<p>The question I would pose then is why do they always have reef points in stock at the midstore and online?</p>
<p>Preparation is not cheating. If that's the case, then NAPSters should be segregated from the rest of the plebes over the summer because they would have an 'advantage'. Along those same lines, what about the prior enlisted? Plebe Summer was a breeze for most of the priors in my Company who went through recruit training/boot camp. The stuff you learn the first 2 weeks is pretty accessible outside of reefpoints, anyways, so if you want to know something before going in, go for it.</p>
<p>Still have to believe that concentrating on finishing high school or first year of college ought to be your priority. If you feel the need to "prepare" for USNA then prepare for validation tests and physical fitness. Both will be more beneficial.</p>
<p>In my day (no Ebay, no on-line Midstore, no on-line period), you couldn't get RP early. We all survived. USNA recognizes that plebes may not be able, for various reasons, to get RP early. No penalties for that. </p>
<p>Enjoy your senior year. Enjoy the month plus you have off from graduation until I-Day. Seriously. Show up on I-Day ready to focus. You'll do fine.</p>
<p>I actually got into an argument with a girl in my company about this last night, she said you shouldn't, my roommate and I said it doesn't matter. I wish I had of studied it more and learned stuff. I think USNA69 is being a little melodramatic about it. Reef Points won't change whether or not you can learn things, you have all year to acquire that skill by doing chow calls and doing all the tons of stuff that isn't in Reef Points. Don't sweat it, get it ahead of time, learn some stuff, if you can remember it, it will make your summer a lot easier.</p>
<p>jack, When you have had 6000 hours in the cockpit, I will entertain your melodrama comment. </p>
<p>One of the biggest things that distinguishes academy grads and one of the things that I hold most dear is the ability to juggle multiple things simultaneously, to keep a half dozen 'balls in the air' at once. The change will be subtle and you may not even recognize it immediately. But someday you will. Whether on the bridge of a ship or in a cockpit, when things are going to pieces, you will excel. Listen to your company mates. Reefpoints, like I have stated above, is a part of this education. It is there for a reason. Don't cheat the system.</p>
<p>I was not a pilot, but I remember as a Tactical Action Officer (TAO) having to memorize all the characteristics (ranges, speed, electronic emmissions, etc) and specifications (weapons carried, number, etc) of the Russian (as well as Chinese and allies) weapons systems including, planes, ships, submarines and missiles. I was glad that my first effort at memorizing this type of information was Plebe Year. It does give you an advantage</p>
<p>^^^it must, cause my dear ole hubby can barely keep one ball in the air at a time, forgets what he says/hears/reads the second he says/hears/reads it, and still can't keep his cell phone number straight. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>hmmmmmmmmmmmm....Think I might just get him a Reef Points of his own for his b'day!</p>
<p>I would be disappointed to think that people come to an academy without preparing for the topics covered in Reef Points, just as I cannot understand why some people show up unprepared for the physical training. I recommend at least the basics like military rank, difference between an aircraft carrier and a destroyer, etc. </p>
<p>As noted above, if a plebe appears too prepared the upperclass will find other tasks for them to learn. </p>
<p>/USNA grad, USCGA parent, BGO
//1600 hours
///multi-engine community believed in extensive prior preparation. It did help to have many sets of eyes in the cockpit.
////Got braced up for 1.5 days before I could answer "where are the headlights on a submarine?"
/////found subject headlights during 2/c training.</p>
<p>It goes without saying that one should know military ranks and the differences between an aircraft carrier and a destroyer. However, I am really surprised that you, an Academy grad, would imply further memorization. The system is there for a reason. The ONLY reason to memorize early is to bypass the intent of the system. It is not so much the memorization but the regurgitization of these very diverse and dissimilar materials under adverse conditions which prepares the midshipman for real life. A letter from a WP Army major has been floating around these forums which I, unfortunately, am unable to relocate. He, in the midst of Desert Storm, when everything is going to he11 in a handbasket, attributes his ability to function to his plebe year, and the Reef Point type exercises which he was forced to endure. And it did not come across as melodramatic.</p>
<p>Why would you recommend that someone learn Reef Points just to put an undue burden on the upper class to find something else for them to memorize? And how do the company classmates of a person who has done so feel?</p>
<p>OKay USNA69, I still think it sounds melodramatic. Reef Points is not your only source of learning things, you have pro=knowledge, meals, days, etc, there are multitudes of opportunities to learn how to quickly memorize things. It is good to familiarize yourself with all of that stuff and memorize some of it. For most people it won't help because they won't be able to spit it out under pressure so they'll re-learn it, otherwise it's the exact same and everyone will learn that same quality. Maybe things are different now than when you went here but reef points are not that hard to obtain, so everyone can get it and I suggest you do so.
