<p>hornetguy's right- but don't play too hard. Otherwise, you will be spending a lot of quality time with your rifle on weekends. Be smart- there's really no reason you should get into major amounts of trouble here, unless you make unwise decisions.</p>
<p>Well, there a plenty of ways to play hard. During spring semester, the mountains beckon my friends and me!</p>
<p>Yeah time management is really the only real challenge here. Just about any other problem you can have, assuming you're cut out to be here (ie I'm not talking about problems because you cry yourself to sleep every night because you miss your cat, etc) stems from bad time management. </p>
<p>With that said, I had pretty bad time management my first semester here and it made the relatively easy classes I was taking seem hard. I was in calc 3 and honors physics and i thought since I never studied and just goofed around in class in high school I could do that here. But that didn't really work so now I know how to study and I'm finding I'm having an easier time. Hell I even have the highest grade in the course in math 346 which is a pretty sweet class...but it's hard if you don't know how to study and explain stuff in person</p>
<p>With that said don't spend a lot of time studying every day. Do fun stuff. Join clubs or sports teams or get a hobby and spend more time focusing on that as long as you're doing ok in school. Don't stress yoursef out and have a good time and everything else will fall into place.</p>
<p>A caveat to what ZMAN said, different people's AF career goals affect their need to study, etc. Someone desiring to go to UPT can sacrifice the As for Bs since, either way, they will get it. Someone wanting CRO/STO will have a very busy time balancing the constant physical requirements of the path with keeping high grades to attain that AFSC. Someone wanting grad school or ENJPPT will have to work harder than most because those grades are everything. Regardless though, everyone needs play time and some good hobbies to keep from going insane! Personally, I do swing and blues dancing, skiings, I even gave the arts and crafts center a crack with a friend of mine. </p>
<p>One other consideration though, money wise. The highest in the class you graduate, the quicker your first three promotions will be which = higher pay over the course of your career and retirement.</p>
<p>I need to find some new hobbies- I feel a little trapped. Any suggestions besides choir (already in chorale). Anyone have any suggestions?
hornetguy you're doing blues? Totally didn't know that- I went once and then quit going because of the Alley Nights/I'm exhausted.</p>
<p>USAFA is a place of extremes.</p>
<p>On the not-so-nice side, some weeks are nasty. After averaging 2-3 hours of sleep for a week, having more major graded events than days, taking a 25% late penalty for the paper you didn't complete because you passed out somewhere during the early morning, but finally making it to the weekend...then realizing you have to wake up a 0400 to go set up a course in Jack's Valley for Commandant's Challenge...and it's cold and windy outside, you just may not be very happy to be here!</p>
<p>On the other hand, those early morning flights at the airfield are pretty cool. Knowing you just recieved a $400 dollar class on rifle handling, using $1500 in equipment, $100 worth of ammo, receiving over $100 in personal equipment, and the instructor promising to come back next week...then realizing it was ALL free and you are still getting paid to be here is a very nice realization (I love the clubs/teams I'm on!)
...and you may just get to chest-bump the President, when he speaks at your graduation, lol.</p>
<p>Well Mamboguy, I am sure you are loving life right now ehhh? But believe me, thts not always the life you want to experience as a 4 dig. At the end of Recognition, you want to be able to say you went through the tortures of 4 dig year and survived through Recognition to truly earn those privileges so gracefully given to you already...</p>
<p>AP TESTS I HATE!!! (start a new thread for it please...)</p>
<p>I am so VERY pleased to see the comments from so many cadets on this forum!!!!</p>
<p>Why?</p>
<p>Because I'm the "opposite end of the spectrum" from them. As you may have guessed from my "name" (German word for pilot and the number 83) I'm a pilot from the USAFA Class of 1983.</p>
<p>Yes, I know Dana Born quite well; although when we were lab partners she was Dana Lindsey. And SCARY smart!!! She still is too. But I digress.</p>
<p>What I see in the comments from the current cadets here are so very reminiscent of when I was a cadet. And they are ALL very very VERY accurate!</p>
<p>I work as an Admission Liaison Officer for HS students seeking admission to USAFA. And I try to tell them precisely what I see ALL of you discussing here. I have started directing them to this forum and to the "other one" you all probably know about. BOTH are superb sources of information for the parent/student considering service.</p>
<p>A last comment...one of you mentioned your classmates, the people you meet, and how "tight" you become. Allow me to reflect upon the 29 years 5 months 12 days (or 10,758 days) since I reported to USAFA...the CLOSEST friends I've ever made are my classmates from USAFA. We started with 1,508 and we graduated 952. And while I can't recite all of their names, if you put a listing out in front of me with 2000 names on it...I will bet you that I can pull ALL of them out of it. </p>
