<p>Okay, so it sounds like life at the coast guard academy is pretty rough for the first year. Does life improve as time goes on? Like how much liberty (longs and shorts) do second and first class cadets get? Can cadets eventually have cars and what types of other privledges make life after 4/c year better. Thanks.</p>
<p>I'm sure Cadet Tino will chime in but as a parent I have a fairly good handle on this in case he's busy.
Yes, life is tough your first year, especially swab summer. In addition to being away from home for the first time, you are put through a lot of physical and emotional stress, on top of up to 19 or more academic credit hours.
That being said, there is plenty of liberty and leave, even for 4/c's. You have the opportunity to earn "longs" and the "shorts" are fairly frequent. After swab summer you can use your ipod and cell-phone. There are a lot of restrictions, but as the year goes along things get better.
The cadets have fun at such times as Halloween and if you're on a sports team you'll have the chance to go to different cities such as Boston, New York and Washington, D.C.
4/c's have to wear their uniforms all the time but as 3/c's you get to wear a civilian-type blazer outfit. Then that goes away as a 2/c and so forth.
Towards the end of 4/c year you get "carry-on" in the wardroom, that is you can look at your food and chat. That is eventually followed by complete carry-on which eliminates such things as bussing to class.
1/c's can have cars on campus and each year as you progress along you get more liberty and privileges, some of which must be earned and all this depends on not being on some kind of probation(academic or behavioral).
Let's put it this way...being at the Academy is no day at the beach but you get to do things and go places you'd never go to otherwise. By the end of this summer, my son, a 4/c will have gone to Spain, Portugal, Florida, Boston, NYC, Alaska, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, and South Carolina. It's a great ride.</p>