<p>Wow! This has been an education! I wish I had known about this site when my future mid and I were wading through all the paperwork last summer. </p>
<p>A question: the info booklet says plebes should bring toiletries, underwear, etc...but one of the threads (can't remember which) said not to bother. Any advice from the voices of experience? I hate to make my daughter tote around more than is absolutely necessary on "I" Day.</p>
<p>Thanks, folks!</p>
<p>If you simply want to play it safe, have your Mid bring ONE change of underclothes, a toothbrush, a small tube of toothpaste, and a small bar of soap. By "small" I mean the itty bitty travel sizes.</p>
<p>They will be issued everything they need. Quite literally, they could show up stark naked and have everything they'll need by the end of the day.</p>
<p>Still, I would check the paperwork they send you concerning when and where to report, and see if they require or recommend anything specific.</p>
<p>Im remember being told to bring a good set of running shoes. I'd check on that, because if all they're still issuing are those rediculous Keds, your Mid's feet will be killing him by the second day (assuming he doesn't kill himself on the first wet deck he steps on).</p>
<p>Agree with Zaphod on toiletries, unless your daugher absolutely MUST use a particular brand of deoderant, shampoo, etc. Please realize (this from a former female mid) that during plebe summer she will have zero time to do makeup, zero time to blowdry hair, zero time to do anything other than jump in the shower and wash hair & body. </p>
<p>Thus, skip the makeup, the blow dryer, the curling iron, the mousse, the conditioner, the nail polish, the mascara. Just more stuff to carry and stow neatly and not use. Bring it/send it on Parent's WE. Seriously.</p>
<p>As for underwear, I believe that today they issue it. Double check what they say in your packet. In my day (20 yrs ago), we had to bring 6 pairs. Times change. If your daugher does take some, I highly recommend cotton bras/panties b/c they breathe. </p>
<p>Everything your daugher brings should fit into a very small backpack-sized container. People will only laugh at her if she brings lots of stuff -- especially as a female.</p>
<p>One other bit of advice -- I suggest she have her hair cut SHORT before she comes, by her stylist, in a style that is very easy to care for. First, this assures her hair looks decent -- nuff said. Second, short hair is SO much easier to deal with during plebe summer. Trust me.</p>
<p>here's a tip. have them cut it slightly higher in the back, but keep it as long as you can in the front while having it be regulation: the female hair ladies hate to cut the girls' hair, and they won't do it if, with barrettes pulling the front hair back, the hair is short enough. i never heard of them cutting a girl's hair over the summer, and don't get some ridiculously short cute pixie cut because you'll regret it. everyone wants to grow out their hair as fast as possible.</p>
<p>also, don't have her bring clothes, because they'll be taken away anyways, unless she forgets to turn them in, then she could get a conduct offense for it. happened to a guy in my company who forgot to turn in his shorts. 3 weeks into plebe summer and he already had been fried.</p>
<p>Woops. Didn't catch on that the Plebe-to-be was a young lady. DOH!</p>
<p>RTFP, Zaphod! RTFP! :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Glad to see that two ladies who have BTDT are here to bail my sorry butt out! :D</p>
<p>ETA: Something just occurred to me. In addition to everything the ladies above have suggested, I would add NOT to wear any makeup or perfume of ANY kind on I-Day. First off, it'll run all over the place, and second, no one will be the least bit impressed.</p>
<p>She may also want to have a small (pocket-sized) notebook and a ballpoint pen (like a Bic - nothing fancy). BLACK ink (unless they've lightened up on that since my day).</p>
<p>
[quote]
everyone wants to grow out their hair as fast as possible.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I wonder if they're still BUTCHERING lady's heads up at NAPS. What a way to mess up a hairdo! :(</p>
<p>Sorry, but don't know how to do the fancy quotes in boxes like Zaphod! </p>
<p>In reply to having a "pixie cut," I'm not suggesting someone look ugly. Quite the contrary: hair can be short & stylish. Hair that is as close to the line as possible (or requires barrettes) is not a good idea for plebe summer. </p>
<p>In our day (I know, the Dark Ages), we couldn't have hair below our collar our entire time at USNA. I know rules have changed and everyone now wants it long. But not having to fuss over hair during the summer is a benefit.</p>
<p>If you're worried how a female mid will look to the guys during the summer, forget it. You look awful all of the time and everyone is much too busy to notice! Sad but true.</p>
<p>There are some on this board who will say to bring exactly what is referenced in the packet (e.g. 6 pairs of socks, etc.) but I can tell you that last I-Day (on the advice of an upperclassman) my kid walked through the doors of Alumni Hall wearing shorts, a tee-shirt and a good pair of running shoes and carrying EXACTLY 4 items: cellphone, charger, calculator, Social Security Card. </p>
