<p>Do you feel you guys are missing out on the typical "college life"? Like going to frat parties or getting wasted or staying out late? I've read alot of your posts and it seems that most of you like the structured lifestyle.</p>
<p>^^^^^
If you are interested in frat parties, getting wasted, and staying out late, attend a school like USC. :D However, living at home with your parents and commuting will probably cramp your style.</p>
<p>I'm but a parent, and observation of my plebe's life so far might not include "like." Although in his case, it would be difficult after a few months to envision him elsewhere. And I'm sure it would not include "dislike" either. </p>
<p>For sure there is alot of structure, discipline and regimentation. It's probably not the apparent choice of many, although virtually all would benefit enormously from it, imo. And with nearly 13K applicants per year and a bunch more who do not pre-qualify, there are a great many out there who see it as an attractive alternative.</p>
<p>And it brings with it a purpose and focus unlike virtually any civilian collegiate experience. Perhaps most of all, one gets a sense that most of the Mids embrace and are nurturing a real direction in their life very early on in the process and I trust throughout. This is really exciting and fulfilling to observe as a parent.</p>
<p>I too am a parent, but I--not long ago (in my mind)--had a "typical" college experience, so I think I can comment on the comparison.</p>
<p>I think that many at the Academy believe that they're missing out on the laid-back, do what you want, party all the time college experience. Grass is greener and all that. But, because all chose the Academy knowing the difference, and most choose to stay once they're there, midshipmen, in general, believe that the tradeoff between what they give up and what they get in return is worth it. </p>
<p>As a parent who periodically hears the "whining" about the social freedoms of which they are deprived (even before this year), I gotta tell you I laugh at my mid on one level. She tells funnier stories, has friends who are more like brothers and sisters than just acquaintences, and has had more, better adventures in one year than I had in four. Yep, she has to stand watch, she can't wear civvies, and can't drink in the dorm--or elsewhere since she's a minor--but her college experience, from the perspective of one who had all those other things (and loved it at the time), is in a way miles better.</p>
<p>Perhaps my mid says it best, "It's not fun, but we have fun."</p>
<p>I'm greatful there are still kids out there who will not miss "getting wasted".</p>
<p>I did the college thing before USNA and loved it. I went to a few parties, but quickly got turned off by the whole thing. I enjoyed just spending the weekends relaxing at a friend's house away from campus or out on the water sailing in Puget Sound.</p>
<p>I made myself have a fairly regimented routine, though I enjoyed the opportunity to 'mix it up' with something new when it came up.</p>
<p>The first semester of Plebe year I hated myself for leaving UW, the lifestyle, and all my friends in ROTC. Now I wouldn't trade it for the world (despite some of the b****ing and moaning you may hear).</p>
<p>I agree with Luigi, hopefully that isn't the highlight of someone's college career.</p>
<p>Interesting if you the original poster is planning to attend USC, that he would randomly pick this forum to ask that.</p>
<p>Hopefully whatever college someone chooses is based on something more than:</p>
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...going to frat parties or getting wasted or staying out late ....
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<p>I am sure that whatever college you pick, you will find people you enjoy being around, who have similar interests and probably find a variety of activities to occupy your time outside of the classroom, even at a military academy.</p>
<p>It scares me that high school kids think of getting wasted and frat parties as the typical college life -
I have sent two kids to "regular" colleges - both known for their party scene -and neither partied their way through. Neither did most of their friends.
