After reading the whole thread I think y’all are missing what the Corps is all about. I was a member of the Corps of Cadets and English isn’t even my first language. I came in to A&M as a Sophomore and did the Corps for 3 years. Is it challenging? Yes, it’s supposed to be, it will be incredibly hard as a fish and sophomore. But there is always a reason behind all the training we do. Is it fair? Sometimes it won’t be and as a fish, most times you will just stay quiet and do as you’re told (great quality for the workforce btw). Unless you are being hazed (5 min to eat, shinning shoes and having the privilege to attend a football game is definitely not) then you shouldn’t have to complain. Nothing you described is hazing to your kid or anyone else in the Corps. I was also an engineer student and graduated with a grwst gpa and have an awesome job, all while being in the Corps, a Ross Volunteer, and maintaining a great physical standard.
Before you go out there telling people the Corps is this awful institution, maybe realize what it can actually do for your kid as it will prepare him for what comes in the future. I know because I have been in his shoes and now I see the benefits of it. It will continue to be incredibly hard, but that’s the test he needs to pass by himself and learn what it really means to work hard for something.
Last thing, A&M traditions are amongst the best and most noble in the nation. As a true Aggie he should care to join these, not feel obligated to do so. He is part of the most rich history in the State, and that is who we are as Aggies, keepers of the spirit and always striving to be better.
This thread is quite accurate and I don’t think that the OP should be criticized. I don’t see this as complaining, but more informative. The Corps is hard. It’s harder than I realized it would be. That does not mean that it is not an extremely beneficial organization if you can get through it. Not being able or willing to get through it does not cast that person in a negative light. Everyone is built differently, can take different stressors or is willing to put up with certain things. As for @RMNiMiTz who mentioned that the fish might not eat because they’re chit chatting. That’s the only hilarious thing in this post. I can guarantee you that the fish are not chit chatting during chow, and I truly would like to know if you’re in the Corps or just commenting?
@kaydeeloo Jot Cleaners does pick up and delivery at lot 40 by the Quad. Seem like great people, a husband and wife. The husband gives out his cell and works directly with the fish. He’ll answer after hours and on weekends. I created a pre-paid account for convenience so my fish doesn’t have to hassle with payment since they’re meeting in a parking lot!
J-Dough, the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets is not a typical ROTC program. It is a Senior Military College, one of only six such colleges across the nation. This distinguishes it significantly from typical ROTC at civilian colleges. Senior Military Colleges emulate the experience at our service academies (West Point, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, etc.). What you are describing in your post is very similar to the experience of freshmen at the service academies. I am sorry your student was not mentally prepared for this but everything you describe - from the bed making to the shoe shining, knowledge memory, yelling, 100 pushups, and not much chance to eat meals is describing the standard Senior Military College experience to a T. There is nothing you have mentioned - no detail - that is not similar to, or even more intense, at the service academies. For perspective, think of the experience of the first week - FOW, and keep in mind that at the service academies, that experience lasts for 6 weeks! Not to mention that the fish experience at TAMU is shorter duration than at the service academies. It’s the way it is and if he is just 2 months into it, he is in the thick of the worst part of the experience and will need to rise to the challenge/ improve time management, etc. At the service academies, cadets just try to survive until the next meal - this is NOT UNUSUAL and is a part of the training. It is a mindset, and it will pay off if your son adopts the attitude he will need to hang in there. I wish him luck. The plan is to force him to be able to perform - and perform with excellence - under stressful conditions. How else can this stress be artificially created except for the details you have written about?
By the way, the other five Senior Military Colleges are Virginia Military Institute, Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, Norwich University Corps of Cadets, The Citadel Military College of South Carolina, and University of North Georgia.
J-dough, you are totally correct. It is all “part of the master plan mind games played on fish.” Again, this is BY DESIGN and very similar to the service academies. It is meant to create frustration and to be unfair. That’s all part of the training tactics. As soon as your son gets it - that this is part of the game, he can either choose to suck it up and deal, or give up and leave. I hope he chooses the former. Good luck.
Thanks for everyone’s comments. My son is very fired up about the Corps after doing 3 spend the night with the Corps. Many of these comments have given him and us a more realistic view of what to expect.
Coming from an out of state student who NEEDED to join the CoC in order to attend his dream school.
You are the epitome of a helicopter-mom. Let your son not be coddled for the first time in his life. I hated fish year more than anytime in my life. And yet to this day, I owe more to the Corps than I can ever give back.
“Leaders are forged in the fire, while the rest just burn to ash”
General VanAlstyne
Commandant my fish year.
Sorry to say but your son is going to encounter a lot of pretty tough situations in life, and you’re not going to be able to be there. I applaud your kid greatly for keeping his head focused on the end goal. I guarantee he’ll be proud when he pulls on his boots senior year, and will regret it greatly if he quits. Even more so if you talk him out of it.
More than anything, encourage him! Tell him to fight through the “games.” My parents tried to interfere at one point my fish year, and got a pretty good scolding for myself. If you want to see your child grow in confidence and ability, don’t be the one that offers him the easy way through life. In every success there is failure. And knowing how to rise past failure is where the true success lies. Embrace the suck, but look to where you are heading, not what your currently going through.
This is an old thread that I shouldn’t even bother commenting on, but I just saw the comment from @YountAgg13. The mom is NOT complaining. Everything she says is TRUE. Everyone needs to get off her back and just read it for what it is. She is trying to explain realistically what to expect. This is absolutely a realistic explanation. She wants people to understand … if you’re coming from out of state and you join the Corps for the scholarship money/in-state tuition, you need to know what you’re getting into. It’s tough. It’s totally worth it if you decide it’s what you want, but not everyone ultimately wants to live this way. And believe it or not, some don’t regret it when they quit.
@kaydeeloo I have talked to a lot of cadets who considered dropping out and ultimately got thru it. All of them were glad they stuck with it. I would love to hear from some who dropped out and were glad they did. I think the Corps is great but only hear from like minded folks and therefore I do not feel fully informed.
@Jweed1 My thoughts are this… Fall of Freshman year is a very stressful, emotional time for a fish. I don’t think it’s a good time for them to quit. I would rather them make it through the year and make a fully educated decision, not one based upon emotion. Some that quit do regret it, but some of them ride off into the sunset and never look back because they know they made the right decision. It’s like anything in life, we are all diverse people with different needs, wants and desires. It’s not a “one size fits all” world. The Corps is a blast, even during “the suck” and you better believe it’s gonna suck A LOT at times. I will say that your child will be hard pressed to ever form the friendships again, like they will in the Corps.
Many of us have prospective students who are interested in the Corps. These perspectives are very helpful. Thank you.
I am wondering whether being in the Corps tends to adversely affect students’ grades due to the time commitment, stress, etc. In spite of advertising from the Corps, I am reluctant to believe that it actually helps student achievement in their studies. I’m sure it does help in other ways, but I am most worried about grades for my son.
My secondary concern with my own son is his need to develop better self-control. If joining the Corps would help, then we will be encouraging him to join.
The Corps takes a lot of time which takes away from studying time. But if they weren’t in the Corps, they’d be spending time doing other things that would take up just as much time (hanging out with friends, staring at their phones, playing video games, etc.)