I plan on attending the USNA and I plan on majoring in nuclear engineering and minoring in Arabic. I tried to pick a major/minor combo that I would enjoy learning, and above all, would be the most challenging. My goal is to graduate at the top of my class there, so I want to learn all the best study habits anyone on this forum can provide (especially regarding the STEM classes like physics, chemistry, cybersecurity/cyber engineering, electrical engineering and nuclear engineering).
What are the best study tips you recommend for the USNA?
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A1Janitor
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You need to find the best system for yourself. What my son did worked for him, but might not work for you.
There are plenty of resources available- professors, tutoring center, peers, upperclassmen. Don’t be shy about seeking out help. My son sought help from professors in classes he had excellent grades in - to understand a key concept.
One thing my son did that helped him - tutor others in the class that needed help. By doing that - he strengthened his own understanding.
There are plenty of resources available- professors, tutoring center, peers, upperclassmen. Don’t be shy about seeking out help. My son sought help from professors in classes he had excellent grades in - to understand a key concept.
One thing my son did that helped him - tutor others in the class that needed help. By doing that - he strengthened his own understanding.
usna1985
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Agree there is no one -size fits all. Here are some ideas that generally work.
1. Do all of the homework every night.
2. When something isn’t crystal clear, get help immediately. The Class of 1963 Academic Center is there for you. It’s not there for “stupid” mids. It’s there for everyone.
3. Be prepared to give up liberty to study. This means Saturday and Sunday. Not all the time but some of the time.
4. Find a location where you can study effectively. For some, it’s their room. For others, the library or an empty classroom.
5. Don’t pull all-nighters. I’d you haven’t learned it by bed- time. You’re not going to learn it at 0300. And you’ll be tired and not do as well in the morning.
6. OTOH, make time for yourself. Be sure to do things you enjoy, be they sports, ECAs, watching TV at your sponsor’s, etc.
Finally, realize if you look to your left, one of you will be in the bottom half of your class. That will never change - 50% will be in top and 50% in the bottom. Most of those in the bottom are also super smart and also study super hard. You can only do your very best and be satisfied where that puts you.
1. Do all of the homework every night.
2. When something isn’t crystal clear, get help immediately. The Class of 1963 Academic Center is there for you. It’s not there for “stupid” mids. It’s there for everyone.
3. Be prepared to give up liberty to study. This means Saturday and Sunday. Not all the time but some of the time.
4. Find a location where you can study effectively. For some, it’s their room. For others, the library or an empty classroom.
5. Don’t pull all-nighters. I’d you haven’t learned it by bed- time. You’re not going to learn it at 0300. And you’ll be tired and not do as well in the morning.
6. OTOH, make time for yourself. Be sure to do things you enjoy, be they sports, ECAs, watching TV at your sponsor’s, etc.
Finally, realize if you look to your left, one of you will be in the bottom half of your class. That will never change - 50% will be in top and 50% in the bottom. Most of those in the bottom are also super smart and also study super hard. You can only do your very best and be satisfied where that puts you.
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I’ll add, my son was a roommate of a super smart, studious student who had validated the most classes (ever? His class year? Don’t recall…but a lot).
But guess what? He wasn’t liked. Kind of a ‘jerk’. Terrible roommate. Low company ranking. Which affects your OOM. The point here, is you aren’t going to ‘regular college’, where academics are everything. Obviously they are important. But so is being a good shipmate. Tending to others. And relationships. Bc you are being formed into a leader. This particular student worked hard on his weaknesses (EVERYONE has them), and overcame his deficits.
Be open to the journey. All of it.
But guess what? He wasn’t liked. Kind of a ‘jerk’. Terrible roommate. Low company ranking. Which affects your OOM. The point here, is you aren’t going to ‘regular college’, where academics are everything. Obviously they are important. But so is being a good shipmate. Tending to others. And relationships. Bc you are being formed into a leader. This particular student worked hard on his weaknesses (EVERYONE has them), and overcame his deficits.
Be open to the journey. All of it.
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You have received some excellent, specific advice here.
If you want to graduate at the top of your class, that also includes scoring well in other grades categories than academic, such as military aptitude, honor, conduct, physical fitness, etc. You cannot afford to ignore those areas. You will be among a group of classmates who have similar, better, or far better records and backgrounds than you. Do your best, be prepared to adjust your goals as you go.
You are there to learn other things and develop other skills than just a narrow academic achievement list.
I cannot echo enough the advice about the minute you start to struggle, you seek out EI (extra instruction) with the professor, participate in informal peer tutoring in company, take advantage of the academic center’s many offerings. Be sure to explore the hamburger menu in the upper left.
