Questions Thread

[Chockstock]

Language majors have an easier time getting study abroad programs, but they are not all assured. I think about a dozen in my son's major applied, and about 1/2 were selected. Son opted for a foreign military academy, but could've gone civilian.

What do you consider hazing, Chockstock? It's not like the old days where you sing in the shower for hours on end. Will someone make you recite plebe knowledge randomly? Sure...you have to know it, so it's good practice. Will someone drop you for extra pushups? Yes, but he/she will do them with you. The extra workout will ensure you pass the required APFT. No one is terrorized, if that is what you are concerned about. If you draw extra attention to yourself, you will recieve it, that is for certain. Study, get in shape, and learn your plebe knowledge and you will have no better and no worse time than anyone else. Do something stupid, and you will receive whatever attention is necessary to smooth out your rough edges. Leadership is not bullying; it is not tolerated at West Point.

Do you have like a list of locations/schools West Point sends study abroad students to? The darn link on the site isn't working. BTW, how many days long is a semester?

Hehehehe I already stick out because...never mind. Staying off the radar might be a challenge

I like your positive thinking . Yes, I'll admit that I'm a tad high strung about hazing but its not necessarily the psychological pressure or the physical strain they might put on you that I'm afraid of.. TBH with you, the thing that scares me MORE than the actual hazing is controlling my reaction to it. I know the situation can be serious, but when people get in my face (literally) I can't help smiling and maybe even giggling if I see something funny on their face (like a pimple or a dot). This was a real problem, especially at AFA SLS (I attended both WP and AFA), where they got more in your face than they did at West Point...I think I can safely assume that if you crack up during Beast, they'll punish you more


Here are some more questions I forgot to ask

1. I think I might know the answer to this...but are you allowed to bring a camera to Beast? I know some of you might think I'm weird or naive but really I really enjoy documenting things. Itd be nice to somehow preserve some memory of CBT (some of it looks fun, honestly) so I can look at them when Im a grandpa or whatever

2. I read the following info here http://usmilitary.about.com/od/armyjoin/a/armymilacademy_4.htm and was wondering if someone could confirm it?

Is your first summer spent doing CBT, your second summer spent doing CFT, third spend doing a mandatory leadership assignment, and the last spent doing any summer assignmnt you wish?

Do these summer things take up the ENTIRE summer? I was reading the info and was thinking that my parents would be sorely disappointed if I could not visit them for an extended period of time. At the same time, however, I feel like that I could do a little more summer assignments than the minimum. What years do you have time to do so?

3. Compared to your plebe year, how many days of the week are you required to eat in the main dining hall as a senior?

4. This may have been missed, but does anyone have a list of ALL majors offered at West Point and ALL countries/schools West Point sends study abroad cadets to? I can't seem to find the former and the link to the latter is not working

 

[11BRAVO]

I can't help but notice that a lot of these questions are about food, free time, and fun LOL

 

[Chockstock]

I can't help but notice that a lot of these questions are about food, free time, and fun LOL

I just want to know as much as possible about what I might be getting myself into and if Im cut out for it haha

 

[Chockstock]

Do you have like a list of locations/schools West Point sends study abroad students to? The darn link on the site isn't working. BTW, how many days long is a semester?

Hehehehe I already stick out because...never mind. Staying off the radar might be a challenge

I like your positive thinking . Yes, I'll admit that I'm a tad high strung about hazing but its not necessarily the psychological pressure or the physical strain they might put on you that I'm afraid of.. TBH with you, the thing that scares me MORE than the actual hazing is controlling my reaction to it. I know the situation can be serious, but when people get in my face (literally) I can't help smiling and maybe even giggling if I see something funny on their face (like a pimple or a dot). This was a real problem, especially at AFA SLS (I attended both WP and AFA), where they got more in your face than they did at West Point...I think I can safely assume that if you crack up during Beast, they'll punish you more


Here are some more questions I forgot to ask

1. I think I might know the answer to this...but are you allowed to bring a camera to Beast? I know some of you might think I'm weird or naive but really I really enjoy documenting things. Itd be nice to somehow preserve some memory of CBT (some of it looks fun, honestly) so I can look at them when Im a grandpa or whatever

2. I read the following info here http://usmilitary.about.com/od/armyjoin/a/armymilacademy_4.htm and was wondering if someone could confirm it?

