Weird seeing these forums again after so many years. My parents used to scour here searching for bits and pieces about what was happening at school, knowing they will never truly understand what was going on. Wishing they could be there for me during the struggles that most kids that age will never understand. But also realizing those struggles are what will develop their young boy or girl into men or women. I don't envy my parents having to go through KP with me, and I do not envy any parents reading this. I'm sorry you have to go through this, you're not alone in it, and all that your kid can ask is for you to be there to listen in the tough moments. They have plenty of advice, they just need someone to listen and provide some comfort.
Not many graduates talk about what the school does or means to them, but I want to share what I believe the purpose of this place is. The school takes in a bunch of well qualified young people. Then it isolates every single one of them. Isolation is not something everyone can face, it forces you to confront your issues and quickly makes you realize who you are as a person. The people that can't handle that drop out after the first year.
After that, during 3rd and 2nd classmen year, the school requires you to build deep connections with your friends. Without those deep connections, you don't make it out. Midshipmen who aren't able to do that become depressed, and after being isolated for so long just want out. You don't make it through those two years without clawing through the place with your best buddies. These friends will inevitably follow you for life as you go your separate ways, but most importantly teaches you how to build deep connections with people as you develop your career.
Sea year during those two years teaches you very quickly the only person you can rely on is yourself. The moment you rely on anyone else, you get burned. It's a cut throat world at sea, and all of us learn that quickly. On top of that, dealing with stressful life or death situations will happen, often, and drawing from those situations years down the road makes life seem almost easy after the fact.
Kings Pointers are able to develop connections with people unlike anyone else because of this whole process, and that's what makes them so successful as they go through life.
Senior year at KP, as far as service academies go, provides a blank canvas to them. They force you to build yourself back up into the person you want and should be. That's not an easy feat especially with the stresses of licensing and just "simply" passing classes. You're going through really tough testing, an unforgiving regiment, licensing, and building yourself at the same time. There's a lot going on. But by that time, you're well equipped to deal with it.
When I was going through it, and years after, I thought the schools purpose was to build robots that were assets to the US government. I was way off. The school's purpose is to break people down, give them the avenue to build themselves back up to learn who they are, and allow graduates to become future leaders in literally whatever they want to do. It's quite beautiful.
Not many graduates talk about what the school does or means to them, but I want to share what I believe the purpose of this place is. The school takes in a bunch of well qualified young people. Then it isolates every single one of them. Isolation is not something everyone can face, it forces you to confront your issues and quickly makes you realize who you are as a person. The people that can't handle that drop out after the first year.
After that, during 3rd and 2nd classmen year, the school requires you to build deep connections with your friends. Without those deep connections, you don't make it out. Midshipmen who aren't able to do that become depressed, and after being isolated for so long just want out. You don't make it through those two years without clawing through the place with your best buddies. These friends will inevitably follow you for life as you go your separate ways, but most importantly teaches you how to build deep connections with people as you develop your career.
Sea year during those two years teaches you very quickly the only person you can rely on is yourself. The moment you rely on anyone else, you get burned. It's a cut throat world at sea, and all of us learn that quickly. On top of that, dealing with stressful life or death situations will happen, often, and drawing from those situations years down the road makes life seem almost easy after the fact.
Kings Pointers are able to develop connections with people unlike anyone else because of this whole process, and that's what makes them so successful as they go through life.
Senior year at KP, as far as service academies go, provides a blank canvas to them. They force you to build yourself back up into the person you want and should be. That's not an easy feat especially with the stresses of licensing and just "simply" passing classes. You're going through really tough testing, an unforgiving regiment, licensing, and building yourself at the same time. There's a lot going on. But by that time, you're well equipped to deal with it.
When I was going through it, and years after, I thought the schools purpose was to build robots that were assets to the US government. I was way off. The school's purpose is to break people down, give them the avenue to build themselves back up to learn who they are, and allow graduates to become future leaders in literally whatever they want to do. It's quite beautiful.
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