Good study habits boil down to differentiating between needs vs. wants - what do you need to do, what would you like to do. Self-discipline. Good sleep hygiene. Organization. Use of time. Most midshipmen spend a chunk of time on the weekend working on assignments. Prudent participation in ECAs, but don’t interfere unduly with “needs.” Balance with your other graded areas.
There is plenty of time to choose a major. You’ll get briefs, talk to upperclass in the major, have an academic advisor. Be open to all the opportunities and paths - good life advice too.
Do you have an offer of appointment to Class of 2027? Or are you starting application? If the latter, you have a few near-term hurdles to maneuver. Be sure to develop alternate plans.
If you want to graduate at the top of your class, that also includes scoring well in other grades categories than academic, such as military aptitude, honor, conduct, physical fitness, etc. You cannot afford to ignore those areas. You will be among a group of classmates who have similar, better, or far better records and backgrounds than you. Do your best, be prepared to adjust your goals as you go.
You are there to learn other things and develop other skills than just a narrow academic achievement list.
I cannot echo enough the advice about the minute you start to struggle, you seek out EI (extra instruction) with the professor, participate in informal peer tutoring in company, take advantage of the academic center’s many offerings. Be sure to explore the hamburger menu in the upper left.
Good study habits boil down to differentiating between needs vs. wants - what do you need to do, what would you like to do. Self-discipline. Good sleep hygiene. Organization. Use of time. Most midshipmen spend a chunk of time on the weekend working on assignments. Prudent participation in ECAs, but don’t interfere unduly with “needs.” Balance with your other graded areas.
There is plenty of time to choose a major. You’ll get briefs, talk to upperclass in the major, have an academic advisor. Be open to all the opportunities and paths - good life advice too.
Do you have an offer of appointment to Class of 2027? Or are you starting application? If the latter, you have a few near-term hurdles to maneuver. Be sure to develop alternate plans.
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College professor here. Not a lot to add to the outstanding advice you’ve already received above. But will tell you that each year, students come to me and admit they never really learned how to study properly. Many didn’t have to because they cruised through high school with good grades. But college is a different scene — not just because the material is more challenging, but because there’ll be higher standards and less handholding than in high school.
When students say they don’t know how to study, here’s what I observe:
1) They put off studying until right before the exam. At that point, much of the material has gone in one ear and out the other. The lecture slides don’t make much sense, and neither do their lecture slides. The antidote: Review the material within 24 hours of when you learned it. Review it in the context of the prior material so that you’re building a cohesive, connected structure, not just collecting random concepts.
2) They confuse memorization with comprehension and retention. This is probably the most carried-over bad habit from high school. Reading and re-reading and re-re-reading, under the mistaken belief that familiarity is the same thing as understanding. Not even close. In college, the expectation is not just that you remember the Xs and Os, but that you also know what to do with them in different contexts. I tell my students: Work the material. Manipulate it. Test it. Poke here and there to see what happens when you do. That’s true studying.
3) They don’t ask for help — early or often or ever. Too many students only ask for help after the exam, when it should’ve been clear that they needed help beforehand (see #1). And it’s often the ones who did quite well on the exam — not the ones who struggled — who come to office hours for further review. Too often, students come to me at the end of the term and ask, “What can I do for a better grade.” I ask them, “Where were you two months ago?”
Finally, agree 100% with the notion that academics aren’t everything at the SAs. DD’s grades were lowest during firstie year. She deliberately focused on her sports-team captaincy and brigade-level billet, knowing it would hurt her grades. She just missed graduating in the top 100, but had no regrets about striving to be a well-rounded, well-respected midshipman. Academics are important — and so are athletics and leadership and being a good shipmate.
When students say they don’t know how to study, here’s what I observe:
1) They put off studying until right before the exam. At that point, much of the material has gone in one ear and out the other. The lecture slides don’t make much sense, and neither do their lecture slides. The antidote: Review the material within 24 hours of when you learned it. Review it in the context of the prior material so that you’re building a cohesive, connected structure, not just collecting random concepts.
2) They confuse memorization with comprehension and retention. This is probably the most carried-over bad habit from high school. Reading and re-reading and re-re-reading, under the mistaken belief that familiarity is the same thing as understanding. Not even close. In college, the expectation is not just that you remember the Xs and Os, but that you also know what to do with them in different contexts. I tell my students: Work the material. Manipulate it. Test it. Poke here and there to see what happens when you do. That’s true studying.