Is your first summer spent doing CBT, your second summer spent doing CFT, third spend doing a mandatory leadership assignment, and the last spent doing any summer assignmnt you wish?

Do these summer things take up the ENTIRE summer? I was reading the info and was thinking that my parents would be sorely disappointed if I could not visit them for an extended period of time. At the same time, however, I feel like that I could do a little more summer assignments than the minimum. What years do you have time to do so?

3. Compared to your plebe year, how many days of the week are you required to eat in the main dining hall as a senior?

4. This may have been missed, but does anyone have a list of ALL majors offered at West Point and ALL countries/schools West Point sends study abroad cadets to? I can't seem to find the former and the link to the latter is not working

5. Is pre-law and/or economics or finance offered at West Point?

EDIT: my bad for the double post D:

 

[marciemi]

...I think I can safely assume that if you crack up during Beast, they'll punish you more

I spent much of Beast and the whole plebe year with the same problem, and ended up on the area several times because of it. Most common phrase from upperclassmen to me was "Smirk Off!" Even worse than cracking up regarding something about an upperclassman or what they say is smiling/laughing when one of your classmates says something incredibly stupid (and believe me, they will - as will you!). You really do NOT want to do this. Trust me!

 

[Chockstock]

Oh man I wonder why anyone would get punished for being jolly


More questions I refined...

1. Is your first summer spent doing CBT, your second summer spent doing CFT, third spend doing a mandatory leadership assignment, and the last spent doing any summer assignment you wish? And, do these summer things take up the ENTIRE summer? I think it'd be nice to have some time to visit family as well as complete these summer assignments.

2. Compared to your plebe year, how many days of the week are you required to eat in the main dining hall as a senior?

3. Are you allowed to cook/eat food in the barracks?

4. Are you allowed to have a refrigerator/rice cooker in your dorm room?

5. Is there a grocery at West Point or at Highland Falls thats accessible to cadets?

6. Are the countries you can study abroad in only countries that use the foreign language you are learning? For example, is there a foreign exchange program for French colleges since French is offered as a foreign language but no program for a college in Turkey or Japan since Turkish and Japanese isn't taught at West Point?

7. Is it true that West Point is installing wi-fi and air conditioning in all the barracks in 2011? I remember hearing about this during SLS but I want to confirm it.

8. Are your "bunk buddies" the same all four years or do they change every year?

9. How long does it take to drive to NYC from West Point?

10. Where are most host families located? Does anyone here have a host family?

 

[America's Finest]

Oh man I wonder why anyone would get punished for being jolly


More questions I refined...

1. Is your first summer spent doing CBT, your second summer spent doing CFT, third spend doing a mandatory leadership assignment, and the last spent doing any summer assignment you wish? And, do these summer things take up the ENTIRE summer? I think it'd be nice to have some time to visit family as well as complete these summer assignments.

2. Compared to your plebe year, how many days of the week are you required to eat in the main dining hall as a senior?

3. Are you allowed to cook/eat food in the barracks?

4. Are you allowed to have a refrigerator/rice cooker in your dorm room?

5. Is there a grocery at West Point or at Highland Falls thats accessible to cadets?

6. Are the countries you can study abroad in only countries that use the foreign language you are learning? For example, is there a foreign exchange program for French colleges since French is offered as a foreign language but no program for a college in Turkey or Japan since Turkish and Japanese isn't taught at West Point?

7. Is it true that West Point is installing wi-fi and air conditioning in all the barracks in 2011? I remember hearing about this during SLS but I want to confirm it.

