<p>So I’m trying to sit with my son and discuss the various Pros/Cons at this point. Anyone out there with knowledge regarding USMMA, please take a few moments to post. My son (17 years old) is putting together all of his facts about the USMMA (he has an appointment). After visiting (with an overnight) and talking with Plebs online, he has a pretty good idea about the academics and the regimental lifestyle, and feels comfortable with all of that. He understood that while he was filling out all of the applications. </p>
<p>He would like to know about vacation/liberty during the four years, especially SEA YEAR. I’m assuming he’ll be a B-Split due to his Spring sport. </p>
<li>Does he get to go home at any time during any of the summers?</li>
<li>How do the Trimesters run? Months please</li>
<li>What are the exact months for B-Split Sea Year (June - Oct?) and then what month would he leave again and return during his junior year?</li>
<li>Will he has free weekends anytime during the years?</li>
</ol>
<p>The answers will help us greatly. We’ve been reading through all of our materials that we have, and the website, but some of the info is still sketchy. This is a huge decision so we want to have as much info as possible.</p>
<p>Congratulations to your son on his appointment!</p>
<p>Have you found the regimental calendar on the parents page of the web site? It has way more detail than you'll probably want, but does tell exactly when mids are released and the dates of the trimesters.</p>
<p>This year, summer break begins at 1600 on 23 June. However, B splitters for class of 2012 will begin their sea year then. Exactly when they join their ship is, of course, determined by the individual ship's schedule. More experienced parents can give you a better idea of the likelihood of a few days break. Class of 2011 B splitters will have begun Sea Duty on Friday, March 6. Both groups will return for the beginning of the second trimester next year.</p>
<p>Trimesters this year are/were July 27 - October 31, November 9 - March 6, March 15 - June 18 (but mids can not leave until June 23).</p>
<p>B splitters generally lose their summer breaks for their first 2 years while A splitters are at sea for the winter holidays their 3rd and 2nd class years. </p>
<p>I can give you an idea of my plebe D's breaks so far this year. After Parents Weekend, they began to have some liberty during the day Sunday. She did spend Columbus Day Weekend with her grandparents after a sports meet. Her term break in November was split between her grandparents and on campus because of sport commitments. She came home for 4 days for Thanksgiving. She said that they had begun having semi-regular Saturday liberties. (Liberty for plebes can be revoked for any number of reasons, of course.) Some plebes take the opportunity to escape for the day, others enjoy being able to close their door and have some extra rack time. Tentative weekend liberty schedules are listed in the Regimental Calendar as well. Holiday weekends are generally liberty for all mids who don't have other obligations. For example, the band and a large part of the regiment will be in DC for the Inauguration, which will probably impact their liberty for MLK weekend. </p>
<p>Being on a sports team has definitely impacted D's liberty. However, she was able to travel off campus before most plebes. TMs provided an escape and the camaraderie with teammates was fantastic. She will go A split so she can continue her Fall sport. </p>
<p>Good luck to your son as he makes his decision. It is not an easy one for most young people. My D knew she wanted it without a doubt. It is hard! She did not want to go back after Thanksgiving Break. But the friendships are amazing. Her ties to the people there after such a short time are incredible. She really has found where she belongs. I sincerely hope your son finds the place he belongs!</p>
<p>Thank you so much for taking the time to post, and for the details. I will try to find that info for my son again on the parent's page. This is such an exciting and stressful time because my son is finally realizing that he will be making some very important decisions. I'm here to guide and support, but ultimately, it is his future. </p>
<p>Thanks again and I'm sure that we'll be in touch in the future!</p>
<p>Hi there Jenns Mom,
Our son is a Plebe and has been home 3 times this year. We live in New Jersey so he is able to take the train home. He looks like Richard Gere in his uniform! He is very proud to be a Mid at Kings Point and we are just as proud of him. He is a B-split as well and will be going off to sea in late June. KPMOM2012 gave you all of the other information you need. Good luck to your son!</p>
<p>During plebe year they will not get a lot of liberty, but enough. I can tell you that Sea Term is by far the best experience for most of the Mids. My son is 2011 and currently on a ship that goes to Hawaii, Guam, China and Los Angeles. He loves it, he loves the travel and the entire experience has been like no other school could offer. He may get a few weeks at home during sea term as well. It all depends when he catches his ship and how many days he gets on the ship.</p>
<p>"At home time" cannot even compare to a "normal" college. I know that most regular colleges get around 20-30 days for Christmas/Winter break. You will not get this at KP. My advise is if your son is worried about being home and breaks, he may want to rethink Kings Point, but if he wants an excellent education the chance to travel the world and more career options than he knows what to do with upon graduation then Kings Point is the place to be!</p>
<p>DS is a "B" splitter in his 3rd year and he has never been home for summer. The summer "break" is only 4 week is long and between sea year and drill instructor duty the summers can get used up very quickly.</p>
<p>will add to that last post,
we are some distance away, so our son came home twice during his plebe year (Christmas and in June. he had thanksgiving with a family in NY and spring break with fellow Mids at their house). We saw him at parent's weekend and on occasion via 2 way video.