3) They don’t ask for help — early or often or ever. Too many students only ask for help after the exam, when it should’ve been clear that they needed help beforehand (see #1). And it’s often the ones who did quite well on the exam — not the ones who struggled — who come to office hours for further review. Too often, students come to me at the end of the term and ask, “What can I do for a better grade.” I ask them, “Where were you two months ago?”
Finally, agree 100% with the notion that academics aren’t everything at the SAs. DD’s grades were lowest during firstie year. She deliberately focused on her sports-team captaincy and brigade-level billet, knowing it would hurt her grades. She just missed graduating in the top 100, but had no regrets about striving to be a well-rounded, well-respected midshipman. Academics are important — and so are athletics and leadership and being a good shipmate.
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Usnavy2019
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I'd also say that it is all well and good to challenge yourself, but also be realistic. I am not saying your major/minor aspirations are unrealistic. I knew a few mids who did a language minor as a non-humanities major. I am just saying that regardless of what you do at USNA, you will be challenged. Everyone goes through a period of adjustment where they go from HS superstar to a rank and file MIDN. I think USNA does it right in how they do majors (undeclared for most of Plebe Year). It will give you a feel for academics at USNA. All the gen eds and mandatory major open houses will give you a feel for what type of major you'd like. The going advice for major selection my plebe year was this:
1. Ask yourself if you'd rather be doing math or writing a paper at 0300. If it's math, go STEM. If it's writing a paper, go humanities.
2. The ideal major is something that you are interested in and you have knack for. If you can't meet one of those, pick something you're good at and can tolerate.
USNA looks at a 3.5 QPR Nuc Engineering major the same as a 3.5 QPR Poli Sci major . So while trying to pick the most challenging path is a noble endeavor it would reward you wth little more than personal pride.
Again, this post is not at all trying to come across negative or to say your plan is bad. I applaud you for trying to seek a challenge. I just caution you to study something because you want to learn about it instead of solely doing it because it is hard. USNA will no doubt test your intrinsic motivation at some point. If you are just in it to say you're doing something hard, it will be hard to muster up the discipline and mental strength to get through the grind.
On graduating on top of your class, I again applaud you on wanting to excel. As others have said, those that graduate at the top of their class also have outstanding fitness, conduct, and professional records. The valedictorian is the grad with #1 Overall Order of Merit, not the #1 Academic Order of Merit. You need to put effort into those avenues as well.
1. Ask yourself if you'd rather be doing math or writing a paper at 0300. If it's math, go STEM. If it's writing a paper, go humanities.
2. The ideal major is something that you are interested in and you have knack for. If you can't meet one of those, pick something you're good at and can tolerate.
USNA looks at a 3.5 QPR Nuc Engineering major the same as a 3.5 QPR Poli Sci major . So while trying to pick the most challenging path is a noble endeavor it would reward you wth little more than personal pride.
Again, this post is not at all trying to come across negative or to say your plan is bad. I applaud you for trying to seek a challenge. I just caution you to study something because you want to learn about it instead of solely doing it because it is hard. USNA will no doubt test your intrinsic motivation at some point. If you are just in it to say you're doing something hard, it will be hard to muster up the discipline and mental strength to get through the grind.
On graduating on top of your class, I again applaud you on wanting to excel. As others have said, those that graduate at the top of their class also have outstanding fitness, conduct, and professional records. The valedictorian is the grad with #1 Overall Order of Merit, not the #1 Academic Order of Merit. You need to put effort into those avenues as well.
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A1Janitor
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This is so true. While I don’t recommend this for anybody - my son has never taken notes in class. He was listening (passively) to comprehend.
Many times students focus on getting notes down to reread later, and they miss understanding the content because they are still writing what was previously said.
Textbooks, the internet, etc - have all the information to read later.
A1Janitor
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Excellent points.
There are 4.0s that didn’t graduate with distinction this year.
And while my son was an aero major and put a lot of time into labs and projects, sometimes envious because he was alone in the library during liberty - he used to comment “at least I didn’t have to write as many papers.”
When he had liberty as an upperclassman - he sometimes went to the diner or movies by himself to decompress and get away from it all.
fullspeedahead
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For me, balancing my time is the biggest aspect for academic success. Use your free periods to get ahead and give you some extra time later to hit the gym or do something else.
I have a very different perspective about academics compared to most individuals. You should strive to do your best and set yourself up for future opportunities. However, so many people place these impossible expectations on themselves and sacrifice their time at the academy to achieve something that will be meaningless in 5 years. It was hit on above, but there are so many people who spend all day in their rooms and lose four years of an opportunity that will never come back again. My advice to all incoming midshipmen is to take those nights to listen to a speaker, go on an MO, or hang out with your classmates. Don’t skip out on awesome opportunities because you think your order of merit or GPA will take a hit. The day you graduate those numbers will never mean anything again. However, the relationships you build and the memories you make will last forever.