8. Are your "bunk buddies" the same all four years or do they change every year?

9. How long does it take to drive to NYC from West Point?

10. Where are most host families located? Does anyone here have a host family?

1) Yes, except the "fourth summer" happens after graduation and you will spend that time in BOLC (Basic Officer Leadership Course) training for your specific branch and maybe doing a military school before reporting to your unit. You will have 14-30 days free every summer (unless you purposely choose something that makes it less)

2) Breakfast and Lunch are mandator on weekdays for everyone. Plebes have to eat Dinner in the Mess Hall on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Upperclassmen only have to attend dinner on Thursdays.

3) You can have one electronic appliance out of a list of authorized items. You certainly cannot have a kitchen in your room. I have a hotplate in my room and have used it a few times. Yes, you can eat in your room (after Beast) and stash tons of food from the Mess Hall in it.

4) My friend (Plebe) has a rice cooker. You can't have a refrigerator until you are a Firstie. With the current weather, I just place things outside the windowsill. And its Baracks, not Dorms (I know someone is going to say it )

5) The commissary is essentially a tax free grocery store.

6) As far as I know, it has to be one of the languages taught here but I am not too familiar with this program yet. Two people in my company are abroad, one in France and the other in Ukraine.

7) I haven't heard anything about this besides what people said on the forums.

8) Your roommate will change every semester. You will also scramble to a different company after Yuck year.

9) Takes about two hours.

10) Most are located in the housing area on post. I have a sponsor and am often invited for Dinner along with all his other Plebes.

 

[Chockstock]

1) Yes, except the "fourth summer" happens after graduation and you will spend that time in BOLC (Basic Officer Leadership Course) training for your specific branch and maybe doing a military school before reporting to your unit. You will have 14-30 days free every summer (unless you purposely choose something that makes it less)

2) Breakfast and Lunch are mandator on weekdays for everyone. Plebes have to eat Dinner in the Mess Hall on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Upperclassmen only have to attend dinner on Thursdays.

3) You can have one electronic appliance out of a list of authorized items. You certainly cannot have a kitchen in your room. I have a hotplate in my room and have used it a few times. Yes, you can eat in your room (after Beast) and stash tons of food from the Mess Hall in it.

4) My friend (Plebe) has a rice cooker. You can't have a refrigerator until you are a Firstie. With the current weather, I just place things outside the windowsill. And its Baracks, not Dorms (I know someone is going to say it )

5) The commissary is essentially a tax free grocery store.

6) As far as I know, it has to be one of the languages taught here but I am not too familiar with this program yet. Two people in my company are abroad, one in France and the other in Ukraine.

7) I haven't heard anything about this besides what people said on the forums.

8) Your roommate will change every semester. You will also scramble to a different company after Yuck year.

9) Takes about two hours.

10) Most are located in the housing area on post. I have a sponsor and am often invited for Dinner along with all his other Plebes.

1. So, when you mean upperclassmen, does that mean cadets who are "cows" and "firsties?"

2. Do you have that list of "authorized items?" And so, since you have a hotplate, you're not allowed to have anything else in your room?

3. If you can't have a refrigerator, then are coolers allowed?

4. Does the commissary have fresh veggies/fruits or is it all just canned?

5. Ok. So even if I wanted to go to Japan as a foreign exchange student, I can't?

6. My father's coworker has a son who went to China for a YEAR. I thought there were only semester/summer programs...? (If you can't answer this, thats ok, AF)

7. Is Ft. Lee a popular destination for cadets on leave?

8. When you leave the campus, are you allowed to wear civilian clothes (say, if you went to NYC, would you have to wear what you wear at WP)?

9. Are you allowed to have a vacuum cleaner in your room?

 

[America's Finest]

1. So, when you mean upperclassmen, does that mean cadets who are "cows" and "firsties?"

2. Do you have that list of "authorized items?" And so, since you have a hotplate, you're not allowed to have anything else in your room?

