<p>You know looking back on I-day I would almost recommend not bringing anything with you. They give you all the stuff (and I mean absolutely everything) you are going to need for the summer and you can always bring more stuff at the end of the summer. I only say bring nothing because the more you bring, the more you carry. By the time I finished going through the line on I-day I had a bag that weighed easily 80 pounds plus I was carrying a backpack with extra underwear, it was 95 degrees out and I was carrying my bag along with trying to help another girl carry hers. </p>
<p>It was miserable. Don't bring anything with you. Except running shoes, which don't have to be almost entirely white regardless of what it said on the sheet.</p>
<p>Make sure either you or your parents go to the parents' websites and at least read (and reread) the information provided regarding Plebe Summer. </p>
<p>I printed it so I could easily refer to it when I had a question or concern. While you all are enduring the rigors, we parents are home wringing our hands hoping all is going well!!!</p>
<p>You will have little time for letter writing (although I think the plebes are required to write at least two-- in order to get in to dinner!! My son's first one was three lines long "Hi, I'm fine, got to go".)</p>
<p>Only three calls home of 3 minutes each were allowed: at the end of 3 weeks, 5 weeks, and the weekend before parents' weekend. The schedule for this will be sent home with the time period in which the call will be made.</p>
<p>Have your parents bookmark the two websites because there will be pictures of plebe summer activites and they will spend their entire summer playing "where's my waldo" trying to find you in them. </p>
<p>Finally, the extra underwear and stuff can be sent to you in that first "care package" so you don't have to lug it around as Lyles indicated. I saw many a plebe (especially the shorter ones) struggle with the enormous, awkward, and heavy canvas bag filled with all of the gear. Again, go look at the photos of last year's I-day so you have an idea of what to expect.</p>
<p>Candidatemom,
Thanks for the information. You just answered a question I had about the schedule for calls home. I dont want to appear neurotic by asking endless questions ;)</p>
<p>usna09mom:
You are hardly neurotic, you are a MOM!!</p>
<p>The measly three calls are arranged on a schedule which you receive (I don't remember when). Be aware that the cadre is standing right behind the plebes shouting down the time and finally "hang up, hang up" at the given moment. Stressfull on the plebes. Let them do all the talking, don't interrupt with questions. Do the talking only if there is dead air space. They will have so much to tell you!! Do your communicating to them via US mail. Relish their voice, listen to the exploits.</p>
<p>The two parents' sites are wonderful for filling in the details of what to do and not to do.</p>
<p>Wow, Navy had quite an amazing weekend in sports beating Army in lacrosse, womens' track and field, and mens' track and field! :D Speaking of sports, at what point during plebe summer do intramurals start?</p>
<p>We had a question... What about toiletries? Should our son take them with him on I-Day? Also the calculator?
I figure we could "care package" the extra socks ,underwear etc.</p>
<p>jadler03,
I understand that temporary buildings are currently covering most of the tennis courts. Do you know if the tennis courts will be restored once the buildings are removed? Where does the men's tennis team play home games?
What sport(s) do you play?</p>
<p>Bring your calculator, you'll need it for the validation tests. Make sure you have a fresh pack of batteries too! Wrap your phone and calculator in bubble wrap to keep them safe on I-Day. The cadre are none too gentle with the backpacks.</p>
<p>A few things that you figure out as a plebe parent:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>There is no time for the plebes to write letters, so we evolved to writing a letter for our son, and including a questionairre with little yes/no boxes and a preaddressed, stamped envelope for him to send the completed questionairre back in. It actually became fairly entertaining for his dad and I to think up ways to have a conversation through the interrogative method!</p></li>
<li><p>We tried preaddressed, post-paid postcards, but the lack of privacy was a concern, so we stopped that.</p></li>
<li><p>This is important and is still useful today --- get an 800 number. That way they don't have to mess around with calling card numbers and the rates may be lower than using the cell plan. Also, when they get their room phone they can call toll-free numbers from their room.</p></li>
<li><p>If you can, go to I-Day and PPW. On I-day You can sit in Dahlgren Hall after your plebe goes into Alumni Hall and watch the closed circuit monitors for a glimpse of your mid as they progress through the stations. And stake out a spot on the bleachers early if you want to sit there! PPW was amazing. I got chills and teared up during the march on at Alumni Hall for the reaffirmation ceremony. It was really powerful. </p></li>
<li><p>We didn't know what to do for graduation either, so we did the family vacation. It was a wonderful time, though bittersweet, knowing that life was about to change for all of us.</p></li>
<li><p>Make sure there is someone in your life that you can talk to about what is happening during plebe summer and, if it makes you feel better (it did me!) go on all the websites and try to find your Waldo. I got pretty good at it!</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Can't think of anything else right now. If you have questions, ask away!</p>
<p>Midmom, Thanks for the suggestions about protecting cell phone/calculator. She will be traveling lightly with the clothes on her back and a few things in her backpack. I think Ill FedEx the tennis racquet later.
Momof1,
I was at the post office recently and I saw domestic mailgrams, which I considered buying for plebe summer, but your ingenious questionnaire is truly brilliant! :) What a great idea! You should share some of the questions on the thread. Also, thanks for the travel info that you gave on the other thread. We live in Southern California and typically use Dulles for connecting flights to Europe or trips to Washington, D.C. I always wondered how the Metro connected to other destinations. Super Shuttle from Dulles to USNA quoted me $90 last year.</p>
<p>Yep, we are in Alaska, so by the time he gets to USNA he is usually wiped out from traveling for around 12 hours. Did they say how long from Dulles? I know it was $17 for the half hour trip from BWI to the Navy Lodge for CVW. Since we fly Alaska Airlines, we fly into DCA, and we've gotten pretty good at it.</p>
<p>The questions? Well, in reading the letters they were more like True False test items. They sound really strange now, like "I have gotten letter from friends," "I have consumed or shared the food sent to me," "I enjoy sailing" "I want my ukelele for PPW,' and the amount of enthusiasm can be measured by the number of checkmarks in the boxes. "I am looking forward to PPW" garnered 10 checkmarks in the yes box.</p>
<p>You must have a ton of frequent flier miles! ;-)</p>
<p>I wear contacts, but my eyes aren't too bad, 1.25 in each eye. Do I have to wear glasses during Plebe summer? I haven't worn them since I was 6, much less to excercise. In the classroom would be no problem, but during PT and what not are the issued glasses required?</p>
<p>hmm. i have perfect vision in one eye, but not quite perfect (20/40) in the other. i've never worn glasses regularly... does anyone know if i'll have to for the summer?</p>
<p>how tough is the summer? i have been preparing like crazy, 30 min of cardio in the morning, school, wgt. training at night, etc., but anything specific that we need to be working on other than the basics, push-ups, sit-ups, etc. and also, what about running distances?</p>