So this subject seems dead because all we're doing is arguing about what everyone thinks and it's pretty clear what everyone thinks now.</p>
<p>Everyone seems to be making this into a much bigger issue than it needs to be... Personally I think you should just enjoy not being a plebe. It obviously goes without saying that you should show up to plebe summer in shape, but as far as reef points goes, your really not behind any power curve if you haven't committed the book to memory. I think I went into I-Day with the required info (i.e. mission and first 3 general orders) and the ranks of navy and marine corps, which I still remembered from NASS the previous year...
Some guys went in without the required info, and remarkably, they didn't have any issues. </p>
<p>I realize that many people attending the Academy are type A personalities, however, sometimes you just need to chill out and know that as long as you go in and work hard everything will come out in the end... Thats my personal advice. It worked fine for me, and 95% of people will find that whatever approach they take will work as long as they are willing to work hard and want to be there.</p>
<p>Would anyone be arguing/discussing this ... again ... if one asked, "Should I get a calc book and study it in advance?" </p>
<p>I suspect not, altho I'm confident someone will articulate a fine answer as to why that might be unpatriotic, illegit, or blaphemous. Go ahead and study your calc in advance of being enrolled even though it might violate the spirit of the gentlemen's curve. </p>
<p>My observation is that Reef Points would not be sold at USNA to the public in the mid store and visitors center if they weren't supposed to be read by whoever decided to purchase them. Go ahead, buy one and read it. It'll be the wink of an eye when you'll be so far beyond Reef Points it'll make your head spin ... some more. I'd say, your call.</p>
<p>So they'll sell whatever the market desires from which they can to make a buck? Good shot, but I'd not concur. I'd offer the thought that if the USNA did not want those in the hands of pre-plebians, they'd not offer them up. The obvious is they do not take such a posture, nor do they indicate to appointees that they should not read it. So, while each is entitled to their opinion of Reef Points and read or not-to-read, the Academy clearly takes no position on the matter but does choose to make it available (at cost) to any and all takers, including pre-plebes. </p>
<p>I'm fully confident if the Academy prescribed, prohibited, or even preferred that it not be read until the order is given, they'd give that order. They do on virtually all else. It is clearly not considered any form of policy, moral, or ethical breech.</p>
<p>Which only leads me to conclude that this is merely a matter of personal choice, meriting our personal opinions, no more. Perhaps less.</p>
<p>Or, as seems to occur very frequently on these threads, some people just enjoy being disagreeable for the sake of seeing what kind of response can be elicited. I think it is called arguing for the sake of arguing.</p>
<p>I find it interesting that USAFA's Contrails is not available to the public like Reef Points is. Perhaps the difference is that (1) Contrails is used the entire year while Reef Points is only used during plebe summer and (2) Contrails content can change quite a bit from year to year while Reef Points stays remarkably the same...interesting nonetheless the differing philosophies of USAFA vs USNA in regards to making "training books" available or not...any thoughts?</p>
<p>I'm actually a bit taken aback by the responses. My statement that the Midstore sells Reef Points to turn a profit is based more on my experience throughout four years, and in particular when I dealt with them for some supply needs for a foreign affairs conference at the Academy, then about trying to stir up an argument. Without delving into the entire story, lets just say that a company made a product for the Midstore and were going to sell the product directly to the conference, however, when the Midstore found out about it, they basically said that we were legally bound to buy it from them with a substantial markup...</p>
<p>
[quote]
the Academy clearly takes no position on the matter but does choose to make it available (at cost) to any and all takers, including pre-plebes.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>As I was explicitly told by the Midstore civilian management, NOTHING at the Midstore is sold at cost. </p>
<p>As was pointed out in your post, I really don't think the Naval Academy cares whether or not Reef Points is read by candidates. The Midstore, which is a distinctly separate entity from the Naval Academy, sells Reef Points because people will buy it, allowing them to turn a greater profit.</p>
<p>I should probably also state that this post is not railing against the Midstore in any way. All Midstore profits are funneled back into MWF which in turn helps fund different events at the academy.</p>
<p>Actually anyone can order a copy of Contrails through the USAFA Association of Graduates (AOG) website. I got one a couple of years ago to find out what our zoomie friends were being taught about USNA.</p>
<p>We were told at SLS that the only way to get Bugle Notes (West Point) is from a cadet or grad. I'm pretty sure they're not selling it anywhere, but I haven't looked too hard.</p>