<p>I currently attend a service academy and the military obligations and rigor of my coursework has gotten the best of me. I keep having thoughts of leaving and possibly going to community college. I still want to be an officer so I'll have to join a rotc program. </p>
<p>What do I do? Should I stick with it till the end of the semester and then try to transfer? Where do I start applying? I feel so depressed everyday.</p>
<p>If I were you I’d go talk to an academic counselor. The academy will already know you’re struggling so you’ve got nothing to hide. They deal with your situation all the time and will likely have the best knowledge and experience on your options. </p>
<p>I noticed from a previous post you mentioned computer science. Don’t know if that’s what you’re doing or not, but that’s a higher difficulty STEM major. Mediocre grades are common. Combine that and the military obligations and I can see that you’ve set the bar rather high for yourself.</p>
<p>The service academy and therefore the service itself thought highly enough of you to accept you in the first place. Therefore, I would presume they won’t want to lose you. </p>
<p>I’ll second the advice you have received from Deuga7. Get help NOW! Do not wait until mid-term and acpro.The SAs all have Extra Instruction and tutors…particularly for freshmen. Accept the fact that you are going to have to up your game. More hours studying and being smarter about HOW you study. Your academic adviser can help you with this…go see him/her now. Good luck and don’t quit.</p>
<p>Yeah I definitely need to get some assistance from my teachers. What sucks is that I got screwed over by some of the upperclassmen my first two weeks and I had to spend time doing useless stuff while everyone else was doing homework and studying. To add to that I also wasted some of my time searching for other colleges. I can’t stay awake in class because I stay up way too late doing homework and because of that I can’t read my own notes. I’ll have to do something but I really don’t know what to do. I’ll definitely talk to my academic adviser really soon. </p>
<p>Definitely do not quit. This is supposed to be hard, and totally challenge you.</p>
<p>Get help. You CAN make it. You have what it takes. The academies do not accept people who cannot make it through.</p>
<p>Let me give you the same advice I gave my son (currently a Firstie at USAFA): Academics and honesty FIRST…don’t even think about quitting until you’re home on Summer leave and you have some perspective. By far the three major reasons for leaving a SA is 1. quitting 2. academics 3. honor violations</p>
<p>Do not get sidetracked with military knowledge and all the other “stuff” the upperclassmen want you to put emphasis on. Not that it isn’t important, but if you don’t pass your classes…you’re gone. I doubt anyone has failed out of an SA for not doing well enough on military knowledge during their first year or two. The same with physical fitness. But academics? Every semester they dis-enroll cadets for academics. Focus on academics FIRST. </p>
<p>I’m not sure which SA you’re in but talk to your element/squad leader and whoever else you need to in the cadet chain of command to make sure you get the time you need to study. If you can’t get cooperation from them then go to your squad/company commander. </p>
<p>As NROTCgrad said: **Definitely do not quit. This is supposed to be hard, and totally challenge you.</p>
<p>Get help. You CAN make it. You have what it takes. The academies do not accept people who cannot make it through. **</p>
<p>I have a good friend whose son attended the Naval Academy.</p>
<p>During his first Christmas leave from the Academy, the son told his parents that he would not be returning to USNA after Christmas. His parents insisted that his decision was premature, but that if come summer (after Plebe year) he still wanted to leave the Academy then they would accept his decision.</p>
<p>He returned and finished his Plebe year. Today he is a Commodore, and has loved his Navy career for 22 years. Graduated from USNA in 1992, with a degree in mechanical engineering.</p>
<p>Work hard. It gets better. You got an appointment because the Academy knew you were good enough. You can do it for at least one year. </p>
<p>Thank you everyone for your responses! It really made me think about my choice. Today I went to a peer tutor to help me with some courses. </p>
<p>Also, there’s the combat arms club I want to be in but the tryouts take a lot of time. Should I drop that? I really want to get an expert pistol qualification but obviously academics are more important. </p>
<p>
I think you have to decide this for yourself. I would recommend holding off adding anything else to your schedule until you have a solid grasp of the academics and those time commitments. JMPO…</p>
<p>Well I have to write 50 notecards because I forgot a 0. My fault. Got two class 3’s already. Chem test coming up pretty soon. I legitimately hate this place. Hopefully I’ll stick in but at this moment in time it keeps going downhill. </p>
<p>Did you really expect to ENJOY your first year? Who told you it was going to be fun or easy? It’s designed to be hard so that those that can’t handle it…leave. </p>
<p>Focus on the academics and getting to your summer leave without being tossed out involuntary. THEN when you are comfortably at home with your family and friends and you have some distance and perspective…decide if you want to continue. I can almost guarantee you that things will look a lot different then than they do now. And if they don’t and you decide to leave? No harm no foul. You will have completed an academic year at a top college (without incurring debt) and you will be well prepared for a civilian college experience. Additionally you won’t have to wonder “what if” for the rest of your life. If you leave now that might not be true.</p>
<p>Either way…Good luck!</p>
<p>Remember, most likely all those upperclassman who “screwed you over” probably had the same thing done to them.</p>
<p>Right now you should drop anything not mandatory (combat arms) and use every resource (peer tutor, advising, teacher) the academy has. Think of yourself 5 years from now…Are you going to wish you had tried everything to succeed or be okay you bailed when things got a little tough. You want to be an officer…many other people got through this. You have to think “how can i get through this” and not “what other school should I go to.”</p>
<p>Doesn’t look good for the OP.
<a href=“Where to go now? - #3 by Crazardo - College Search & Selection - College Confidential Forums”>Where to go now? - #3 by Crazardo - College Search & Selection - College Confidential Forums;
<p>Yup, I’ve been put on mandatory classes for students who are failing at the moment. I don’t do any more extracurriculars. Definitely a tough place to be. I respect those who passed this place! Adios everyone. </p>
<p>Keep going! Adopt the attitude that you are going to work as hard as you can and get as much help as you can and will pass.</p>