Advice for preparing for plebe summer!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Naval Academy - Annapolis
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<p>This is directed to current and former mids as well as parents of current and former mids.</p>

<p>I am really excited to be going to the Naval Academy. Besides working out like crazy what else can a prospective plebe do to get ready? Is there anything you or your mid would do again to prepare for PS? </p>

<p>I am on track to enter the academy in good shape. I lift every day and I'm using the Naval Academy Plebe Summer Workout book and I will maintain the final week of workouts for the month or so before PS. I'm running regularly with better and better times and swimming 4 days out of the week. </p>

<p>What should I do mentally? I'm in all AP classes and believe I'm in good shape to take the validation exams. I don't think I will validate chemistry or calculus. I used AP chemistry as a review (and I'm not confident enough with it to validate) and I'm going into an engineering major so I'd have to take Calculus again anyways (is this correct?).</p>

<p>What else can I do? Physically? mentally? I know I'll be in for a major lifestyle shock when I arrive so I'm trying to minimize the extra stresses. What is the atmosphere of plebe summer? Is it like boot camp or is it more centered on getting indoctrinated into academy life? I just want to know everybody's personal experiences and what I can do to go in prepared,</p>

<p>Thank you,</p>

<p>Z</p>

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<p>PS-Good luck to all that haven’t found out yet. I was really surprised when I got the call in late january. My stuff was all in early and I was told I wouldn’t get a decision until after spring break.</p>

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<p>Suggestions for preparing for Plebe year, based on my Plebe’s experiences (and things I’ve heard from some other Mids):</p>

<ul>
<li>Keep up your conditioning. Everything will be easier if you’re in top shape.</li>
<li>Mentally, realize that you will be pushed to the point of failure. It might be on Plebe rates, room inspections, whatever. How will you respond? Are you prepared to stay motivated even when you’re exhausted, even when you don’t see the point of why you have to do yet another (rack race, uniform race, set of pushups, …) ?</li>
<li>Also mentally/emotionally, try not to have the expectation that once Plebe Summer is over, things will get a lot easier. In some companies, that might be true, but in others, it is not true at all. The morning after Brigade reform, my Plebe’s training staff had them out doing training runs that were a lot longer, faster, and harder than anything they had done during PS. Plebe year is like doing a really long endurance race. PS is sort of like the first 100 miles of the Indy 500. I have heard from several Plebes and upper class Mids who actually felt that Ac year was harder for them. Don’t panic, just keep going.</li>
<li>Academically, spend your last bit of HS making sure that your study habits are excellent, and that you are as efficient as possible with your studying. Your study time at USNA will be limited by all of your other responsibilities, but you still have to keep your grades up.</li>
<li>Remember that the upper class Mids have already made it through what you’re going through. More importantly, remember that it is not the goal of the upper class to get rid of you. If you show that you want to be there, that you are motivated, that you won’t give up just because things are hard, and that you really want to be part of the team, then they will want you to succeed, even while they are making your life, shall we say, challenging! OTOH, woe be it to those who try to use any excuse to get out of training or other obligations.</li>
</ul>

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<p>Be a high school student
Enjoy your friends
Enjoy your family
Listen to a lot of music
Read some good books
See lots of movies</p>

<p>Run some, work out some, swim some but DO NOT MAKE THIS YOUR LIFE!
Plebe summer will be here before you know it, don’t live the Academy before you are here. </p>

<p>Personally, I did not do anything “special” to get ready for Plebe Summer. I enjoyed my last semester of high school. I ran track. I let that be my work out, nothing more. I went on a two week vacation with my family before Plebe Summer - walked a lot but did not do any “workouts.” I had like one week at home to hang with friends and then off to Annapolis. I did not struggle one bit at plebe summer, well maybe, but not in a physical or “mental” sense more a frustration at some of the nuances. </p>

<p>As far as learning to live through exhaustion, LOL I got more sleep Plebe Summer and Plebe year than I have since.</p>

<p>Just show up with a healthy attitude, a bit of humility, a good sense of humor, and you will be fine.</p>

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<p>Above is pretty accurate.
The thing is, Plebe Summer is REALLY not that bad.<br>
Yes, its exhausting. Yes, you are busy all day long. Yes, people are yelling around, to, through you. Yes, its diferent than most anything you’ve gone through before.
BUT, over 1,000 people get through it EVERY year.
There is a mystique that has been built up over the years regarding PS. Prior to internet, nobody really knew what went on. Now, a bit more, but some overzealous postings make it soudn much more difficult than it is.</p>

<p>For example, I had no idea how we would fill an entire day. All I had really heard about was “being in shape”, “get in shape”, “run”, “run some more.” Was that all we were going to do? Work out, run, and run somem ore.</p>

<p>Well, it turns out that a great deal of the day. . . in fact, most of the day, you are not doing anyting particularly taxing–from a physical standpoint–at all. Most of the day you move from one brief to another. From validation tests to a brief on this or that. </p>

<p>Now, I don’t want to take away from being in shape. If you are “out of shape” the summer will be difficult. So . . . run, stay active, exercise, practice pull ups, practice sit up, etc., etc.,</p>