3. If you can't have a refrigerator, then are coolers allowed?

4. Does the commissary have fresh veggies/fruits or is it all just canned?

5. Ok. So even if I wanted to go to Japan as a foreign exchange student, I can't?

6. My father's coworker has a son who went to China for a YEAR. I thought there were only semester/summer programs...? (If you can't answer this, thats ok, AF)

7. Is Ft. Lee a popular destination for cadets on leave?

8. When you leave the campus, are you allowed to wear civilian clothes (say, if you went to NYC, would you have to wear what you wear at WP)?

1. By upperclassmen I mean anyone who is not a Plebe.

2. Technically, you can only have one appliance such as a coffee maker or hot plate. I keep a coffee maker on display and kept the hotplate in storage until I wanted to use it. It can be company dependent but as long as it is neat and only one is displayed, you'll be fine.

3. You can't have a cooler in your room. I suppose you could have one in the trunk room if you wanted to though.

4. Commissary is a grocery store. It has everything you could find in one, including fresh vegetables.

6. That is the first time I have heard of that. I only know of semester and summer programs.

7. The popular destination for leave is home. And maybe NYC.

8. As a Plebe. you have to wear the seasonal uniform when leaving/entering campus. You can change once you get to your destination.

 

[Chockstock]

Alright. Thanks again for the help! I know I bombarded the thread with questions and you stuck with it Thanks


EDIT: I just found this site and was wondering if you or anyone else could verify its accuracy? Its about the "installations" for OBCs for each branch.

http://www.fiu.edu/~armyrotc/branches&obc.htm

 

[Chockstock]

Ok, since I cant edit my post o.o...

1. Are you allowed to have a vacuum cleaner in your room?

2. Is West Point a smoke free environment?

3. Is participating in a sport necessary for graduation? There is honestly no sport that West Point offers in which I believe I would be successful. I swam and played tennis in high school and earned a letter but they are both sports I never actually learned to like.

4. Noob question here...what is the difference between intramurals vs. varsity?

 

[marciemi]

Ok, since I cant edit my post o.o...

1. Are you allowed to have a vacuum cleaner in your room?

2. Is West Point a smoke free environment?

3. Is participating in a sport necessary for graduation? There is honestly no sport that West Point offers in which I believe I would be successful. I swam and played tennis in high school and earned a letter but they are both sports I never actually learned to like.

4. Noob question here...what is the difference between intramurals vs. varsity?

Well, I can help on a few of these.

1. I can't see why you'd need one since there isn't carpet and you just sweep. I would say though that it wouldn't be allowed anyways since there wouldn't be a "standard" place to put it.

3/4. Everyone has to be involved in a sport at some level - to keep in shape, not necessarily to excel. Now there will be exceptions at times (ie I know at AF if you're in Drum and Bugle Corps that you would go there during athletic time much of the year - same for Yearbook or similar at times). However, there are varsity sports (called Corps Squad at WP) - these are the same as other colleges call IC (Intercollegiate) sports - competitions against other schools. This is a very high level of ability, commitment, time, etc. There are club sports - a lower level than IC or sports that aren't offered IC, but can still compete against other schools (depending on the activity - I did Triathlon club and we primarily competed in "events" which were open to others as well). Then there are intramurals which just mean one company competing against another company in the afternoons just at WP. Just for fun (well, and bragging rights ). You really don't have to have any experience or great ability, but you will need to participate.

 

[Chockstock]

So, are you RECOMMENDING that I participate in a sport, even if Im not a hotshot in anything? Simply to help stay in shape that is. I guess I probably would, since some of them sound fun, but it sounds like I'll probably only be doing intramurals or club sports

Do you know if you can bring instruments to West Point? Like a guitar?

 

[America's Finest]

Ok, since I cant edit my post o.o...

