<p>Is the Cadet store that has been referred to the same as the post PX?</p>
<p>No, they are 2 different stores. I saw the Cadet Store during PPW and recall that it looks like a sundry store. This is where the cadets can easily pick up a few necessities. I'm not sure which building it's in, but remember it being in one of the classroom buildings. The PX is much larger (think Target, but smaller) and is the place where all the military personnel can shop, including cadets.</p>
<p>I think the cadet store was in Thayer Hall?</p>
<p>Mathematica</p>
<p>I use it at work all the time. </p>
<p>Once you figure out the very strict logic it is actually pretty easy to use and, dare I say, fun. </p>
<p>It is too expensive to buy the program now to get a jump - costs about $100 for students. But you can get a Mathematica reader at </p>
<p><a href="http://www.wolfram.com/products/mathreader/%5B/url%5D">http://www.wolfram.com/products/mathreader/</a> and start to download some "notebooks" (do a google on ".nb" and "calculus") to read. Another program is the "Mathematica Explorer", a great prgram that uses the core Mathematica kernel to provide a series of lectures. This doesnt cost much and is fun and gives you a great lead to using Mathematica. </p>
<p>This will give you a leg up.</p>
<p>The Wolfram website gives primers.</p>
<p>There are 3 stores on post - the PX (large store) up near the top gate, the bookstore in Thayer Hall, the Cadet store - up the hill on the left side of Grant Hall.</p>
<p>I can't believe I remember what was for lunch, either. I eat better, now that I cook for myself, but it was nice to never have to worry about what was for dinner. </p>
<p>The commissary (grocery store) is right next to the PX up at the top of the hill. Nearest Wal-Mart is about half an hour away, near the outlet mall, Woodbury Commons.</p>
<p>lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala...........</p>
<p>Just thought I would bump this to make it a little easier to find. There is a good discussion about this stuff on the navy forum also....</p>
<p>YES! THANK YOU LADIES FOR SHARING THE INFO! We are using all the help we can get getting our gals ready for USNA :) </p>
<p>Go Navy! Go Army! :)</p>
<p>Just wanted to let all you ladies know...</p>
<p>You can do it. Beast is hard, one of the hardest things I've ever done. But you're all survivors. You'll learn to cope, and you'll laugh at it later. The Long Gray Line is a chain forged through two hundred years of tradition. Even people you didn't know at the Academy will reach out to you later in your career. I'm in with so many people right now, just by virtue of where I went to school...It's the lable attached to my name, and it's not a bad thing. Enjoy Beast. Remember Beast. Thrive. The stressors are for a reason...and remember, MY class had the last hard Beast!</p>
<p>Good luck, and be strong...you're gonna make it.</p>
<p>I heard that the PX carries a lot of cool brands like Northface and Birkenstock but cheaper. Is this true? I hope its ok that I write on this thread since I'm a dude...</p>
<p>LOL, your not the only guy benefiting from the great info.....</p>
<p>Yeah, it's a little cheaper at the PX for some of the stuff like NorthFace and Birkenstock. Even more importantly, New Balance and Nike and Adidas running shoes are cheaper :)</p>
<p>Anyone nervous?</p>
<p>Nervousness has not set in yet. I'm sure it will though...</p>
<p>Yeah. Like when I look at the ONE-WAY plane ticket...lol I'm gonna lose it in the airport. Right now I'm just really, really excited. Part of me wishes R-Day was this Monday, but the other part reminds me that another couple weeks worth of workouts won't be a bad thing.</p>
<p>I'm in the VWIL Corps of Cadets in Virginia, but I got a slot for CFT, and I'm leaving tomorrow. I have to say, I was nervous for my Matriculation Day, but that was the last time I've ever been nervous about an event. It's going to happen eventually, so just get it over with, eh?</p>
<p>A couple other notes I have, in relation to some earlier parts of this thread.
Hair: No offense to any of the other academies, but VWIL has the highest hair standards of any corps. The first time I cried over anything is when my cadre yelled at my room mates for letting me leave our room with my hair looking such a mess. Since then, though, I've gotten much better at the whole hair thing, though after my first year I chopped my hair to about chin length just because I needed the extra 15 minutes of sleep.
The number one must-have for any girl with long hair: Hair Glue by got2b. It's a super gel you can probably get anywhere, and can keep your hair literally glued in place through a ten mile march. Most gels lose their hold as you sweat, but not this stuff. My first weekend in the field, I put my hair in two french braids(easier than a bun, and less likely to fall out) using lots of hair glue, and after three days with no showers, my hair still hadn't moved.
One of my room mates has hair almost to her lower back, and has never gotten into any trouble for her hair. Every morning she gets up, wets her hair down, pulls it back into a low ponytail, using hair glue all over, then braids the ponytail into three or four braids, which she then winds into a rather large bun, using lots of hairpins and an extra hairband, that somehow follows all the guidelines of being above the collar, not interfering with her cover, and does not protrude more than three inches. She's amazing.</p>
<p>When it comes to undergarments, I prefer going commando in the field, fun stuff under normal uniforms, and cotton sports bras. Especially under PTs, I just hate having to peel off a sweaty layer after a hard run. If it's cold, I might wear spandex shorts though, or even underarmour leggings under my sweatpants. I'm rather small chested, so sports bras have never been an issue for me, I can just pick up a package of white cotton racerback bras anywhere. Some of my sister nULLs are more endowed, though, and reccommend either investing in custom-made sports bras, or wearing two layers of more generic ones. </p>
<p>In the field, one of the biggest things we hear is to stay hydrated. An utter lack of clean facilities, though, tends to have a negative effect on some girls. I've had sister nULLs get very dehydrated just because they want to reduce the number of times they have to find a large tree and take a squat. Some of us solved this problem by investing in a "she-wee," a little device that makes it possible to "go" standing up. They were first made in England, but the only US distributor we've found sells mostly through ebay.
Tampax now offers "Compak" tampons, which are packaged much smaller than a regular tampon, so they're easier to fit in a pocket of any size, or even in that little crevice in your cover. As one of my cadre pointedly told us, it's less embarassing to have a tampon fall out of your cover than it is to have stains.
In the field, like I said, I prefer going commando for great ventilation and less friction, but when necessary, I do have a supply of seamless active briefs in a wicking fabric. I especially like these because you can usually wash them by yourself and they're dry in a few hours, and they are also usually done with some antimicrobial finish. </p>
<p>My biggest piece of advice for any girl going to an academy, though, is probably just enjoy being a girl and keep your sense of humor. That's the first thing my Calic told me my first year, and it's really helped me laugh through some tight moments. Guys might laugh at your blowdryer, but how many are going to ask to borrow it to shine their shoes? And how many might ask for a tampon for their bloody nose?</p>
<p>random question: do girls have time to shave their legs or would it be worth getting a wax?</p>
<p>Wax, if it's going to bother you that much.</p>
<p>bumping this to the top...may help some 2012 cadet candidates. :)</p>
<p>Zowie, WAMom68: Many thanks for the bump -- what a wealth of information! bzzzt makes me think that there is a help ethic, which is so encouraging, and thanks also to others who contributed to this thread.</p>