<p>The cell phone and charger were taken away but returned 3 times during the summer for the scheduled calls home. The calculator was permitted for placement tests. Civilian clothes were stored for the summer but the running shoes were allowed for PT. </p>
<p>EVERYTHING else was provided, including all necessary toiletries and even feminine products. Over the course of the summer we sent "care packages" that were more symbolic than necessary that included lots of "oder fighting" stuff like Fabreze and room air fresheners. We did wind up sending socks and underwear because the plebes get so sweaty and smelly that changing several times a day can be nice and laundry is only once a week, but those can easily be shipped a week or so into the summer -- no need to lug the extra weight around on I-Day.</p>
<p>That's the bottom line, really: I-Day is mostly about moving from one place to another carrying a seabag that gets progressively heavier with each issue and ends up weighing (it seems) about a million pounds. Many mids I know say this was the worst day of Plebe summer -- not because of the yelling or the rules but just because the d*** seabag is so heavy, and the weather is stinking hot, and by the time you take the Oath you're so tired you can't even remember what you are doing. </p>
<p>So, no need to add extra weight to a day like that!</p>
<p>Can you use a TI-83 during summer or is just a really inexpensive scientific one fine?</p>
<p>My mid brought a TI-83.</p>
<p>About the hair issue: I have curly, CURLY hair and can't find what seems like a decent hairstyle to show my stylist when I go to get it cut. The regs in the booklet said something about "no more that 2 inches from the scalp" but I can guarentee my hair will puff out to that amount. </p>
<p>Any suggestions? Links to possible photos? Will I get in trouble for puffy hair?</p>
<p>you and my kiddo will be there with short puffy hair. I've seen shots from I-Day, I-week with girls that have your kind of hair. It just is as short as everyone else's, with it poofing out under their hat. Not much you can do and everyone will know that. </p>
<p>It think this link will show a photo of a young lady from the class of '09</p>
<p>Geez...... I can't believe I missed this:</p>
<p>WELCOME, BEACHMOM! :D</p>
<p>i will respectfully disagree: "Hair that is as close to the line as possible (or requires barrettes) is not a good idea for plebe summer." plebes are given barrettes by the hair ladies as they go through alumni hall on i-day, and encouraged by them to use the barrettes to pull their hair back. the difference between "hair that is close to the line" and shorter hair is really so small, when hair is that short, as to make no difference when it comes to upkeep. and when i said pixie cut, i wasn't refering to an ugly cut for the sake of quick maintenance: with your hair as short as it is anyways during plebe summer, anything is quick and easy. i was referring to getting a quite short but stylish pixie cut, because it will take much longer to grow out and a bunch of girls on the swim team with me did it and regret it. within two months of the academic year your hair will be long enough to put up (if not sooner), and they just began putting theirs up in march.</p>
<p>also, for the curly hair thing, my roomie has curly hair and it looks cute.
<a href="http://community.webshots.com/myphotos?action=showPhoto&albumID=549839377&photoID=2467017270078881816&security=SnXgOl%5B/url%5D">http://community.webshots.com/myphotos?action=showPhoto&albumID=549839377&photoID=2467017270078881816&security=SnXgOl</a></p>
<p>Thanks for all the responses. Fortunately, my darling daughter is a swimmer who is accustomed to skipping the makeup, blow dryer and mousse routine. 0500 practices before school took care of that!</p>
<p>She already cut her hair off a couple of months ago, donated her waist length curls to Locks of Love. It sounds like she can show up in just her clothes and running shoes, with a calculator and the required documents and she will be good to go.</p>
<p>Any other suggestions will be greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>Thanks for the welcome, Zaphod!</p>
<p>beachmom,</p>
<p>Welcome aboard! And congratulations to your daughter!</p>
<p>Wheelah44, so are you suggesting that we DON'T pack the 6-socks, 6-undies.... on I-Day but, rather send them along later in care packages? I definitely don't want Sis carrying around any more than necessary.</p>
<p>And dittos to beachmom! Congrats and welcome to the "family"! :)</p>
<p>wvdad,</p>
<p>i'm sure wheelah will weigh-in (or perhaps "aweigh-in", lol, i crack myself up), but my son's experience with the marines provides some insight. recruitment paperwork said bring "6 sets", recruiter said to bring nothing. nothing was the right answer. allowed him to keep desired low profile for at least first hour at parris island.</p>
<p>that being said, dd's favorite underarmour will be in first care package.</p>
<p>see you oh-so-soon.</p>
<p>and, welcome, beachmom. :)</p>
<p>Thanks Duke80. As mentioned in an earlier post and on the parent's website. Probably the only place you COULD show up stark naked and have everything you need! :D </p>
<p>We will be getting the extra running shoes and inserts, pre-broken in.</p>
<p>yes, send them later. that much less stuff for them to worry about putting away and carrying. good running shoes are a must!</p>
