College Life at USMMA

Colleges and Universities A-Z Merchant Marine Academy - Kings Point
1

<p>I was wondering what a typical day at the academy was like....Are the week days full of studying and no relaxation or is there a time where the students get to lay back and take it easy for a few hours? Are we supervised during study time to make sure we're on task all the time, doors open at all times of the day? What is there to do on weekends...can we freely roam around the campus, maybe pickup a late night snack or walk outside?</p>

<p>Basically, what can we and can't we do? I mean college is supposed to be the best time of our lives. Is this true at the academy, or am I in for a rough surprise??</p>

2

<p>A Midshipman's Daily Schedule</p>

<p>During the academic year, the Monday through Friday daily routine is as follows:</p>

<p>6:00.................Reveille for fourth classmen
6:30.................Reveille for upper classmen
6:25-7:20.........Breakfast buffet
7:30.................Room inspection
7:50.................Colors formation
8:00-11:20.......Classes
11:30................Lunch formation
12:30-4:50.......Classes
5:00-7:00.........Athletics, extracurricular activities
5:30-7:45.........Dinner buffet
8:00-11:30.......Study period</p>

<p>Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings are used for regimental parades and inspections, but the remainder of each weekend includes liberty and recreation</p>

3

<p>While a plebe there are limitations regarding some activities...more freedom after recognition! Plebes square corners, have to follow designated walking zones, cannot eat in their room, limited cell phone use, cannot nap. I know that there are more...surely a mid will jump in here and detail those.</p>

<p>Yet, plebes do have liberty on weekends after Acceptance in Sept....sometimes it's just Sat. night, other times plebes may have liberty til 6PM Sunday. Certain clubs and sports teams have a relaxed setting where the plebe doesn't have to be so "locked on"</p>

4

<p>You might find this link helpful, a midshipman's diary:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.usmma.edu/life/dormitorylife/diary.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.usmma.edu/life/dormitorylife/diary.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

5

<p>Plebe, </p>

<p>It won't be like the experience your friends at any other school will have unless they are also going to an academy. Will it be the best time of your life? When you look back on it, it probably will be a very fond memory. There will be times when you accomplish something that you never thought you could -- something you would never be challenged to do at a school where your friends are -- and you will think to yourself "this is way cool!"</p>

<p>Parts of this summer very well may be the hardest things you have ever done in your life, both physically and mentally. Will you want to quit? The thought will cross your mind. There will be people who quit. You will be glad on Acceptance Day, Recognition Day and Graduation Day that you didn't. </p>

<p>But remember, you are going to a school that has as its stated purpose is to educate and graduate officers and leaders of honor and integrity who are dedicated to serving the economic and defense interests of the United States in our Armed Forces and Merchant Marine, and who will contribute to an intermodal transportation system that effectively ties America together. </p>

<p>You wouldn't expect it or want it to be easy. </p>

<p>It is going to be different than another college experience. Will you get to lay around in the quad on a sunny fall day and throw a frisbee around? No. Will you get to walk past all the barriers in Times Square at 10pm on New Year's Eve and have the best spot in all of NY to watch the ball drop? Yes. Will total strangers offer to buy all your refreshments the rest of the night? Yes.</p>

<p>So, there are trade offs.</p>

<p>You will have to earn privileges. But you will appreciate them more.</p>

<p>You will be part of something a whole lot bigger than the inconvenience of not being able to close your door or lay down in your rack until 2200. You will be part of a tradition of men and women who have sacraficed to give you the privilege of living in the most prosperous and free country in history.</p>

<p>PM is right spot on. In terms of supervised study time, nobody is looking over your shoulder making you study. You are accountable for your own grades. </p>

<p>Bottom line, it is different.</p>

<p>One final thing, in terms of college being the best time of your life -- I had a blast in college (not an academy), but was it as cool as a lot of stuff I have done since? Not by any means. I could go through a laundry list of things that have been better than college, and I had a GREAT time in college.</p>

