longest sport practice you participated in?
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At most maybe 4 hours, never anything close to that 0520 hours to 2330 hours, and it was all familiar territory. So probably nothing like BEAST.
 
Scout Pilot thats funny, Jonafox my advise to you is simple, don't be that guy. That means keep your head, don't be over the top. Yes beast is hard, but its hard because of the daily grind, loss of individuality, and it is physically difficult. But with the right frame of mind and preparation new cadets do fine.
 
jonafox94 said:
If beast is everything that you say it is, yet again, I believe I will love it. Thank you for your help. And everyone else too thanks a lot.
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Such enthusiasm. But keep in mind, there are thousands of people just like you who are thinking the exact same thing. And despite this, people still quit on R-Day.

Humility is your friend. It is unwise to go shooting your mouth off before you get there. For all you know, I could be your Beast cadre.
 
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