1. Are you allowed to have a vacuum cleaner in your room?

2. Is West Point a smoke free environment?

3. Is participating in a sport necessary for graduation? There is honestly no sport that West Point offers in which I believe I would be successful. I swam and played tennis in high school and earned a letter but they are both sports I never actually learned to like.

4. Noob question here...what is the difference between intramurals vs. varsity?

So, are you RECOMMENDING that I participate in a sport, even if Im not a hotshot in anything? Simply to help stay in shape that is. I guess I probably would, since some of them sound fun, but it sounds like I'll probably only be doing intramurals or club sports

Do you know if you can bring instruments to West Point? Like a guitar?

1. Yes, just keep it in the trunk room. I know one or two who have mini vacuums for SAMI. (for the bed, and clothes, and anything like that)

2. You can only smoke at designated smoking areas. The exception being Christmas dinner, where the entire corps smokes cigars in the apron.

3, 4. What Marciemi said.

5. Yes, you can have a guitar, once again just keep it in the trunk room.

 

[Chockstock]

Whats the trunk room? Is that the big wardrobe/closet thing every room had? If i recall correctly, each room had two bunks, two desks, two chairs, a sink, gun rack, a dresser, and a closet...

 

[America's Finest]

Whats the trunk room? Is that the big wardrobe/closet thing every room had? If i recall correctly, each room had two bunks, two desks, two chairs, a sink, gun rack, a dresser, and a closet...

Every company has a room in the basement for each class. That is where you store everything during leave and things during the school year that don't for in the room or you rarely use so you keep down there. (ie. I keep my civilian clothes there since I only need them for when I take pass or leave, a friend of mine keeps hunting equiptment, etc)

 

[Dolan]

Every company has a room in the basement for each class. That is where you store everything during leave and things during the school year that don't for in the room or you rarely use so you keep down there. (ie. I keep my civilian clothes there since I only need them for when I take pass or leave, a friend of mine keeps hunting equiptment, etc)

You said your friend keeps his hunting equipment in the trunk room. Can you please elaborate on this, I've been hunting the majority of my life and it is quite possibly one of the most enjoyable activities I do and i've been dreading going away due to the fact that i won't be able to hunt.

Are cadets allowed to hunt? Or does he just keep his equipment down there?

And by equipment I'm guessing you mean clothing (boots, gloves, etc...) and not a rifle.

 

[Chockstock]

What is a cadet adjutant?

 

[marciemi]

So, are you RECOMMENDING that I participate in a sport, even if Im not a hotshot in anything?

Not recommending, but informing you that you will HAVE to be involved in something. Just offering the possibility that if you really didn't want to, there may be some less "sports" ones out there that you could possibly do during the same time. Most likely though you'll need to be in at least intramurals at least part of the time. There are a lot of options - I know I played basketball (which I was horrible at), but also did Scuba and then Lifeguard/Water Safety Instructor at some point so sometimes we did dives during IM time. I also coached intramural swimming and taught swim lessons at some point during my upperclass years. Many of these may not be an option as a plebe though.

1. Yes, just keep it in the trunk room. I know one or two who have mini vacuums for SAMI. (for the bed, and clothes, and anything like that)

I'd forgotten all about trunk rooms or what they were called! What barracks are you in, AF? I was in New South my first 3 years and remember them there, but was in Pershing firstie year and don't recall them there (but am sure we must have had them!).

 

[America's Finest]

You said your friend keeps his hunting equipment in the trunk room. Can you please elaborate on this, I've been hunting the majority of my life and it is quite possibly one of the most enjoyable activities I do and i've been dreading going away due to the fact that i won't be able to hunt.

Are cadets allowed to hunt? Or does he just keep his equipment down there?

And by equipment I'm guessing you mean clothing (boots, gloves, etc...) and not a rifle.

Yes, he has gloves, boots, and camo. I am sure they can go hunting if they take pass (or OPP later on) during season.

I believe there is a way to store your rifle in the armory but I am not 100% sure on that.