6

<p>wow LFWB dad -</p>

<p>What an excellent post! Just reading it made me think back on my college days, what I experienced, and what I missed. I am so excited for my son, Tyler, to get to experience life at USMMA...</p>

<p>Thanks again,
jeff</p>

7

<p>I wish some of the KP kids would post some more about life at KP (hint hint). I think that even though we, as academy parents, can never understand how truly hard they work or know how they really feel about the "normal" teenage life they left behind to live a dream of serving their country, we do get to hear the funny stories and about the practical jokes from time to time to let us know that they haven't stopped being kids quite yet. They find a way to have some fun. Plebe, don't let them put you into a chair on wheels & give you a broom stick and have you "joust" in the hall. Trust me in that it is dangerous and people will end up getting stitches. (Hope that kid is ok now) And don't move people's beds and put them down in storage when they go out for a run. They will pay you back by moving your entire room of furniture down four flights of stairs while you're gone to class. Do go play Ultimate Frisbee and flag football. Go out for a run if you want some time to yourself. You WILL find constructive ways to hide a bag of Oreos. When you finally get that first leave, you'll probably hop the bus to the train & go into NYC to eat, hang out, & go to a movie and the like. When that happens, you will be so very proud to wear those summer whites out & about. People will stop you to take photos and ask where you're from. You may even get dinner bought for you by some well meaning guy who wants you to know that he appreciates what you're doing. You will get into the museums at no cost because they appreciate you to. You'll get to go to the front of the line to go up in the Empire State building. These are the types of things that happen because you have chosen this path. There are the good things along with the bad in any part of life. I hate to speak for the Mids here but I think they would tell you that being a Plebe "sucks" most days. But you'll find a way to enjoy the little things and the time will fly to Recognition and the end to some of the stress. Don't worry. You'll learn to live on that four hours of sleep! ;) And you'll blow your parents away when they walk down the street with you & someone stops you to shake your hand. This will be one of the hardest things you've ever done but as LFWBDad said, you are a great kid because you really will be doing great things! Nap while you still can!!</p>

8

<p>Wish I could give you some better stats but I can find none that are recently published. But to give you an idea, the class of 2008 enrolled 284. The class of 2005 graduated 219. It is only a guess on my part that anywhere from 60 to 80 kids will not make it to graduate. I can safely say that the class of 2009 will graduate below 200 Mids. Yes, most of it is due to the tough academics but there are cases where it just wasn't a good fit for some kids. </p>

<p>BTW. Gotta love the name. I use it alot when speaking about my older brothers.</p>

9

<p>Again, I wish I had some numbers to give you but no reports have been published yet. Maybe someone else knows more? Sorry. Guessing can be so misleading. The numbers will be posted for this next year sometime in September. I say this only because the numbers I got for you in the last post came from the parent's meeting minutes from last Sept. so I am assuming they will make another report at this next upcoming meeting. Stats for other academies are very similar. Coast Guard Academy has the highest drop out rates so this should let you know that the Academies are all tough.</p>

10

<p>As a member of 09, I can tell you this... we have one of the highest drop out rates so far in the past few years. We are already done below 230... and that is before people have to get a minimum of a 2.0, Sea Year Screw-ups, other people failing out due to grades and the ***** who decide to come for two years and leave becuase they don't want a commitment. A lot of these are setbacks, but we also have some people set back into our class, so the numbers may not accuratley reflect whats happening.
But going back to life at KP, that schedule is pretty accurate... weekends are nice, and even if you don't get rack in or lib, you can fall asleep in Land Hall, or if you play a sport, in the locker room. </p>

<p>And you can keep dreaming about wandering around outside... that won't happen until you are recognized. Plebe SOC's are still followed on weekends</p>

11

<p>Most indoc drops are due to medical, I don't know how because we don't do anything that dangerous...That being said, we lost 6 people to medical in my company, and that was high...I think, so they come back with 2010. I'd say about 20-25 are lost in indoc overall. Our class is dumb, oh well.</p>

12

<p>no i wasnt. Ummmm....duct tape is good to have, safety pins? I brought some used them here and there, I'd bring them.</p>

