Questions about Life at West Point

A

army2021

Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2015
Messages
299
Thought I'd ask a few, somewhat unimportant, questions that I thought of about West Point. Mix it up from the normal admissions questions. Thanks for responses and I'd like to wish everyone a Happy New Year!!!

  1. How do roommates work? With beast, academic year, the whole 4 years, etc?
  2. What traditions sort of affect your everyday life?
  3. Feeding off of the last one, what major events and things are there to look forward to? I'm familiar with ring, branching, and 500th night. Also that pillow fighting is gone now.
  4. What's the deal with cigars at West Point? Most pictures I see of Cadets is them all bunched up with cigars. Is it like a tradition?
  5. How many MIADs can people attend throughout their 4 years and can they go each summer to them?
  6. How much sleep do Cadets typically get?
  7. Any other neat experiences, advice, or comments on life and opportunities at USMA?
  8. A lot of teams and clubs have tryouts. Are you able to tryout for multiple teams? How does it work for instance if tryouts are later in the year like parachuting with what you do up until that point?
  9. What are your weekends typically like at USMA through the years?
  10. What are your restrictions you have or privileges you earn or gain each year?
 
1. How do they work? Respiration, excretion, the same basic life functions as everyone else.

2. Depends if you consider hand to hand beatings a tradition.

3. Meals. Sleep. Graduation. Payday.

4. Like roommates, cigars at USMA are like cigars anywhere else. Light one end. Suck on one end. They work best if you use different ends for those functions.

5. Some people can't complete any.

6. Cadets generally sleep from the time they go to bed until the time they get up.

7. If someone offers you money to eat something, don't.

8. I'm not eligible to try out for any teams. They're for cadets only.

9. They're usually saturdays and sundays. Sometimes they throw a Monday or Friday in for fun.

10. You're only really restricted by how many hours you can march.
 
11. Don't listen to everything you read online.

12. Don't ever use the term "Pluck"
 
That's a lot of big questions. I would suggest apply and find the answers.

Push Hard, Press Forward
 
army2021 said:
Thought I'd ask a few, somewhat unimportant, questions that I thought of about West Point. Mix it up from the normal admissions questions. Thanks for responses and I'd like to wish everyone a Happy New Year!!!

  1. How do roommates work? With beast, academic year, the whole 4 years, etc?
  2. What traditions sort of affect your everyday life?
  3. Feeding off of the last one, what major events and things are there to look forward to? I'm familiar with ring, branching, and 500th night. Also that pillow fighting is gone now.
  4. What's the deal with cigars at West Point? Most pictures I see of Cadets is them all bunched up with cigars. Is it like a tradition?
  5. How many MIADs can people attend throughout their 4 years and can they go each summer to them?
  6. How much sleep do Cadets typically get?
  7. Any other neat experiences, advice, or comments on life and opportunities at USMA?
  8. A lot of teams and clubs have tryouts. Are you able to tryout for multiple teams? How does it work for instance if tryouts are later in the year like parachuting with what you do up until that point?
  9. What are your weekends typically like at USMA through the years?
  10. What are your restrictions you have or privileges you earn or gain each year?
Click to expand...
1. You can have anywhere from 2-4 people in a room. If you get 4 people in a room it really blows cause none of the rooms are designed to fit that many people. During beast my room had 4 people and the desks were so close to the beds you could barely back out the chairs from the desks far enough to sit in the chairs.

6. Depends on the cadet. If you manage your time really well you can probably get like 7 hours a day. I usually get 4-5 hours on weekdays and then 12-14 hours on weekends each day.

7. I thought I'd want to join clubs and stuff at West Point before I came, but then I realized I'd rather spend that time getting work done/sleeping and didn't join any clubs. I do not regret this decision.

9. On some weekends there's training, and on others you have to go to football games. In my first semester about half of the weekends had training or a football game with mandatory attendance. On weekends I usually just sleep, screw around on the internet, PT, and do homework.
 
My son was worried about the place's reputation as a party school so he took the ROTC route. The following is from a description of the eggnog riots of December 24th and 25th.

"The eggnog party started among nine cadets in North Barracks room No. 28. Numerous cadets appeared as the party progressed, while another party began in room No. 5, mentioned by seven cadets including Davis. Farrelly went again to North's or Havens and returned with another gallon of whiskey early on Christmas morning.

"Captain Ethan Allen Hitchcock, a faculty member in military tactics, was also stationed in the North Barracks. Eaton and Hitchcock met and discussed the smuggled liquor in the North Barracks. By 04:00, voices from the floor above Hitchcock were loud enough to cause the faculty member to investigate room No. 28, where Hitchcock knocked on the door and found six cadets drunk from the eggnog, as well as two others sleeping on a bed. Hitchcock ordered two of the cadets back to their rooms. After they left, Hitchcock woke the two sleeping cadets and ordered them to leave as well. Then he confronted cadet James W.M. "Weems" Berrien (Georgia), who responded with equal force. Hitchcock read the Riot Act to the residents of the room for possessing alcohol on the premises. The captain left the room at 04:15. Berrien began verbalising his rage toward Hitchcock, which led William D.C. "Billy" Murdock (District of Columbia) to lead an effort to organize a riot against Hitchcock.

"Hitchcock went down to his room to sleep. Three times he heard knocks on the door only to find no one there. After finding another cadet drunk, Hitchcock saw Davis head over to room No. 5 where thirteen cadets were partying. Davis, seeing Hitchcock's arrival, warned the other cadets. The captain entered the room, ordering one of the cadets to open up another cadet's footlocker, but the cadet refused. Hitchcock ordered no more disorder, left the room, and started looking for Thornton around 04:50.