<p>You become THAT close to your classmates and it continues. Yesterday at the AF Reserve base I work at...I had lunch with the Vice Wing Commander, the Numbered Air Force Chief of Safety, the Numbered Air Force Operations Commander...all classmates. And we were like we were when we were cadets! Of course when you have a bunch of "senior" officers laughing a cutting up, folks get suspicious so we probably got a few stares. </p>
<p>But in that group, NONE of us was 48-50 years old; we were 19-20 again...</p>
<p>That comraderie is unique to your class. The profession of arms will generate almost as tight a comraderie as well; make no mistake, but your classmates will always take a special place in your heart.</p>
<p>So all of you here...get to know one another and those of you fortunate enough to attend USAFA...cherish every moment of it.</p>
<p>Okay...I'll step off my soapbox now. Sorry...but the super honest, open, and informative "banter" here just really got to me.</p>
<p>My best to all!</p>
<p>Steve</p>
<p>Stephen E. Wood, Col, USAFR
Deputy Liaison Officer Director for Arizona</p>
<p>Having never been an academy student, but having lived on Air Force Bases most of my young life and growing up in that culture, this would be my guess as some simple advice for a newcomer.</p>
<p>For BCT Prep. - Go and get the film "Full Metal Jacket." Watch the first half (up to the "suicide" scene). Although your experience will likely differ - this will give you some idea of what might be coming down. Since I was not a cadet - if this advice is "off" let us know. </p>
<p>Although USAFA is looking for leaders, you first must learn to be a part of the team (subsitute squadron or another appropriate work for team if you wish). To do this you must live for your team, encourage and help your team, experience the pain with your team, never let your brother (or sister) down, love them like you do your family and grow with them. If you are incapable of doing this, do yourself and your future teammates a favor - do not come to USAFA.</p>
<p>Finally, some words I have learned from the world of athletics, "Good pain is good."</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>While your BCT experience won't be too similar to Full Metal Jacket, make sure you don't produce any Private Pyles in your flight...</p>
<p>Also, let me add that while Basic Training in FMJ is run by Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeants, USAFA BCT is conducted entirely by 20- and 21-year-old kids known as cadets. That makes a big difference.</p>
<p>Basic training is the same and different across the services. Whether it is Enlisted or Officer, Army, Air Force, Navy, and even Marine Corps. Yes as Petko points out the Enlisted Marine Corps as portrayed in FMJ is run by a Gunny (In most cases it will be a Sgt or SSgt not a Gunny) the concept is there. </p>
<p>When things slipped a little bit USAFA called on the full time TI's from Lackland to provide a little assistance getting back on track. I might point out that even at Lackland you will see Senior Airman, and Staff Sergeant routinely in charge of the flight. The 2C and 1C cadets who are overseeing BCT have similar amounts of Air Force experience in most cases. </p>
<p>Learning to march, taking classes in armed conflict, self aid and buddy care are all things you will do in any Basic. I'll leave the long marches to the Army and Marines. If you want that stuff West Point might be a little more your style. That isn't to say Marching to Jack's and back isn't a strech. The idea no matter which basic is to shake off the old and introduce the military way of getting things done.</p>
<p>ahhh we marched.....so.....much......!!! </p>
<p>you could literally be sleeping and marching at the same time. but i think that's a testament as to how perpetually tired you are..</p>
<p>Yes, 4dig year is based all on your squadron. Even in the hardest squadrons however there are methods to have fun and enjoy what USAFA and colorado springs has to offer. The scenary is wonderful (when you get a chance to gaze hehe). </p>
<p>I agree that it is definitely not for everyone, but I truly believe that anyone with the right attitude can conquer any obstacle placed in their way.</p>
<p>ohhh man, I'm a BIG gazer! lol I just can't help it!</p>
<p>senior airmen are never in charge of flights at Lackland. all TIs are at elast E-5, and therefore have a lot more experience in military than any cadet who is not prior enlisted. and at least IMO, having gone through BCT at having run BMT for 6 weeks at Lackland, they are quite different.</p>
<p>on another note, anyone who looked at that facebook group from pg 1: anyone know who made the original "You know you're a 4-dig if..." group of which most of those current things were written by? ;)</p>
<p>I heard they start choosing TI's starting at senior airmen. In anycase, hope to get a chance to go to Lackland hehe</p>
<p>whoah, eagle, that sentence was confusing. someone here?</p>
<p>Nah I know who wrote it, she is in 23...</p>
<p>Well it has been a long time for me, but I remember one particular E4 SrA TI who I wish I never met.</p>