13

<p>"What is there to do on weekends...can we freely roam around the campus, maybe pickup a late night snack or walk outside?"</p>

<p>haha your a funny guy. you'll have fun with all the rules here. if there is absolutely nothing to do (which happens a lot) you can always practice POA in front of your mirror</p>

14

<p>i am in the class of 2010, 3rd class now, and my plebe year was a blast, yes it sucks in many ways but you become so close to your company and class mates you become a family. when you r a plebe just keep your head down and it wil be ok. do plenty of spirit missions and be active, dont just sit in your room all weekend. it is great if you play a sport here, you become very close with the team, but the priority is the academic, just dont forget that. you may have to give up a sport if it means passing. i have failed a class and a sea project but as long as you never give up and repeat the classes you will do ok, i have a 2.89. all you have to do is try, it is not like H.S. were you can blow off hw and still do great. as to the regimental life here, you will hate it during indoc, th worst is waking up...ull see... but you will get used to it and it will not bother you. the opportunities you get after grad completely out way wat we have to deal with here. i have only been here almost 2 years and i already have had 2 job offers when i grad starting above 100K. if anyone has Q's, email me, i will answer or i will find someone who can. i am an engineer with a systems major and a minor in mechanical engine design. good luck and take the challenge, it is worth it.</p>

15

<p>To add to the great posts above, my 4th classman son experienced all of the above this past year. What is outstanding is the sense of accomplishment, purpose and direction he derived from the plebe experience. Upon recognition, he earned membership into an elite, mysterious group of people who are highly respected and admired for enduring this experience by the unknowing outside world. A year ago, he too was hesitant about missing the college fun, but now he hasn’t any regrets. The plebe experience has set the stage for friendships that are far more brotherly than ANY fraternity. These former plebes went through the best of times and the worst of times for the past 9 months and they did it together which will forever bond them. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime, unforgettable experience that has made him a better person and transformed him into a man. I think what helped him was the adage we learned on this forum: Go to KP and work hard for 4 years….play the rest of your life or go to college, play hard for 4 years and work the rest of your life… something like that. Did I get that right?</p>

16

<p>yes, not many people can understand what we feel, we do not miss or regret not going to normal college, we feel proud, strong to go here, to be able to take 18 or 19 credits while others can not pass 10. we dont get out much so we are able to focus on school, trust me, it is possible. the pride we get from the academy can not be explained.</p>

17

<p>2010midship - with a 2.89gpa and beig offered two jobs over $100k a year...you better sign a letter of commitment now. I know plenty of systems engineers that graduated with honors (you still have a capstone project ahead of you to bring down your gpa) that after working 4 years don't make that. I'm not going to call bullsh1t but....</p>

<p>Plebe - the first year is the toughest but it isn't going to kill you. You lose freedoms and will not live in a drunken stupor like that of other kids who can afford to have their parents foot the bill of $30k per year for a drinking experience. I don't remember my stuctured hours much from my plebe year and spent most my 3rd class year at sea. But as a 2nd/1st classman...Sometimes I had first peroid off and chanced it to not wake up for reveille or colors and slept until 845. Sometimes I got away with it, sometimes I did not. When caught, I usually had to do 50-100 push-ups or some ED hours. When caught though, it was usually worth it cause I had been up late studing or putting together a presentation for class and sometimes IMO sleep is more important that lining up outside to listen to the band practice. </p>

<p>When you have off peroids...MOST students will go back to their rooms and slee for 30-45 minutes..unless they are putting the finishing touches to a homework assignment or powerpoint presentation. We did a LOT of PP presentations. </p>

<p>If you are extremely lucky...you will have a day during the week in which you have no afternoon classes...this is a good time to sleep. I can't remember if as a plebe you weren't allowed to sleep in the barracks during school hours but if this was the case...people would sleep in the couches in Land Hall, the library, and even in the church. It truely depends on which company you get and the company officer to determine if your stay at KP will be pleasurable or down right miserable.</p>