<p>KPcheng81...Glad to have another experienced poster here. I can't imagine how you feel having your son about to attend your alma mater. My education about KP just started about 18 months ago and from all the alums I spoke with having one's kid follow them there would be about the greatest thing to happen. The loyalty that exists with KP may be the best I have ever been exposed to. From your experience as an engineer and from working with the cadets at sea do you see a big jump in interest of their majors after the cadets have been exposed to some things they can apply their classwork to. My son is an engine major, mainly due to his strength in math and science, not because he is interested in the how's and why's. I ask him every couple of weeks if his interest level is sparked and so far the best reply yet is that he was "almost interested in one class" I took that as an improvement. I don't think he has had any shop labs yet so everything he has been exposed to so far is classroom work. I know that every cadet is different but just wondering about some of your experiences with them.</p>
<p>The education we are receiving here is amazing. I look back to 18 months ago & how little I truly knew about KP. The more I learn, the more I've decided its one of the best of the best. </p>
<p>ncdad, when I ask questions like you ask, I get a "yes". Wish there was a little more elaboration on the Jamzs part. The yes & no answers to questions doesn't help me learn much. :) Example: "What did you have for dinner tonight?"
answer - "yes". Suppose he's busy.....</p>
<p>""What did you have for dinner tonight?" "</p>
<p>I'll answer that one on his behalf....It was either pizza or a cheeseburger. Possibly, but highly unlikely it was one of the main dishes.</p>
<p>There's two lines in the mess hall for dinner: the fast food line with hamburgers/pizza/etc and the main dish line usually with some sort of chicken dish or other unknown entity. There's always the soup and salad too, but the fast food line was always the longest, and had the same things from my first day out of indoc to my last night before graduation. Have to love consistency.</p>
<p>ncdad... I would say I'm very proud and apprehensive at the same time, probably like most parents before indoc. I may be in the industry and a graduate, but in the end it all comes down to my son having to do it on his own just like every other cadet at school. He will be the first one to leave home and it will be an adjustment, especially for the Mrs. Some days he is truly amazing and other days I honestly don't know how he makes it through the school day without a major catastrophe. I hope he doesn't plan to logon to this message board soon.</p>
<p>I think sea year is major milestone for any cadet. It was for me. They will be able to finally take the textbook examples and see it at work. They'll also be able to RELAX a little. Things start to become clear. It's hard to picture a steam and water cycle or a stroke cycle of a large diesel engine until you actually see it in operation. Once they see a four story diesel engine with pistons three feet in diameter they begin to appreciate the engineering involved in the operation and design of the machine. The plebe year courses are really just the basics and so are some 3rd. class year. They don't get into the meat of it until 2nd class and 1st class years. I enjoyed and got the most out of those courses. You are also more relaxed then. During plebe year their field of vision is so narrow. It's hard for them to see the big picture and they've got a bunch of extra curricular items distracting them. Give it some time. If your son decides on systems as a major he will get the best KP has to offer. He will be able to choose from many different paths. Of course it is the hardest engine major.</p>
<p>systems, what was I thinking?</p>
<p>go straight deck.</p>
<p>There have been many days when I've said I should have gone deck, what the heck was I thinking. It passes though and my senses return.</p>
<p>Indeed it does.</p>
<p>"This used to be a much more viable option at KP. My class, '01, was the last class that had this as a normal option while attending KP. My roomate was one and I would not wish that program on my worst enemy, haha. I think we had around 8 or 9 dual grads. It is my understanding that to do that program now one must have some college experience prior to starting their plebe year. Anyone know any specifics?"</p>
<p>It is my understanding, based on correspondence with an admissions officer, that this option is no longer offered. According to him: "The closest we have to it is the Maritime Operations & Technology major."</p>
<p>I do know that there is at least one 3rd classman at KP with a dual major. Until I read these posts, I never heard that you cannot be a dual major....</p>
<p>we asked that question specifically, and were told by the admissions office that the dual major was no longer being offered- this was in Feb of 2005 however- it never hurts to double check with them in case things changed again.</p>
<p>Well if they are no longer offering it they need to update the webpage. I went and checked and they specifically mention the program with a caveat - one needs extensive college work prior to going to KP. In my eyes this would mean at least one year at another college prior to KP. Wouldn't surprise me if the school simply hadn't updated the page though.</p>