In fact, from what I have read about some at service academies there are plenty of midshipmen and cadets who "partied" their way through their SA.</p>
<p>If you want to become an officer in the Armed Services - you basically choose between and SA or ROTC - pick the one that suits you but leave the partying out of it.</p>
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<p>Practice the phrase "Would you like fries with that?" :p</p>
<p>You can party, bar-crawl, drink 'till you puke, get laid, and do everything else a "normal" college experience consists of AFTER you graduate from USNA with your Ring and a killer degree/pedigree. You'll also have a job, a career, be in shape, and wear a uniform that most chicks think looks pretty darn' snazzy.</p>
<p>In other words, when asked to choose between one or the other, the smart people will choose both. They'll just get them in the right order. :D</p>
<p>sub, you might want to ask that question of the college kids who are missing out...ask a Mid what they did during their 4 years, especially summers and contrast that with what most college kids get to do, or are exposed to. My son is only a Plebe and much of what he will experience is still ahead of him, but just from the comments of his friends who are headed off to regular colleges, they sounded pretty envious of his summer experiences... and yes they understood what he had to do/put up with to the extent anyone can that isn't there.</p>
<p>Shogun is the best person to ask this question because his daughter is a highly ranked cadet at West Point, and his son is a USC grad (not implying that he was ever part of the extreme frat-party crowd like our commander-in-chief was while he was a cheerleader/frat-boy at Yale and the Texas Air National Guard). By the way, USC is in the nastiest part of Los Angeles and the parking lot of USMMA is more scenic than the USC campus.</p>
<p>Actually, when you actually walk onto the campus of USC you would have a hard time telling whether you were in the center Los Angeles or on some ivy covered East Coast College campus. To walk around the perimeter you'ed get the "jitters" but the campus itself is quite beautiful, and safe. D's first choice had she not received appointments to Annapolis or West Point was to attend USC. She had been admitted to UCLA and Berkeley also but they were at the bottom of her own personal list for whatever reason. I don't know too many USC grads serving fries :) but I do know of a few USC parents who will probably be on a french fries diet the next 20 years to pay for that education.</p>
<p>In the end, a college (or a service academy) is what the student makes of it.</p>
<p>I went on an NCAA visit to USNA, and I saw more drunk people and I was offered more beer that weekend than I have seen in the week and a half that I've been at my NROTC unit. Yes USNA is more regimented, but idiots will be idiots no matter where you put them. I am also extremely tempted by the party scene, but if you want to be an officer, you are risking a whole lot for a feeling.</p>
<p>They each have their purposes. There's absolutely no reason to bash civilian schools as opposed to military, and vice versa. Further, there's nothing wrong with drinking/partying if you're smart about it, and people are both types of schools will do it. If that's how you want to release, there's nothing wrong with it.</p>
<p>I wouldn't say that, once you're of-age, the academies limit drinking to such a great degree. There's a lot more difference to them than the ability to drink, and I think it's much more important to look at those differences.</p>
<p>I also don't think anecdotal stories contribute much to this discussion. So, danbrenn, before you start making sweeping judgments, you should probably spend more than a weekend at USNA and a week and a half at your NROTC unit, or perhaps both.</p>
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In the end, a college (or a service academy) is what the student makes of it.
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<p>So true!</p>
<p>Every college or University can be a party school or a "stone cold sober" school. Whether you live that label or not is really up to you. </p>
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I went on an NCAA visit to USNA, and I saw more drunk people and I was offered more beer that weekend than I have seen in the week and a half that I've been at my NROTC unit.
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Really? Funny, that this is the first we have heard this about your NCAA visit to USNA.</p>
<p>Many of my youngster's civilian college friends were quite envious when they heard the stories of the great friends, and the fun (without alcohol) activities that he did plebe year and over the past summer. No "Pre College Outdoor experience" program even came close to the experience he had with his sailing cruise. None had opportunities to meet the likes of Tom Brokaw, Roger Staubach, and Wynton Marsalis, to attend a lecture by Henry Kissinger, to go sailing any Sat afternoon with their friends and not cost a dime... to be taken into a family so that they have a "home away from home"... the list goes on and on. </p>
<p>College is what you make of it. Chose wisely and make the most out out those 4 or how ever many years you chose to be in College.</p>
<p>I agree with both of these:</p>
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....College is what you make of it.....
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<p>and</p>
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...I also don't think anecdotal stories contribute much to this discussion. ....before making sweeping judgments, you should probably spend more than a weekend at USNA and a week and a half at your NROTC unit, or perhaps both
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<p>Even at the 'so-called' party schools, there are still students who study, get good grades and find ways to 'enjoy' themselves that doesn't necessarily involve alcohol. Painting any school with a single brush is probably not a good idea.</p>
<p>Still best to do your own research, visit the school(s) you are applying to and talk to as many current/former students as possible to formulate your own opinions.</p>
<p>I wasn't making a "sweeping judgement", I was just giving an example of behavior that goes against the SA stereotype. I love USNA and look on its students and alumni with a huge amount of respect. In the end your decision should come down to what kind of college experience you want, just remember in four years we are all in the same Navy and we all are clueless 0-1s.</p>
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not implying that he was ever part of the extreme frat-party crowd like our commander-in-chief was while he was a cheerleader/frat-boy at Yale and the Texas Air National Guard
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<p>...and who still managed to beat an arrogant socialist wanna-be scientist and an elitist Ivy-League traitor snob at their own game.</p>
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In the end, a college (or a service academy) is what the student makes of it.
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<p>Correct, and the selection should be based upon what path they want their life to follow. Those who choose to go to USxA will miss the party life no more than someone who chooses St. John's will miss the military structure of a SA.</p>
<p>And I must put in a good word for the ghetto. I grew up in a ghetto and had an amazing childhood. Very challenging to be sure and quite scary at times. But there are some lovely people to be found in many hoods.</p>
<p>Like most places, you find trouble in the ghetto when you go looking for it.</p>