<p>What do you mean by flip video?</p>
<p>Cadets can keep one trunk in the room at any time.</p>
<p>I have T-mobile and, till now, never had a problem. The room I'm in now is in a corner of the quad on the 2nd level blocking virtually any cell phone reception. Before that I have never had any issues with getting reception.</p>
<p>Hornetguy,
I knew a good Texan would come thru with great suggestions! DD received a digital camera for Christmas this year. We had thought of a digital picture frame. All of the other suggestions sound good. With all of the snow here in North Central Texas just loves winter sports...well I'm sure she will enjoy learning.
Tell me more about the electronics. The all-in-one printers, do you really use all of the features? What type of monitors are best? Can freshmen have calculators?
More info please!</p>
<p>lets see, from the eyes of an appointee, being not quite sure what we will and wont be able to have later... you've hit most of the things i think are important.</p>
<ol>
<li>time. i wanna spend time with family and friends before we go. it's what we're gonna have to look back on during BCT and our time at the academy</li>
<li>money. sure, we're getting paid, but most of that the academy transfers out for uniforms, comp, and other stuff we're issued. i'm sure, in all that free time i'll have as a 4dig, i'm gonna get to see the world! ha. but, for the future and for weekend things,.. i need to learn how to ski! </li>
<li>personal things.. this definitely varies person to person. whether it's a bible, razor for basic, watches, digital cameras, digital picture frames, musical instruments, calculators, cell phone, sports equipment, computer monitors, printer/scanner, certain clothes.. </li>
</ol>
<p>i guess we'll just have to fly by the seat of our pants.. we'll have our needs and wants like everyone else; i guess the parents should somewhat help us out because its not like we can go out and get a job to earn money, and we're ultimitely saving them some money by not going to State. just my 2 cents</p>
<p>Flip video - It is a handheld digital video camcorder. It can fit into your pocket. We have a regular camcorder that fits into the palm of our hand but the flip video works so great we use that a heck of a lot more than the other one. It is completely digital and will hold 60 minutes of video before you have to download it to your computer. You can get some that only hold 30 minutes or a higher grade one that holds 120 minutes too. We are from the south and have a large family so it would be great for him to send us videos from the Academy every once in a while once they are allowed to. You can even use it to make digital pictures if you do not have a camera. </p>
<p>We recently used it for our vacation to Disney and it was just so easy. It is really light and weighs next to nothing so it is not a pain to deal with. You can just upload it to your computer and send off a video in the email with it. It is so simple to use.</p>
<p>Ok, first off, post-recognition, Cadets can receive a whole lot more (normal) stuff...but till then, the best things are stuff like printers, razors, cameras, calculators (if they don't want to hassle with the issued ones when not in class), and other stuff like that. A lot of the typical school stuff is usually bought during Parents' Weekend, although one of the freshmen in my squad got all of his stuff right after Basic ended (his parents mailed them to him) .</p>
<p>Recreational stuff is really good too. Skiing and snowboarding are very popular here, and freshmen can have an airsoft or paintball gun after Parents' Weekend (maybe earlier, not sure). Also, money for airline and bus tickets for Leave is a very good idea too. </p>
<p>I have a digital picture frame and a camera that my family gave me for graduation. I don't use mine that often, but many of my friends here that have them use theirs.</p>
<p>One final note. Wait to get a monitor. A new Cadet Sight Picture (our regulation manual) just came out, and it says freshmen may only have monitors as a privilege at the discretion of the Wing Commander, and that it can't have a screen bigger than 19". The 2011 Vice Class President (yep, a certain redhead on here) requested the privilege pretty soon after the Sight Picture was released, and the new Wing Commander approved it. That doesn't mean that the same will automatically be done for 2012. At the same time though, monitors as a privilige could possibly be automatic for 2012. Best to wait for now though.</p>
<p>Ha, I loved that e-mail! Even training staff, apparently, wasn't fully aware of the new changes to the CSP...</p>