I have a very different perspective about academics compared to most individuals. You should strive to do your best and set yourself up for future opportunities. However, so many people place these impossible expectations on themselves and sacrifice their time at the academy to achieve something that will be meaningless in 5 years. It was hit on above, but there are so many people who spend all day in their rooms and lose four years of an opportunity that will never come back again. My advice to all incoming midshipmen is to take those nights to listen to a speaker, go on an MO, or hang out with your classmates. Don’t skip out on awesome opportunities because you think your order of merit or GPA will take a hit. The day you graduate those numbers will never mean anything again. However, the relationships you build and the memories you make will last forever.
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Become an after school tutor or subject aid …. This can be subjects that you naturally excel in … as well as subjects that you would like to expand your knowledge of …
Interaction with other students in this way will help you see more pathways and approaches to problem solutions … and creative patterns that wouldn’t occur spontaneously in your island setting …
This is constructive collaborative development and learning … math, science, natural language composition, and even poetry …
Oh … I forgot playing string instruments … that’s the most important subject of all …
Have fun …
.
Become an after school tutor or subject aid …. This can be subjects that you naturally excel in … as well as subjects that you would like to expand your knowledge of …
Interaction with other students in this way will help you see more pathways and approaches to problem solutions … and creative patterns that wouldn’t occur spontaneously in your island setting …
This is constructive collaborative development and learning … math, science, natural language composition, and even poetry …
Oh … I forgot playing string instruments … that’s the most important subject of all …
Have fun …
.
Old Navy BGO
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Where are you in the process ?
Thread on Nuclear Power schools suggests that OP is already at USNA , this post says " I plan on attending".
Only 2 posts and already trying to figure out how to be top of class. First, that goal is admirable, but slow down --first step is to get into USNA. Second, do the best you can in all aspects of the USNA program. Third, what is the objective of a Nuc major/Arabic minor ? You will be plenty challenged with the Nuc major.
On study tips- each person develops what works for them. There are plenty of resources to help ,,,,use them.
Thread on Nuclear Power schools suggests that OP is already at USNA , this post says " I plan on attending".
Only 2 posts and already trying to figure out how to be top of class. First, that goal is admirable, but slow down --first step is to get into USNA. Second, do the best you can in all aspects of the USNA program. Third, what is the objective of a Nuc major/Arabic minor ? You will be plenty challenged with the Nuc major.
On study tips- each person develops what works for them. There are plenty of resources to help ,,,,use them.
Heatherg21
USNA '24 Mom BGO Bacon Lover Dog Lover
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DS is an aero major minoring in Russian. He does take his studying seriously, and he and a few classmates regularly work together in study groups. Where one is struggling, another may be sailing and they balance each other with their strengths and weaknesses.
@usna1985 hit the nail on the head re pulling all-nighters. The return on investment there is typically negative. Don't do it.
DS also has taught MGSP (Midshipmen Group Study Program) since his youngster year. Helping see how others were learning, or not learning helped him shape his study habits. MGSP is a tremendous resource for those who are struggling in any of their courses.
EI- Extra Instruction. When a professor/instructor offers it, take it.
Seek out time with your instructors. Get to know them, DS has had incredible access to his instructors and when he needed help or a little more context so his comprehension would be more complete, he asked and got the time with those instructors.
The advice about taking time to experience these 4 years is also excellent. Grades and OOM are important, but they aren't the end all be all. Unless, your future plans require a particular metric (scholarships and programs post-graduation), which my kid is striving for. I will say that some things he wanted to do required specific GPA numbers, and without those numbers he wouldn't have qualified. So some of the adventures he has had, and the one he is currently having meant his extra time studying and working toward those grades paid off.
@usna1985 hit the nail on the head re pulling all-nighters. The return on investment there is typically negative. Don't do it.
DS also has taught MGSP (Midshipmen Group Study Program) since his youngster year. Helping see how others were learning, or not learning helped him shape his study habits. MGSP is a tremendous resource for those who are struggling in any of their courses.
EI- Extra Instruction. When a professor/instructor offers it, take it.
Seek out time with your instructors. Get to know them, DS has had incredible access to his instructors and when he needed help or a little more context so his comprehension would be more complete, he asked and got the time with those instructors.
