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Prepare yourself for the
greatest shock in your life! You will be yelled at, ordered about, hustled
here and there, awakened before you even thought you had gone to sleep, put
through rigorous exercise before your body is awake, eat under the close
scrutiny of the upperclassmen, and forced to answer questions and remember
details that will seem absolutely idiotic to you.
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Look upon the whole thing as a
GAME…a very serious one mind you…but a game nonetheless. REMEMBER: NOTHING
WILL LAST FOREVER!
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Know why the Academy has Plebe
Summer. It’s Boot Camp. Period. The objective of the training is to break
you down and then build you back up in the image that the Navy has decided
is best for a Naval Officer.
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Plebe Summer is more MENTAL
than physical training!
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Look upon the Upperclass as
demigods. Do everything they order you to do, however stupid, and don’t
underestimate them! Look upon your classmates as the only friends you have
because THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE!
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Don’t laugh in anyone’s
face…but don’t lose your sense of humor either.
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Don’t take it personally! You
are a face in the crowd. If you believe that the detailers are out to get you
– you are right. The mid who is standing next to you also thinks they
are out to get him – and he is right. It is your detailer’s JOB to get
in your face. It isn’t personal. It’s tradition.
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It’s about team work. Offer
help to classmates and seek help when needed.
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Don’t party the night before
I-Day – it will be the longest day of your life!
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When you are really down and
out…REMEMBER…the Brigade is about 4000 men and women strong, and they all
lived through Plebe Year!
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Stay focused! Nothing can get
in the way of a successful plebe summer more than a loss of personal focus. It
opens the floodgates of confusion, self-doubt and frustration. Managing the
stress of each moment comes with a clear understanding of what is required,
how to do it, and why you are doing it. You are doing it because you want
to! You are the best of the best. You wouldn’t be here if the entire
Academy Admissions Board didn’t think you were the best. No one is admitted to
the Academy without every officer on the Board voting to accept. They thought
you could do it, so go out there every day and prove them right!
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During the year, KEEP UP ON
YOUR STUDIES, particularly Chemistry and Calculus. If you start to slip, get
immediate help before you get so far behind that you can’t catch up. Be
prepared for grades that are lower than you are used to receiving. Although
you were a star in your high school, you are now among a galaxy of stars. You
will have to maintain a minimum of 2.0, which is not as easy as it sounds with
the many other activities and requirements you will have during Plebe Year.
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ABOVE ALL…DON’T GIVE UP ON
YOURSELF! You will be exhausted, homesick, ready to cry at the mere thought of
home. You will miss your dog, your girlfriend or boyfriend, your bed, your
Mom’s cooking, BUT despite all of this, you will have the BEST though hardest
TIME OF YOUR LIFE!