<p>
[quote]
Class of 2011,</p>
<p>Due to new revisions of the Cadet Sight Picture, external monitors for fourth class cadets have been disallowed. However, the privilege can be returned at Wing Commander discretion. The purpose of this e-mail is to inform you that permission has been obtained and external monitors are once again allowed for fourth class cadets. Pat C4C <em>Redhead</em> on the back for bringing this matter to my attention. If there’s anything else, let me know. Have a good weekend.</p>
<p>Thank you for your time and consideration.</p>
<p>Very Respectfully,
C/SMSgt <em>two dig</em>
Wing Training NCO
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Anyway, almost everything I can think of (gift-wise) has now been mentioned. Having a printer w/ scanner is nice - it saved me from having to re-type a Form 49 the other day, which would have been a pain. Digital cameras and picture frames are always nice too. Pre-recognition though, I can see how shopping for a cadet would be difficult. The truth is that we require very little. I can't think of a single (authorized) thing right now that I'd like to have. Maybe just do something nice over the summer. Oh, and send lots of mail during BCT...that was pretty much the best present ever.</p>
<p>Yep, mail is the highlight of BCT for Basics...just don't send post cards that say "You beat the beast!" till AFTER beast is over. We got destroyed for that.</p>
<p>I also forgot to mention that (supposedly) keyboards are allowed with AOC approval, but the only one I've ever seen in a room was in a senior's room. I'd recommend waiting on that too.</p>
<p>I received appointment for the Class of 2012 a few days after Christmas, which motivated me to spend the money I received on something Academy-oriented. I received a fair amount (about 300 dollars) so my options are relatively open. Some things that really interests me are the Casio Pathfinder watches, which are pretty decked out (compass, 5 daily alarms, barometer, thermometer, etc.). Although they are fairly expensive, I can get them on amazon.com for a decent deal. My question is: would i be better off not spending the amount of money and buying an Ironman (Also, I would like to be able to run with it as well and the extra weight might make things difficult, although they sell Pathfinders with resin bands)? Or should I spend the money on something else (I already have an conservative analogue Fossil watch, without alarms). Thanks</p>
<p>That's up to you. I have a nice watch (Pulsar) that I wore for a long time (since it was my only watch I had here), and despite my best efforts, it got a little scratched up. I recommend getting something that fits your needs, isn't too expensive in case it breaks, and that you like. Having a nice watch is good, but most people I know here wear sport watches when going about a normal day. It's really personal preference though. </p>
<p>Oh, and you will not be allowed to have a watch during Basic, if that helps too.</p>
<p>Out of curiosity, how often will 4 degrees get a chance to go skiing in between homework and obligations? What kind of prices and discounts will cadets get on lifts and equipment?</p>
<p>Haha, I found out a day before the SAMI that monitors were not allowed for 4 digs, and that you could potentially fail the inspection if you had one in your room. A tip for 2012: make sure you elect a class council that will actually do something for you... it matters as a 4 dig :)</p>
<p>And I know this may be a little late, but honestly, for girls, the best present is still clothes. Even though we can't have them until after Recognition, it's nice to have a new stockpile. I think I have 3 suitcases full of them for after Recognition. Just keep them in storage or at a sponsor's house until you're allowed to have them. Oh, and Victoria's Secret is amazing. I think 4 degree girls from the Air Force Academy support half their industry... it's one of the few privileges we're allowed, not having basic-style underwear.</p>
<p>Printers, monitors, cameras, money... that is all fantastic as well. :)</p>
<p>Cindybasket, the flip video sounds really neat, go for it!</p>
<p>goal23 - In my opinion, I think that having a nice watch for everyday use isn't a good idea here because they will undergo much wear and tear, especially as a 4 dig. Like I said, I don't wear my own Fossil because it will get messed up. The ironman is a bargain since it is lightweight (I actually have a fabric like velcro band that I like a lot), durable, and packed with lots of features for its price (stopwatch, timer, 2 alarm settings, day of week, date, different time formats, etc.). I highly recommend spending your money elsewhere, but if you are deadset on the Pathfinder, you could get it and just wear it for normal day use and have another watch for work-outs, etc.</p>