"At this point, noises erupted from the South Barracks which distracted Thornton. While going to investigate that commotion, Thornton was knocked out by Roberts, who had been ejected from room No. 28 by Hitchcock earlier that evening.

"Reveille sounded at 06:05, along with gunfire, the sound of glass breaking, profanity by cadets, cries of pain, and threats to academy officials. North Barracks residents who were not drunk from the eggnog were appalled by the damaged property. Cadets in the South Barracks were well rested, while other cadets in the North Barracks were disheveled. Some of the cadets remained in their rooms drinking, although some appeared in parade formation despite being drunk. Worth met with superintendent Thayer after the first formation to discuss what had happened in the North Barracks the previous evening. Thayer instructed Worth to get the officers into the North Barracks and restore order."

There were quite a few expulsions, though two of the expelled went on to become Confederate generals. While he seemed to be in the thick of things, Cadet Jefferson Davis got through it all scot-free.
 
Last edited:
1. Your Beast and academic company leadership decides who you room with. You could end up with 1 or 2 but most likely 2 roommates. Obviously you don't get to put in your preferences.

2. Besides cupping your hand (which we won't have to do anymore come Wednesday), I guess formation, orderlies, and being at the table with all the other upperclassmen. Though rarely, its during lunch when your asked the days or knowledge.

3. Major events are usually for the upperclassmen and plebes usual help to celebrate in their own way etc. ring poop (youtube). There's also a halloween party reserved for plebes.

4. Cadets can partake in smoking cigars after the Christmas dinner and yes its a tradition.

6. Me and my roommates got about 7 hours everyday. Depends how you use the day. Still ended with a 3.6.

7. Lots of clubs. Depending on which club you join, you'll get opportunities to travel though it'll take your whole weekend. Life sucks if there's hot laundry. Well, it gets better.

8. Yes but some may run into others. Wanted to try for pistol but also wanted taekwondo. I joined taekwondo.

9. Weekends during my first sem was most free excluding traveling with the club. There are certain weekends were you train until 11 on Sat. and you're free to do whatever you want after that time.

10. No civies, no talking outside, cupping hands, greeting, squaring corners, wearing uniform on leave. Plebes are allotted 1 OPP I believe. They can earn more as incentive.
 
dkdino said:
1. Your Beast and academic company leadership decides who you room with. You could end up with 1 or 2 but most likely 2 roommates. Obviously you don't get to put in your preferences.

2. Besides cupping your hand (which we won't have to do anymore come Wednesday), I guess formation, orderlies, and being at the table with all the other upperclassmen. Though rarely, its during lunch when your asked the days or knowledge.

3. Major events are usually for the upperclassmen and plebes usual help to celebrate in their own way etc. ring poop (youtube). There's also a halloween party reserved for plebes.

4. Cadets can partake in smoking cigars after the Christmas dinner and yes its a tradition.

6. Me and my roommates got about 7 hours everyday. Depends how you use the day. Still ended with a 3.6.

7. Lots of clubs. Depending on which club you join, you'll get opportunities to travel though it'll take your whole weekend. Life sucks if there's hot laundry. Well, it gets better.

8. Yes but some may run into others. Wanted to try for pistol but also wanted taekwondo. I joined taekwondo.

9. Weekends during my first sem was most free excluding traveling with the club. There are certain weekends were you train until 11 on Sat. and you're free to do whatever you want after that time.

10. No civies, no talking outside, cupping hands, greeting, squaring corners, wearing uniform on leave. Plebes are allotted 1 OPP I believe. They can earn more as incentive.
Click to expand...
Thank you very much for all the information! Greatly appreciated!
 
@dkdino Great post, I thought plebes didn't have to wear uniform on leave. May I ask which uniform plebes have to wear on leave?
 
The rule about wearing a uniform when leaving WP on break changes. Sometimes it is required and sometimes it is not.
 
EDelahanty said:
There were quite a few expulsions, though two of the expelled went on to become Confederate generals
Click to expand...

You do realize the Civil War was in the 1840's and quite a bit has changed about how SA's operate???? Better to make your decision about attending an SA on current/actual information.
 
time2 said:
You do realize the Civil War was in the 1840's and quite a bit has changed about how SA's operate???? Better to make your decision about attending an SA on current/actual information.
Click to expand...

The Civil war took place from 1861-1865.
 
Honestly about the whole wearing uniform on leave, I've heard it could be dependent on some companies though I've also heard that its the rule for the whole corp. I was a little confused when I saw some wear civies. During the summer and beginning of fall we wear white over gray and during late fall and winter we wear dress gray. Dress grays are a little uncomfortable at times (collar and suspender) and you wear it also when you travel with a team.
 
cobaltfox said:
@dkdino Great post, I thought plebes didn't have to wear uniform on leave. May I ask which uniform plebes have to wear on leave?
Click to expand...

Up until a year or two ago Plebes will not wear their uniforms traveling from post to home and home to post. This is for safety reasons. Even active duty are not allowed to wear their uniforms in public. So if you see a dude wearing his uniform at the mall, more than likely is a hack.

Push Hard, Press Forward
 
tug_boat said:
Up until a year or two ago Plebes will not wear their uniforms traveling from post to home and home to post. This is for safety reasons. Even active duty are not allowed to wear their uniforms in public. So if you see a dude wearing his uniform at the mall, more than likely is a hack.

Push Hard, Press Forward
Click to expand...
LOL what?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top