they didn't get too much liberty as plebes, which helped him focus on classes.</p>
<p>we've talked about this several times. His friends that went off to the state colleges are always emailing him about the various parties and trips they take (cross state to the beach etc). </p>
<p>S has been involved in the color guard at KP, so he's had many opportunities to travel outside of KP (even during his plebe year). He's attending baseball games, ships launches, luncheons, fashion shows etc. he's been to the US OPEN and even met Tony Blair.</p>
<p>As much as he loves KP, I think the opportunity he's got really came home to him this past week. He called one of his old High School friends that went off to state schools--Our Son was in DUBAI, Arab Emerit,(first sea semester)- He called to tell them that he had just been snow boarding (they have giant indoor ski slope) and that he hoped to call them again soon from either Italy or Spain.
for a 19 year old, this put things in perspective. KP is not for everyone. There are a lot of fine colleges and universities out there. But for the select few who are given the opportunity, it is a unbelievable experience. </p>
<p>One other thought that may seem kind of odd.
if your son is looking at another school. get a hold of the schools alumni magazine. See what the graduates are doing.
then get a copy of the Kings Point alumni magazine.
You'll understand the kind of folks this place turns out.</p>
<p>To piggyback on Sea Year, aside from the travel benefits, the hands-on work experience is extraordinary. DS just left Japan and is on his way to South Korea - he's going completely around the world. Every time we speak with him, he enthusiastically tells us about what he is learning in the engine room (5 stories high)and HOW MUCH he is learning, "tons". This was key to him in selecting KP over other schools. He embraced the notion of having breaks from sitting in a classroom for 4 straight years; he likes putting his education to task.....the plus is that he's getting paid for it too! But he's earning it for sure.</p>
<p>Thanks all--I really appreciate all of the input. My son is very excited about the opportunites that await him at KP. Every now and then he worries that he'll miss home during his Sea Year, but he then loves to talk about the places that he will see. The second Sea Year experience was really his only concern because he realized that he'd be away for 265 days and that made him uneasy at first. It's a lot for a 17 year old think about, but we all know that it's an amazing experience. </p>
<p>Thanks again, and I really do enjoy listening to the experiences of those in-the -know, so please continue to comment if and when you have time. :)</p>
<p>In most cases the "college intern" is not allowed to run the copying machine without adult supervision. These kids could find themselves on the bridge of a supertanker before they turn 20 years old.</p>
<p>Hahaha wow that's awesome!! I would love to do this, if I only I loved the ocean, I like it but I don't love it... But like you guys said kp is not for everyone, and neither is USAFA lol</p>
<p>2nd sea year isnt actually 265 days long, if your son needs all of those days at sea then there was a major problem with his first sea year. Deckies need 318 days at sea (including KPer time) and on average we get 115 days the first time out so your son should have time at home during/after the second sea year.</p>
<p>deck majors must have a total of least 360 days sea service. 30 days of sea service equivalency is granted for successful completion of the Bridge Watchkeeping course (bridge resource management) and 30 days is credited for watchstanding on the Kings Pointer.
My son spent 104 days on 3 ships his first sailing period and 196 on 4 ships his second sailing period for a total of 300 actual sailing days. I'm not exactly sure about the engineers sea service requirements, but it's probably similar in time to what the deckies need.</p>
<p>maybe the coasties aren't giving deckies as much credit for watchstanding on the KINGS POINTER?? The 300 days seemed to work okay for my son.. but more is always better. </p>
<p>Davy, do you engineers need to get a certain amount of "steam" time for your license? With steamships being replaced by motor ships, that time may become harder to come by.. How are you guys dealing with that? I think it's conceivable that some day there won't be any more steamships and the "steam" license may go away altogether.</p>
<p>Not sure the reasoning for the 317. We need the steam time for our steam sea project. There is no number (that I've ever heard of) needed for the license. Obviously steam time is good for a steam license...</p>
<p>To deal with the shortage of steam ships most people are only on those vessels for 1-2 months and the Great Lakes steam ships (lot up there) are being used for cadets.</p>
thats right Davy, I forgot about the lakers.. I think they may even have some of those old boats with steam reciprocating engines.. Things do last longer up there in fresh water :)</p>
<p>Most of the steamships that Matson has are over 30 years old and two of them are laid up.. Were still running two, but probably not for much longer. Even the Horizon steam ships are pushing 30+.. I saw one of the Horizon steamboats that had been an old United States Lines Lancer class in a previous life (I think it was the old SS AMERICAN LEGION). She was outbound from Apra Guam in 2007 and I couldnt believe it.. I remember doing night relief on her in 1976.. She was built in 1969 I think. They have got to be real wrecks by now!!</p>