<p>AZcadet- As a freshman in the spring, I went out almost every weekend in Jan and Feb as well as the beginning of March to ski. I was able to do it just fine and I ended the spring semester with a 3.95 GPA, so it didn't hurt my grades! If anything, the relaxation helps. </p>
<p>If you decide to rent skis/boots/poles, it costs $100 dollars at the outdoor rec center under Vandy to rent for the season (a great deal!). The Liberty Pass for military personal with unlimited access to Keystone and Arapahoe Basin ski resorts is about $170 (normal day passes at these with military discount are $40, about 4 days of skiing and the pass pays for itself!). The ski club ($50 a year) busses up to various ski resorts almost every Sunday with buses. Two trips on the bus and gas otherwise spent in a car is also paid for! </p>
<p>If you do it right, you can have a full season of skiing (January-April/May) for under $400, that is amazing when you think about it! I personally got my own equipment to last me (K2 comanches, Dalbello boots), that I love and ski often with (already 7 days this season including Nov/Dec). </p>
<p>The skiing is amazing here. When I lived in Japan for 3 years, I learned to ski over 15 days while there (1999-2002). Within 2 months here, I went from skiing green slopes to black diamond! The snow is great. I found myself going face-first, spread eagle down the moguls yesterday after losing my balance and felt like I had jumped into a fluffy bed because it was so soft! I don't think you can live here without learning to ski/board!</p>
<p>Let's see, the all-in-one printer will have a scanner, photo stuff. I have the HP 3300 all-in-one and I love it. I do a lot of scanning, especially for my chemistry classes, but also for forms on an everyday basis. I can put my camera card into it and print out store quality photos on it (with photo paper). The ink cartridges were a seller. It has 6 cartridges based on the new HP system (copy of Brother I think?). Therefore you don't have to replace a nearly full color cartridge if only one color is down. They are also much cheaper cartridges and print very well. I love my printer!</p>
<p>That's all for now!</p>
<p>yea, coming from MS i really wanna learn how to ski/snowboard. i've no idea what all i'd need to buy/rent, where to go, anythin... hopefully it'd be feasible to learn during my first year there? i'm sure plenty of folks would be glad to help me out</p>
<p>No problem at all! Outdoor rec is easy to get to in Vandy dorm for equipment and ski passes. The ski club has a booth on club day that you can go to to join the club. From there, they e-mail when to go and what not. On the ski club trip yesterday there were two buses packed with 91 people. About 7 of us were upperclassmen, everyone else were 4 digs. If you want to learn, you'll have the opportunity for sure! And plenty of people to help you out.</p>
<p>sweet :) can't wait for that.. from what i've been told, the more clubs you're in the better b/c you get to do more stuff (which could be worse if you cant manage time) and get away from 4dig life for a bit.. is this somewhat true?</p>
<p>Yes, clubs open a lot of opporunities for transportation limited 4*s (aka all of them).</p>
<p>Very true. Another thing you might want to get involved with is Section 8, the cadet cheering section of sorts. We play Colorado College in hockey this Saturday. We ranked 26th in the nation, they're number 3. It should be an awesome game, which is probably why it's being played at the World Arena downtown. Via Section 8, I've got a nice weekend coming up. Not only did they get an SCA to allow cadets to leave for the game, but they (awesomely) scheduled the SCA to run from Friday all the way through Monday night, rather than just for the game. What that means is that I'm free to come and go as I please for the entire three-day weekend. They also approved Section 8 gear for four degrees (t-shirt/sweatshirt which is, again, awesome) and they're providing transportation to and from the game. Great deal? I think so.</p>
<p>will Section 8 always provide for transportation, or just to some things?</p>
<p>They usually will. The only real exceptions might be certain away football games.</p>
<p>Is it realistic to actually bring an all in one printer with you though? Or would you get it mailed after Basic?</p>