<p>They never update the website! Only website where the news is often 6 months old. Applicants - check the materials sent to you as well as checking with Admissions and on your visit for some of these details. The schools is on its accreditation review this year, so I am sure a lot of information will be updated, but don't know when.</p>
<p>Not true - Impacted means they come out. Not impacted and in straight NO problem. My daughter (3rd Class) had her lower ones out -- top are absolutely straight and not impacted -- Cleared for second sea term -- He said top WT will not need to come out -- plenty of room and they are straight.</p>
<p>However dentist noticed some slight decay on two of her rear teeth that he said was caused by damage to teeth from brace brackets. 2 appts all fixed.</p>
<p>My father in-law took hers out friday after TG 04 and she dived 24 hours later - no swelling, no brusing.</p>
<p>8kidsmom: Is your daughter a dualie? On other thread you said she is doing both above and below deck work. How did she carry 26 credits? And dive? Can't imagine! Clearly she is both talented and brilliant and must never sleep or eat! What is her goal upon graduation?</p>
<p>weski,</p>
<p>She is a Marine Operations and Technology Major and was selected for the new minor program - Military Leadership and Ethics. So she had her regular load plus 7 credits for her minor classes. She has been very busy and is not getting the rest she needs - especially the last couple of weeks -- Diving Championships are this weekend as well. I really worry about her but she seems to be handling it. </p>
<p>She will sail after graduation. She wants to get her engineering license as soon as she can -- she will graduate with her QMED and then is eligible to sit for her 3rd engineer after 180 days at sea. She said she plans on sailing full time for 5-6 years and go to schools (language, and business). Currently she thinks her eventual goal will be to own and operate her own Charter Yacht business -- but who knows. </p>
<p>She is very excited to go back out to sea -- She described her first sea term as "outstandingly awesome."</p>
<p>What year is your MN?</p>
<p>8KM- son is 3rd classman (soph) - I never get it right. He is currently at sea below decks as a Marine Engineer major. He's on a US-N Europe containership run, due back 1st week of March. We were able to visit his ship after Christmas (for 4 hours in Norfolk) and got a tour, including the 8 story engine room, seeing really big diesel engines and pistons. Impressive! I pray he is on top of his sea project. But as there is nothing we can do, I am expending my parental energy on this board.</p>
<p>8kidsmom's post #73 ~ Jamz are impacted so out they come. He will get quite the Christmas present this coming year. I had him all set up for spring break but as he wanted a fishing trip in Charleston, he went behind my back & had the academy tell him that he could wait until Christmas. He is so sneaky. I feel I've lost all control over him now thats he's up there. LOL</p>
<p>WESKI,</p>
<p>Be prepared for a couple of sleepless nights with the sea project. Mine thought hers was complete (it was) but the organization took 48 sleepless hours of her time and mine to make sure it was "perfect" when she was at home. </p>
<p>I really can't blame her as her computer was "in the shop" while she was at sea and she hand wrote her entire project which turned out to be 684+ pages. </p>
<p>CLUE: Make sure that you print out every single picture he took of the boat (black and white is fine and we did hers 4 up on a page) as those will prove invaluable for the tests that they are required to take on their project. They need to go into their project when it is submitted or they can't use them.</p>
<p>The tests account for 70% of their grade on their sea project. They will receive grades on each portion of the project -- 6 grades in all. She was fastidious in rechecking all her calculations and made sure all her drawings were "perfect" and that her charts were all corrected.</p>
<p>I hope your MN is enjoying sea and does exceptional on his project!!</p>
<p>JM,</p>
<p>I am glad that it is over. My daughter said she was glad that her grandfather took them out -- She said he is the only one who she would have do it. She did not need pain med other than a single regular tylenol right before and right after. </p>
<p>Her roommate was swollen, bruised and on drugs for days and then got dry socket and had to have more surgery. </p>
<p>Since Grandpa is in Montreal it was an extra 12 hour drive in a 3 day weekend. We did 5 hours to get her on Wednesday and 9 hours home then TG at home 6 hours up Friday, Extractions saturday followed by 6 hours home and then 9 hours Sunday back to the academy for diving practice at 5PM. She said it was worth it not to be hurting and sick. I am just glad it is over.</p>
<p>I hope you have a real good dentist -- although he is having it done at Christmas which gives you time to take care of him at home before sending him back -- and he will be a third classman by that time which will make it easier than being a plebe.</p>
<p>8KM: Thanks for the excellent advice - somehow I think girls are much better at doing long, involved projects. I have emailed him your advice. But since he never emails us from sea, I am never sure what he gets. Boys! My DD is equally compulsive; son not - making ME sleepless at times.</p>