<p>To quell people's beast worries, I don't think it will be as bad as people are saying it will be. I've been talking to my cousin, WP alum who is in Iraq right now, and he said that for him the toughest part about being a cadet was chemistry and physics class and trying to keep his GPA at a "respectable" level. Going in to WP he was excited and thrilled, so the physical and mental things were easy to deal with for him.</p>
<p>lol... You guys are so funny.</p>
<p>beast will be as bad as your cadre wants to make it</p>
<p>I was talking to an "old grad" who I work with and he said that any one part of West Point is doable. However, when you put together the academics with advanced classes, corps squad, duties, hazing, nonsense, meetings, etc., the combination is what makes it all so difficult. Each and every day is a balancing act and you have to make decisions many times a day as to what you'll do and what tradeoffs you're willing to make. Because you will have to make them.</p>
<p>NA1987,</p>
<p>I expect that you'll be better off expecting a dreadful experience, rather than a fun Beast. Just remember that none of it is personal.</p>
<p>I'm not in any way saying it will be fun. I know none of it's personal. Like in sports, when stuff seems hard or we're doing a lot of sprints, I just remember that hundreds of guys have gone through the same stuff at my school, and have won championships. Going into West Point, I'll keep thinking that for over 200 years, guys have been doing the same things and many come out and are very successful because of it. The last thing I keep remembering is that if they thought I wouldn't succeed and fail at USMA, they wouldn't have taken me. If I just keep remembering that, I won't give up no matter how hard it gets.</p>
<p>It's good to go in with confidence, but at the same time to think "OK, this is going to be bad." That way, and it can never be worse than you think it will be. Trust me on that one.</p>
<p>I told someone else on this board that I'd go in expecting the worst possible thing ever, and it can only be better than that. He said that was rediculous and no matter how much I convince myself that, I will be surprised and overwhelmed. I'd side with you, not him.</p>