<p>BUT, don’t fret about it. Enjoy the last of your senior year. [But, don’t get in trouble for drinking alcohol. BIG no, no.] and take it easy.</p>

<p>At the end of the day, they [the cadre] can’t hit you and they can’t stop the clock. Just get through each day one at a time. Do what you are told. Keep your mouth shut unless you are asked a aquestion. Don’t overthink things. Don’t worry about things you can’t control.</p>

<p>Most important advice: DO WHAT YOU ARE TOLD TO DO WHEN YOU ARE TOLD TO DO IT!</p>

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<p>^^^^ Look at it this way - it will be one time in your life you do not need to make decisions - just do what you are told and stay under the radar. </p>

<p>Actually lots of the “physical” stuff is a lot of fun. I had a blast doing the O Course and the Tarzan course. And the rifle range - good time there. I had never sailed before getting to sail was bonus.</p>

<p>Look at it this way, it is summer camp on steroids and with guns! There is no need to over think PS.</p>

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<p>I knew I meant to say something like that ^^^
That’s my point; all you hear about is th e situps, the running, the pushups, etc. Morning PEP makes up about 10% of your day.</p>

<p>The rest is doeing stuff that you would pay to do somewhere else.
American gladiator? You get to do it.
Shoot guns? We don’t even have to pay for theammunition.
Swimming? Fun to me.
Sailing? On the Chesapeake bay; how cool is that.
Listening to lectures? At least it is cool inside.</p>

<p>Yeah, there are some hassles, but don’t let anybody spook you about it. Its more than the average college student is doing for their summer, more than you probably did in High School . . . but VERY manageable. I feel sorry for the guys/gals who choose to leave over the summer. Guess they shouldn’t have been here to begin with.</p>

<p>CM gave you the best advice you will ever hear about PS: DON’T OVERTHINK IT.</p>

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<p>besides staying in shape and staying out of trouble, don’t get hurt. don’t break bones don’t blow out knees or do anything else that requires surgery. also don’t get mono!</p>

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<p>Sorry if my earlier post made PS sound terrible. This morning, my Plebe commented much as CurrentMid above. From now to I-day, have fun, hang out with friends, don’t worry, be in good shape. </p>

<p>The Plebe’s one other comment was that, during PS, all you have to do is follow, show motivation, and obey orders. Ac year can be harder in the sense that you need to keep yourself organized, be on time, and stay SAT in classes, PRT, etc.</p>

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<p>what is SAT?</p>

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<p>SATisfactory grades. Two D’s, or less than 2.0 during any semester marking period is UNSAT.</p>

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<p>boy, this thread makes me feel better. i was pretty worried about PS for a bit, but now that is just back to excitement again! i can’t believe how soon it is…
Don’t take this the wrong way, i will still prepare physically. im figuring track should do me well till its over at the end of may. then ill just hit the gym till i leave for MD! best of luck to those still waiting. It’s St. Patrick’s day!</p>

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<p>In case you didn’t know this, you shouldn’t lift weights everyday. Lifting weights tears muscle fibers and you need a day to let them regrow. When they regrow they grow bigger because they are torn and stretched more each time. Without a day to rest in between, you are not getting nearly the same benefit as from working out 3-4 times a week.</p>

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<p>i work different body parts every day. i give one day of rest for all upper body and two days for lower body. but i do abs every day. and I don’t lift on weekends to rest.</p>

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<p>Be able to run. A lot. Because you will. Otherwise, enjoy the rest of your senior year and don’t become obsessed with “becoming a plebe.” There really isn’t a way to “be ready” for PS. You time will come.</p>

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<p>By the way does anybody know when parents weekend is? My mom will not stop asking me about it so she can book a hotel room before the apparant rush…</p>

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<p>HYDRATE!!!</p>

<p>But seriously, if you are in good shape, PS should not be tough physically. However, everyone will be stressed emotionally and mentally. Don’t be surprised when your platoon can’t do anything right for the first couple of weeks. That is how the game is played. </p>

<p>Now hydrate again, I don’t want any heat casualties this summer. (If you don’t already know, it gets hot up here!)</p>

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<p>My advice is to stop worrying about it and enjoy high school, because your relationship with your friends will not be the same after going to USNA. Have fun, sleep a lot, and just don’t show up in terrible shape. I didn’t work out that much before going and I survived. </p>

<p>Be ready for failure, because it’s going to happen. It’s not just about you messing up, it’s about your squad/platoon/company. So no matter what, you will fail. Plebe summer is designed to make you fail. And you can’t figure out how you’re going to deal with that failure until you actually experience it… so that is why I said there is not point in stressing out over “preparing” and to just enjoy life. </p>

<p>Otherwise, TRY TRY TRY TRY – I cannot emphasize this enough – to not break yourself. And if you don’t legitimately break yourself, then DON’T GO ON CHIT BECAUSE YOU ARE LAZY. Everyone will know if you are a “chit surfer” – ie, your shins “hurt” so you can’t run. I had an open fracture and spent half of plebe summer on chit, drugged up (but still in agony), and completely miserable. So just don’t break yourself… it’s not fun.</p>

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<p>Make sure you stay out of trouble. Getting arrested over the summer will endanger your nomination.</p>

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<p>what is chit? is that a clinic?</p>