The advice about taking time to experience these 4 years is also excellent. Grades and OOM are important, but they aren't the end all be all. Unless, your future plans require a particular metric (scholarships and programs post-graduation), which my kid is striving for. I will say that some things he wanted to do required specific GPA numbers, and without those numbers he wouldn't have qualified. So some of the adventures he has had, and the one he is currently having meant his extra time studying and working toward those grades paid off.
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Very good points - don’t become a “hall rat” (stays on Yard studying all the time, not enjoying taking advantage of enrichment, engagement, fun, friends). You don’t get this time back. Balance is the key. DH fondly recalls his time traveling with baseball, playing a lot of cards (yesteryear gaming), chasing after a social life when he could, but always ensuring he stood high enough in the class he had a good shot at aviation, his primary goal. Once down at flight training, he doubled down and worked hard to get jets, then fighters. He optimized his time over various elements of work and play.
I'm not going to be a nay-sayer here. I had classmates with crazier combinations, racking 24 credits a semester for dual Group 1 or Group 1/Group 2 majors. The language minor is actually on the more reasonable end. Whether it's worth getting one more line of text on your transcript is up to interpretation.
Schedule planning is important if you want to fit in a Group 1 major/Group 2 minor like that.
This may mean making use of Plebe year to get rolling on courses for your major, which means committing to a major early. This will probably not be an option during first semester, but you can work with your academic advisor for second semester (once you actually demonstrated academic ability to handle this, i.e. gotten straight As first semester).
Take a look at validation. Not just the plebe validation listed on the website, but look at course requirements and talk to your academic advisor (who will be a professor from your department) about what courses throughout the department you might be able to validate. Validation policy is not determined by USNA as a whole, but by the academic department--it can be flexible, depending on the department, and depending on what you actually have to offer as justification.
Consider the academic and training opportunities you will give up by committing to this plan. You may find summer school is necessary to make this work, and that may get in the way of an internship or training opportunity that is offered during a particular block. Instead of taking the Arabic minor, you could have used that free space for VGEP or semester abroad.
Again, all you really get is an extra line on your transcript. A language minor won't even be reflected on your personnel record as an officer. At the same time, this may be your one and only opportunity to pursue whatever fields of study you enjoy and learn what you want to learn, and I respect the desire to do something for no other reason than that you want to.
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usna1985
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As a general rule (there are some exceptions), it's irrelevant what you major in at USNA. I had some classmates who picked a Group 1 major primarily (if not solely) to show how "tough" they were. Trust me, no one cares at USNA and they care even less in the outside world.
After plebe and youngster year, the overwhelming majority of your classes will be in your major. It helps if you enjoy those classes. It also helps if you are reasonably good in the subject matter because that will (hopefully) free up more of your spare time for things you enjoy.
If you're a STEM major, you have to take at least 2 humanities courses. Select those thoughtfully. Some choose advanced language. That's great if you're proficient and have retained what you learned in h.s. to your 2/C year. If not, those can be brutal (a roommate did it and really struggled). You can also select history, English, economics, etc. Some will require a lot of writing and some not so much. If you're a good writer and enjoy the material, writing a paper isn't a huge deal. If you struggled in plebe history and English, you might be better off in poly sci or econ.
In the end, it's all about time management. You want to do well academically but also have a life. Figuring all of that out is part of the USNA journey. We can all give you suggestions but, in the end, your major selection, your study tips, your electives, summer school, etc. are going to be based on how well you can handle what USNA throws at you. Most of us here have done it and we're not superhuman (present company excepted!). You too will figure it out.
After plebe and youngster year, the overwhelming majority of your classes will be in your major. It helps if you enjoy those classes. It also helps if you are reasonably good in the subject matter because that will (hopefully) free up more of your spare time for things you enjoy.
If you're a STEM major, you have to take at least 2 humanities courses. Select those thoughtfully. Some choose advanced language. That's great if you're proficient and have retained what you learned in h.s. to your 2/C year. If not, those can be brutal (a roommate did it and really struggled). You can also select history, English, economics, etc. Some will require a lot of writing and some not so much. If you're a good writer and enjoy the material, writing a paper isn't a huge deal. If you struggled in plebe history and English, you might be better off in poly sci or econ.
In the end, it's all about time management. You want to do well academically but also have a life. Figuring all of that out is part of the USNA journey. We can all give you suggestions but, in the end, your major selection, your study tips, your electives, summer school, etc. are going to be based on how well you can handle what USNA throws at you. Most of us here have done it and we're not superhuman (present company excepted!). You too will figure it out.
Heatherg21
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Enjoying the coursework is key. DS chose his major because he geeks out on the subject matter, trust me, he calls to talk about the labs and wind tunnel and it is evident he loves it.
I play games on my iPad all day. Don't do that.